Editorial Comment:

Focus of study

For the “Prescriptions for Learning“ project a learning adviser was based in health care centres to help patients identify learning opportunities and to provide on-going support during any learning they undertook. The evaluation was conducted in the early stages of the project, but covered the role of the learning adviser in the project in some detail. Views were gathered from some healthcare staff and from 19 of the 46 individuals who had received guidance from the learning adviser.

Key findings

Of the 46 individuals who had met with the learning adviser, 32 had embarked on a learning activity and 12 had not yet made a decision. Healthcare staff thought that it was too early to assess any difference in the people they had referred.

Feedback and information from 19 of the patients who met with the learning adviser indicated that the project was effective in attracting people who had not engaged in learning for some years. All reported that speaking to the adviser was useful, and most appreciated receiving information about the range of opportunities open to them. All felt that learning had made a difference to their lives, especially in terms of their mental health. Fifteen patients said that they would not have considered learning without the help of a learning adviser. Seven felt that the help they received from the learning adviser made it easier to embark on learning, or that they had chosen a more suitable course as a result. The evaluation noted that the learning adviser (an experienced guidance worker) encountered considerable difficulties in finding information about learning opportunities.

Additional comments

Further evaluation of this and similar projects may provide more specific evidence, from larger sample groups and over a longer time frame.