Contact: Sue Sylvester, Policy and Performance Officer, ext 7493, e-mail [email protected]

1 Purpose of this Report

1.1 This covering report is intended to provide an `at-a-glance' summary for Members and leads into the option report which has been drafted by the core review team.

1.2 The programme of best value reviews is a key element in supporting Corporate Strategy Aim 5 - `Improving services'.

1.3 Lifelong Learning contributes to all six Corporate Strategy aims.

2 Purpose of the Review

2.1 Lifelong Learning is a major cross cutting theme, involving a range of service providers, both within the authority and external to it.

2.2 In December 2002, Cabinet agreed the programme of Best Value Reviews for 2003/04, which included a cross cutting review of Lifelong Learning. The outcome of the review would be a corporate lifelong learning strategy.

2.3 The project brief was agreed by the Education / Recreation & Heritage PRC Best Value Review Panel on 2 December 2003.

2 Performance

2.1 Lifelong learning is not a service in its own right, but is a major cross cutting theme, involving a range of service providers, both internally and externally. A key challenge has been to keep the review within manageable boundaries.

2.2 Owing to a lack of a clear consistent workable definition of lifelong learning nationally, and the difficulty in identifying any other local authority that has engaged in a full best value review of lifelong learning, comparison in terms of performance with other local authorities, has been difficult to gauge. Therefore it will be one of the tasks of the review to identify appropriate performance measures to assess progress with the strategic outcomes.

3 Outcomes sought

3.1 The attached report identifies service delivery options to deliver the following desired outcomes:

· Seamless provision and ease of access

· Effective communication and consultation

· Development of quality and capacity amongst service providers

· Cooperation between service providers

· Improved provision, `gaps' are plugged

· Leadership

· Optimal use of Hampshire County Council resources

3.2 Of the five options for service delivery identified (see paragraph 4 of the Options Report), option 5 - partnership working (supporting a mixed economy of supply) is the preferred option of the review team as felt that fostering cooperation and partnership between service providers both internally and externally is central to the effective delivery of lifelong learning and in meeting local community needs.

4 Member involvement

4.1 The following members participated in this phase of the review:

· Cllr Susan Allbright

· Cllr Keith Chapman

· Cllr Brian Dash

· Cllr Jo Kelly

· Cllr Roger Kimber

5 Review detail

6.1 Direct costs to date are £200. The cost of officer time spent on the review to date amounts to £13, 700.

Recommendation:

1. That the Lifelong Learning Best Value review team develops an improvement plan based on the recommended service delivery option 5.

N.B. The list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Contact: John Wilkinson, ACEO, ext 5084

6 Summary

6.1 This report concludes the second phase of the Lifelong Learning Best Value Review. The review project brief was agreed by the Education/Recreation & Heritage PRC Best Value Review Panel on 2 December 2003. It was recognised that Lifelong Learning is not a service in its own right, but is a major cross-cutting theme, involving a range of service providers, both internally and externally. It is highly complex, and by definition, can be considered as boundless. The challenge has been to keep the review within manageable boundaries, seeking to extract key strategic issues which will contribute to producing a County Council Strategy for Lifelong Learning.

6.2 The vision for the review was agreed by the corporate Lifelong Learning Best Value Review Team as:- "Everyone in Hampshire has access to high quality learning (recreational, vocational and academic) and opportunities to develop their skills and abilities." It was also recognised by the group that this statement would be kept under review until the final report is completed

6.3 The issues to be addressed were identified as:

- ensuring seamless provision and ease of access

- effective communication and consultation

- developing quality and capacity among service providers

- fostering co-operation between service providers

- plugging gaps and provision

- providing leadership in terms of co-ordination, direction, support, enabling, planning at a strategic level, empowering

- stewarding

- promoting and advocacy

- optimal use of all Hampshire County Council's resources.

- Further issues to be considered in the review relating to this, were identified as:

- resource provision and allocation

- effective use of buildings

- availability of funding

- adequate skilled and trained staff

- range of provision, including targeted schemes

- effective communication and information sharing

- cultural changes including organisation leadership

- access to provision and facilities, including ICT

- partnership working.

