- About us
- How to apply
- What does it cost
- Start dates & attendance
- What do trainees value
about Finchale - How we can help employers
- Vocational training
- Residential Information
- Additional support
- Recreational & leisure time
- News stories
- Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training
- How to find us
- What's going on at Finchale
- Download General Information & Prospectus
- Contact us
Are there disabilities you specialise in?
Can my GP/ Social Worker/ Occupational Therapist send me to the College?
Do I get a qualification from my training?
Do I have to sit an entrance exam?
Do you have to pay to be residential?
How can I Contact Finchale College
How do I access Courses and Funding
How do I get into Finchale Training College?
How long do the courses last?
How much does it cost?
Is the College residential only?
Is there Advocacy Support and Counselling available?
What can I do in my Leisure time?
What criteria do I have to have to get into the College?
When do your courses start?
Where is the College?
Who pays my travelling expenses
Will attending the College affect my benefits?
Q: Are there disabilities you specialise in?
A: No, we are a general purpose College and cover most disabilities although we would expect people with severe auditory or visual sensory disabilities to attend the relevant specialist colleges because of their expertise in these areas.
*********************************************
Q: Can my GP/ Social Worker/ Occupational Therapist send me to the College?
A: No it must be through a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) from your local Jobcentre.
*********************************************
Q: Do I get a qualification from my training?
A: Yes every training course carries a nationally recognised qualification, sometimes more than one. The bulk are by City & Guilds but we also have others such as Comptia A+, Association of Accountancy Technicians (AAT) and Road Transport Industry Training Board (RTITB).
*********************************************
Q: Do I have to sit an entrance exam?
A: No but we do have an assessment prior to enrolment. We do this to ensure that you have not chosen a training programme which is unsuitable for your disability and that your basic skills are sufficient to allow you to follow the training. We are also keen for you to have researched the employment market for the job you are hoping to gain.
*********************************************
Q: Do you have to pay to be residential?
A: No, the costs are covered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
*********************************************
Q: How can I Contact Finchale College
A: You can Telephone Finchale College
on 0191 3862634 or you can Email us:enquiries@finchalecollege.co.uk
*********************************************
Q: How do I access Courses and Funding
A: Funding for you to attend Finchale Training College comes principally through Jobcentre Plus. If you are interested in any of our courses, in the first instance please contact the Disability Employment Adviser at your local Jobcentre Plus office; alternatively, for further information contact Admissions
(0191 3746104).
*********************************************
Q: How do I get into Finchale Training College?
A: To get into the College you must be referred by a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) from your local Jobcentre. No one else has the authority to do so and although other professionals may signpost you to the College, they cannot start the application process.
*********************************************
Q: How long do the courses last?
A: The length varies according to the course. The longest is 52 weeks but this includes a job trial which can be up to 10 weeks. This would be at a relevant employer in the vicinity of your home.
*********************************************
Q: How much does it cost?
A: The cost of training and residential fees are all paid for by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
*********************************************
Q: Is the College residential only?
A: No, if you live locally and can get to the College for an 8-30am start you can become a daily travel trainee.
*********************************************
Q: Is there Advocacy Support and Counselling available?
A: The Advocacy Support and Counselling Service (ASC) is available to all trainees at Finchale Training College and is part of the ongoing commitment to emotional health and well-being, personal support, welfare rights and benefits.
*********************************************
Q: What can I do in my Leisure time?
A: There is a large lounge
with a widescreen television with Sky TV
and a DVD and video player, video games
are available including a Wii. When the
weather is suitable there are outdoor
games such as chess, Jenga and
Connect4. There is also a team of
Residential Officers and, whatever interests
or hobbies, there'll be something to suit all
at Finchale. In the evenings there is a
choice from a wide range of activities
supervised by qualified staff. There is a
nearby Leisure Centre which offers
concessions to Finchale trainees.
*********************************************
Q: What criteria do I have to have to get into the College?
A: You must be an adult (over 18), be unemployed and have a disability or a condition which the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre considers a barrier to work.
*********************************************
Q: When do your courses start?
A: We have roll-on, roll-off courses and therefore do not have terms. Your course would start at the time we designate. The College only closes at Christmas for 2 weeks. Otherwise start times are determined as places become available.
*********************************************
Q: Where is the College?
A: The College is roughly 2 miles NE from Durham City centre in the NE of England.
