From experience to accreditation: the impact of Lifeskills Challenge

The Hextol Foundation is a social enterprise and charity where individuals with learning disabilities and/or mental health needs gain vital work experience through volunteering. With five different business areas, including gardening services and a vegetarian café, Hextol offers a supportive environment where people can develop skills and confidence. Until recently, this lacked formal accreditation. That changed when the organisation introduced ASDAN’s Lifeskills Challenge.  

Lifeskills Challenge is an accredited programme designed to support personalised learning and skill development. It provides a flexible framework of challenges that help learners develop practical skills across various areas, from employment to independent living. 

Rather than following a rigid curriculum, learners complete challenges that align with their real-world experiences, making the learning process engaging and meaningful. This makes the programme especially beneficial for individuals with learning disabilities and mental health needs, as it allows learning to be tailored to each person’s strengths, interests and aspirations. 

Jo Elliott, Beneficiary Engagement Manager at Hextol, explains how Lifeskills Challenge stood out as the perfect fit for their needs. 

"For many years, our volunteers have gained work skills, but there was never any form of accredited learning. People had talked about ASDAN before I joined and I decided to investigate further. We trialled a small programme that went really well, which we've recently expanded. Lifeskills Challenge is so flexible and allows us to tailor challenges to our volunteers, meeting them where they are and helping them progress. 

Tailoring learning to individual needs

One of the standout aspects of the programme is the ability for learners to play an active role in shaping their own learning. Tutors can select challenges from an existing bank or submit their own for approval by ASDAN. By creating challenges based on a learner’s interests and strengths, Lifeskills Challenge ensures that learning remains dynamic and relevant to each individual.  

At Hextol, volunteers have diverse abilities and aspirations. "We’re very much people-focused, so the ability to match challenges to individuals is invaluable," Jo explains. "For example, we have an admin volunteer who works on database management and presentations, so we tailored specific challenges around those skills just for her. This individualised approach makes the learning process more engaging and relevant." 

Lifeskills Challenge has also been seamlessly incorporated into existing business activities. "Our gardening team now takes on challenges related to navigation, tool safety and plant identification. In the café, volunteers work on cleaning, food hygiene and customer service. I’ve even written some challenges to match our existing job skills programme, making it feel like a natural part of what we do."  

One of the most creative adaptations came from a gardening volunteer known for his excellent navigation skills. "One of our supervisors wasn’t familiar with the area, so he would direct her to jobs using a map. We turned that into a challenge – he became our human sat-nav! It's great to recognise strengths and give them formal value." 

The impact: confidence, engagement and achievement 

The results of implementing ASDAN at Hextol have been overwhelmingly positive. "For some volunteers, having their skills formally recognised is a big deal," Jo says. "It’s one thing to tell someone they’re good at something, but another to give them an accredited certificate proving it. That validation is hugely empowering." 

The programme has also boosted confidence among volunteers. "One of our team members told us that the structured approach of the challenges helped him see his own progress and feel more assured in his abilities. He liked that it was practical and gave him confidence in his skills." 

Some volunteers, however, initially found the idea of structured learning intimidating. "We have individuals who, if we told them they were doing ‘training,’ would run a mile," Jo explains. "So in some cases, we didn’t even mention that they were working on ASDAN challenges – we just integrated them into their usual activities. When they later found out, they were so proud of what they’d achieved”. 

Feedback from parents and support workers has been equally encouraging. "One support worker shared that a volunteer was so excited about what she had learned that she went home and proudly demonstrated her new skills. Another family reported that their son, who completed a gardening challenge, is now using those skills to help others in his community." 

A manageable and affordable programme 

A concern for Jo and her team was the potential administrative workload involved. "As a small team, we needed something that wouldn’t be a burden in terms of paperwork," Jo explains. "Lifeskills Challenge has been ideal because the activities integrate easily into what we’re already doing. Our staff don’t feel like they’re taking on extra work – they’re just supporting volunteers as they always have." 

Funding was another potential barrier, but Jo was pleasantly surprised. "ASDAN was affordable, and that made a huge difference. It didn’t take a lot of money, just someone willing to give it a go." 

The support from ASDAN was another key factor. "I wasn’t sure we’d qualify since we’re not a school or college, but Karen from the relationship team was incredibly encouraging. She reassured me that we could make it work – and that personal support made all the difference." 

Encouraging others  

For other organisations considering ASDAN, Jo has a clear message: "Go for it! Even if you’re a small organisation, don’t think you’re too small. Contact ASDAN and have a chat – that’s what I did, and it made everything seem possible. This programme has brought structure, confidence and real-world skills to our volunteers. It’s making a genuine impact and we’re so glad we took the plunge." 

Head over to our Lifeskills Challenge website to check out the bank of challenges and find out more. We are in the process of refreshing these pages so look out for updates! You can also contact us to discuss becoming a member or any other ASDAN-related queries.