7 Progress during phase two of the review

7.1 The cross-cutting Best Value Review Team was formed in September 2003, building upon the work of the previous Corporate LLL Steering group, and has met on a monthly basis since then to review the issues, receive presentations, consider cross cutting issues, and provide a steer for the task groups. Agendas, clarification and direction have been provided by a core team that has met between review team meetings. The Review Team is representative of all Departments of the County Council and involves elected members.

Four task groups have met on several occasions between review team meetings. They have considered the issues within the following phase strands; Children's Learning (0-13); Young People Learning (14-19); Adults Learning; Older People Learning. These groups have used a variety of existing focus and consultation groups associated with their strand throughout this phase of the review. The list of steering and task group membership is attached as appendix 1.

7.2 The four C's (consult, challenge, compare, collaborate (compete)) were approached through a series of information gathering and analysis exercises. This followed the initial scoping work and the mapping of provision.

7.3 Consult

Through a variety of means, the four task groups surveyed the opinions of Departments, agencies and user groups to elicit views for development and challenge. Both the 0-13 and 14-19 groups sent out details questionnaires seeking information on contributions to lifelong learning, identification of key areas for improvement and options for the County Council to consider. The task groups also made full use of other consultations and focus groups allied to their work. For example;

the Early Years Development and Childcare Plan 2004-06 was produced in this period and extensive consultation took place with their Partnership;

the Young People's Learning Task Group made use of the consultation work related to the developing 14-19 Education Strategy in Hampshire and used the work undertaken with young people within the corporate Youth Strategy group to reflect concerns;

the Adult Learners Task Group used information gleaned in the production of their latest Adult Learning Plan;

the Older Persons Task Group looked into the work being undertaken by the Members Priority Group on Older People.

In addition full use was made of other surveys, consultations and reports taking place or appearing during this period. For example; the "Voice of the Learner" research from Hampshire and Portsmouth Learning Partnership; "Excellence and Enjoyment" DfES report on Primary Education; "Raising our Potential" Learning Skills Development Agency (LDSA); "Action for Skills" DfES consultation on skills development; "14-19 Qualifications" and the "14-19 Green Paper" from the DfES; "A Memorandum on Lifelong Learning" from NIACE summarising the European Commissions consultation on Lifelong Learning.

Many of the Steering Group's membership were also involved in the consultations and contributions to both the Cultural and Community Strategies. These too have been considered, along with the R&H Committee report on the Museums Service. The MORI Hampshire Citizens Panel Survey was conducted in late November 2003 and included specific questions on Libraries and on Lifelong Learning which has influenced the outcomes of this stage.

In addition, the local Learning and Skills Council has been engaged in local Strategic Area Reviews (STARs) on learning 14-19 and beyond, in which the County Council has been involved with outcomes feeding into this review.

Also during this period, the Education Department engaged in a very wide consultation on the Strategy for Education "Maximising Life Opportunities through Education." This strategy will have very strong over laps with the Corporate Lifelong Learning Strategy, and at some point they may need to be brought together.

7.4 Challenge

Clear points of challenge have been identified and responded to from many of the consultation processes. For example, the responses to the Education Strategy paper raised the issues:

`the topic is about Lifelong Learning and is much bigger than one organisation ..... HCC's role should be to work in partnership and in providing coherent and not competitive provision' and that `a strategy examines its mission; exposes external factors that impinge on the organisation; examines internal strengths and weaknesses that need to be exploited or minimised; examines strategic options and makes choices'.

Both of these challenges seem critical to this work. The Task Groups and the full Review Team have presented strong challenges throughout and have encouraged as much from those with whom they have communicated. The composition of the core team has encouraged rigorous challenge throughout the review. Elected members on the Steering Group have regularly fulfilled a challenge role, often from the perspective of local communities. In addition, the Lifelong Learning Branch of the Education Department and the Headteacher Standing Committees on Lifelong Learning have acted as challenge groups, and will be encouraged to continue do so over the final stages of this review.