*********************************************
Q: Who pays my travelling expenses
A: Once you are training at the College you claim travelling expenses from the College. For daily travellers they will be paid a week in lieu. Residential trainees have their expenses paid for the weekends the College closes which is every other weekend. If a residential trainee wishes to travel home on the "other" weekend they must pay for this themselves.
*********************************************
Q: Will attending the College affect my benefits?
A: Generally, no. Occasionally certain benefits are reduced. However because of the ever changing regulations for these benefits we advise you to speak to a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre.
*********************************************
Q: Are there disabilities you specialise in?
A: No, we are a general purpose College and cover most disabilities although we would expect people with severe auditory or visual sensory disabilities to attend the relevant specialist colleges because of their expertise in these areas.
*********************************************
Q: Can my GP/ Social Worker/ Occupational Therapist send me to the College?
A: No it must be through a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) from your local Jobcentre.
*********************************************
Q: Do I get a qualification from my training?
A: Yes every training course carries a nationally recognised qualification, sometimes more than one. The bulk are by City & Guilds but we also have others such as Comptia A+, Association of Accountancy Technicians (AAT) and Road Transport Industry Training Board (RTITB).
*********************************************
Q: Do I have to sit an entrance exam?
A: No but we do have an assessment prior to enrolment. We do this to ensure that you have not chosen a training programme which is unsuitable for your disability and that your basic skills are sufficient to allow you to follow the training. We are also keen for you to have researched the employment market for the job you are hoping to gain.
*********************************************
Q: Do you have to pay to be residential?
A: No, the costs are covered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
*********************************************
Q: How can I Contact Finchale College
A: You can Telephone Finchale College
on 0191 3862634 or you can Email us:enquiries@finchalecollege.co.uk
*********************************************
Q: How do I access Courses and Funding
A: Funding for you to attend Finchale Training College comes principally through Jobcentre Plus. If you are interested in any of our courses, in the first instance please contact the Disability Employment Adviser at your local Jobcentre Plus office; alternatively, for further information contact Admissions
(0191 3746104).
*********************************************
Q: How do I get into Finchale Training College?
A: To get into the College you must be referred by a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) from your local Jobcentre. No one else has the authority to do so and although other professionals may signpost you to the College, they cannot start the application process.
*********************************************
Q: How long do the courses last?
A: The length varies according to the course. The longest is 52 weeks but this includes a job trial which can be up to 10 weeks. This would be at a relevant employer in the vicinity of your home.
*********************************************
Q: How much does it cost?
A: The cost of training and residential fees are all paid for by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
*********************************************
Q: Is the College residential only?
A: No, if you live locally and can get to the College for an 8-30am start you can become a daily travel trainee.
*********************************************
Q: Is there Advocacy Support and Counselling available?
A: The Advocacy Support and Counselling Service (ASC) is available to all trainees at Finchale Training College and is part of the ongoing commitment to emotional health and well-being, personal support, welfare rights and benefits.
*********************************************
Q: What can I do in my Leisure time?
A: There is a large lounge
with a widescreen television with Sky TV
and a DVD and video player, video games
are available including a Wii. When the
weather is suitable there are outdoor
games such as chess, Jenga and
Connect4. There is also a team of
Residential Officers and, whatever interests
or hobbies, there'll be something to suit all
at Finchale. In the evenings there is a
choice from a wide range of activities
supervised by qualified staff. There is a
nearby Leisure Centre which offers
concessions to Finchale trainees.
*********************************************
Q: What criteria do I have to have to get into the College?
A: You must be an adult (over 18), be unemployed and have a disability or a condition which the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre considers a barrier to work.
*********************************************
Q: When do your courses start?
A: We have roll-on, roll-off courses and therefore do not have terms. Your course would start at the time we designate. The College only closes at Christmas for 2 weeks. Otherwise start times are determined as places become available.
*********************************************
Q: Where is the College?
A: The College is roughly 2 miles NE from Durham City centre in the NE of England.
*********************************************
Q: Who pays my travelling expenses
A: Once you are training at the College you claim travelling expenses from the College. For daily travellers they will be paid a week in lieu. Residential trainees have their expenses paid for the weekends the College closes which is every other weekend. If a residential trainee wishes to travel home on the "other" weekend they must pay for this themselves.
*********************************************
Q: Will attending the College affect my benefits?
A: Generally, no. Occasionally certain benefits are reduced. However because of the ever changing regulations for these benefits we advise you to speak to a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre.
*********************************************