7.5 Compare

This has been a difficult area to reconcile. Owing to a lack of a clear, consistent and workable definition of Lifelong Learning nationally, there is a widely varying approach taken by Local Authorities to its coverage and development. Performance indicators in this area change regularly, present no consistent nor reliable data and where useable, tend to reflect individual service provision. The few that are useful are related either to statutory functions (e.g. Education Test and Examination Results) or duties (e.g. Early Education, Youth and Connexions). However, task groups have found it easier to compare activities over their relatively smaller areas of focus. Related data has been published through respective committee reports.

It has not been possible to track down any local authority that has engaged in a full best value review of lifelong learning, although enquiries have elicited interest in our approach. Web-site searches on Lifelong Learning have produced related material in the case of 14 authorities. Three were in the form of case studies from the Learning Local Authority Network, but produced scant information. The others either represented reviews of Adult and Community Learning, the Local Lifelong Learning Partnership or cameos of youth activities, libraries and museums. West Sussex presented some interesting information on the IT zone and People's Network, but no more advanced than Hampshire's Libraries work with Learn Direct. The most substantial view came from Warwickshire (2000) as a report from their Corporate Lifelong Learning Group on the role and contribution of the County Council in relation to Lifelong Learning. This was a useful comparator and one which Hampshire was matching before the Best Value Review. The directions we are taking would appear to be in advance of other local authorities, more comprehensive, and by this measure, more complex. The final strategic view of actions may be of assistance to others.

7.6 Collaborate, rather than Compete

The challenging statement in paragraph 2.4 is worth reiterating here:

"Lifelong Learning is much bigger than one organisation. Hampshire County Council's role should be to work in partnership (with other providers) and in providing coherent and not competitive provision."

This comment came from a supportive district council, but was reinforced in substance by several Further Education Colleges. Competition in this area of work has led to duplication of effort, to some unfortunate breakdowns in communication, confusion within local communities and missed chances in the pooling of resources. Not good value for money in any respect. Our statements should be unequivocal in supporting collaboration and partnership working in Lifelong Learning. This is reinforced in the Desired Review Strategic Outcomes, particularly under vision 4 "Fostering co-operation between service providers." (Appendix 2). A mixed economy already exists with service elements being provided in the public, private and voluntary sectors, and these need continually to be linked together.

Such a direction would be in support of the partnership approach to Local Strategic Partnerships and Plans.

7.7 Consideration of cross-cutting key strategies

Nine cross-cutting strategies have been considered in the review and factored into the Desired Review Strategic Outcomes. These included:-

sustainable development

e-government

crime and disorder

equalities and access

workplace learning

family learning

partnership working

cultural strategy

community strategy

For each strategy, there was a presentation from a lead officer, further debate and more detailed consideration by Task Groups. The Outcomes are presented at Appendix

8 Summary of Findings

3.1 Each of the Task Groups produced a report for the April 2004 meeting of the Review Team summarising their extensive work and identifying areas for improvement in Lifelong Learning in Hampshire. The papers are attached at Appendices 3, 4, 5, 6. The issues for development have been summarised in the `Desired Review Strategic Outcomes' under the seven vision headings and the nine cross-cutting themes.

The main findings from phase 2 of the Best Value Review for Lifelong Learning are as follows:-

· The County Council's commitment to lifelong learning should be self-evident in the way in which it delivers its services to the public. At all levels, the County Council should engage with learners in ways which value learning and which lead to self empowerment.

· As a `learning authority', the County Council should continue to seek feedback from its client groups about need and performance and to act upon the information received. A `culture of learning' should be actively encouraged throughout the organisation.

· Hampshire has a diverse range of learning provision of high quality which provides an excellent baseline for future strategic plans and should be nurtured and developed.

· There is a clear need for better developed and more co-ordinated working within the County Council as well as between the Council and its many partners.

· The Lifelong Learning Strategy needs to link into the community cohesion and regeneration strategies being developed by Local Strategic Partnerships.

· The Lifelong Learning Strategy should address the option of developing a "Learner's Charter". Such a charter should either be child friendly or there should be a child friendly version on which children have been consulted.

· Serious consideration needs to be given to a more user friendly Hantsweb, which can provide a single point of entry for Lifelong Learning, through which the respective age groups can access relevant signpost information with ease.

· Family Learning and support for parenting skills should continue to be regarded as a priority in future developments.

· Lifelong Learning will need to be more flexible and responsive in order to meet the needs of young people, who will be faced with a variety of choices for education and employment from 14 years onwards.

· The County Council should seize the opportunity being presented by central government to expand the current network of extended schools. The extended schools strategy should include an expansion of opportunities for adult learning and should be complementary to the innovative plans for Discovery Centres across Hampshire.

· The Lifelong Learning Strategy should address the needs of workforce development at all levels.

4 Identified Review Options (see Appendix 7 for option appraisal matrix)

4.1 Option 1 : "County Council to stop undertaking and supporting non statutory services"

Evidence in the report shows the County Council is highly committed to this work. This area of work is a major philosophical and practical standpoint for the County Council and links directly to three of members priorities, and all of the County Council's aims. Evidence suggests that the expectation of the public is that Hampshire County Council should take a lead and coordination role in this work. The review team do not believe that this option is either feasible or practical.

4.2 Option 2 : "Status Quo carry on as we are"

The outcome from the review indicates that greater coordination, direction and development of services is required. Communication and consultation need improving, particularly related to web-site development. Further development of provision is essential to individual service plans. Standing still is not an option that leads to improvement in service quality.

4.3 Option 3 : "HCC as the main provider of services"

Although the County Council functions as a main provider in some areas, it is not sufficient, as others, such as FE Colleges, are commissioned to provide significant aspects of post 16 education and training. The County Council is highly dependant upon external funding for much of the work in Lifelong Learning, which is used in several instances to support other providers. The County Council can take a lead in collaboration, facilitations and co-ordination, but cannot do this work alone.

4.4 Option 4 : "Outsourcing all services"

As many of our services are statutory functions or core duties, this would be very difficult and complex to manage. The County Council is accountable to its electorate for the effectiveness and efficiency of its services. As an excellent authority, it does this work well. Most of the work in Lifelong Learning is linked or integrated in some capacity. Outsourcing would lead to fragmentation and a potential dissipation of quality control. The management of resources would prove very complicated, time consuming and could prove highly inefficient.

4.5 Option 5 : "Partnership working" (supporting a mixed economy of provision supply)

Hampshire County Council has major statutory duties and obligations to the delivery of lifelong learning. However, as others supply a range of services within Lifelong Learning, it requires the County Council to work and collaborate with them to secure the best quality services for our local communities. A strategy would help maximise the benefit of partnership working by providing clarity about the County Council's priorities. While the County Council's services can be fully optimised, the value added factor delivered through partnership, through pooled resources, brings significant benefits. The County Council should take a strong leadership role in Lifelong Learning and in encouraging partnership working, as it does already. It should help to foster co-operation and partnership between service providers both internally and externally. This is central to the effective delivery of lifelong learning and in meeting local community need. The review team unanimously felt that this option was their clear choice for future development.

4 Conclusion

4.1 The review team have identified and considered the five options based upon the review outcomes. These are set out in the attached appendices.

4.2 It is clear from debate and findings that options 1 and 4 are not feasible, nor in the County Council's interests. Option 3 lacks sufficiency in that the County Council cannot be the main provider as Lifelong Learning services lie with a range of providers, some of whom are commissioned separately to deliver these services. Option 2 is insufficient as it stands to meet the outcomes of the Review.

4.3 Recommendation

The Best Value Review team recommends that Option 5 be adopted as the underlying driving principle for the Strategic plan for Lifelong Learning. This was a strong message throughout the review and was influenced by a significant challenge during the review.