Archived decisions

Lifelong Learning Best Value Review

Report of the 0 - 13 Task Group

Young children are entitled to enjoy their childhood

1. Introduction

      The 0 - 13 Task group was asked by the Life Long Learning BVR Steering Group to:

      (i) identify life long learning provision in Hampshire for 0-13s delivered, funded or otherwise supported by Hampshire County Council1

      (ii) identify the County Council's main partners in life long learning for 0-13s

      (iii) identify key areas for improvement and the options for achieving those improvements

2. Methodology

2.1 The Task Group met on 6 occasions between November 2003 and March 2004.

2.2 The Task Group identified the key Departments / Units within the County Council which it believed made a contribution to the non-statutory learning of 0-13s together with a number of other public or independent agencies who are wholly or partly supported by the Authority.

2.3 Each of the Departments / Agencies identified were sent a survey form2 which asked them to:

    _ describe the contribution of their service to life long learning for 0-13s;

    _ identify key improvement areas

    _ identify options for the Council to consider in a proposed Life Long Learning strategy

      The response rate was 40% and an analysis of the responses is attached at Annex 1.

2.4 In addition, extensive web-based research was undertaken, specifically reviewing strategies, policies, plans and other information about relevant Council services published on Hantsweb. Web-based searches across the sites of 10 other Authorities were also conducted for the purposes of comparison. The Authorities selected were either broadly comparable Shire Counties or Authorities rated by the Audit Commission as excellent.

2.5 A file audit was undertaken with the assistance of the Children & Families sector in Social Services of all the materials relating to or produced by the Children's Fund. This audit covered:

      (i) the results of in-depth consultation with 1,361 children aged 5-13 and their parents3

      (ii) a review of the 11 District-based Children's Fund Commissioning Plans for 2003-2006

      (iii) Government and Children's Fund Partnership Board background and policy papers.

3. Demography

3.1 There are 151,664 children aged 0-15 living in Hampshire.4

    Age

    Number

    % of total population

         

    0 - 9

    151, 664

    12.23%

    10 - 15

    97, 968

    7.9%

      There was a 2.1% increase in the 0-15 population between the 1991 and 2001 Census.

3.2 Population predictions for the period to 2011 are that in Hampshire the 0 - 4 population will decrease by 10.8% and the 5 - 15 population will decrease by 7.7%. There is considerable variation between Districts in the level of decrease, with the highest decrease predicted in the Fareham ( 0-4 -18.6% 5-15 -20%) and the lowest in Test Valley and Winchester (an average decrease across the age range of -3.7%).

4. Discussion

4.1 There is no single point from which information can be obtained about life long learning provision for the 0-13 age group.

4.2 There is no comprehensive directory of life long learning services available for the 0-13 age group, although the Children's Fund has a database of provision across the County for the 5-13 age group which is clear, thorough and extensive.

4.3 Information about strategies, policies and services for 0-13s is available on Government websites (specifically, but not exclusively, DfES) but these are difficult to navigate for the non-specialist. They offer links to sites of important independent/voluntary bodies working in the field but these are not comprehensive and they are nationally rather than locally focused.

4.4 Extensive consultation by the Children's Fund with 5-13s and their parents has been a valuable source of user data for the Task Group but the Group has not been able to identify comparable data for 0-5s and their parents.

4.5 The diverse and extensive contribution of Hampshire County Council departments to life long learning provision for 0-13s is evident from the survey responses attached at Annex 1. Access to information about this contribution is not straightforward for the non-specialist. Although there is a great deal of high quality information in leaflets, booklets, papers and on Hantsweb it is produced in line with organisational structures (ie it is Departmental) rather than thematically.

4.6 The Task Group considers that the implementing the provisions of the Children's Bill should assist the County Council and its partners in improving the sharing of information and in building a baseline knowledge of both need and provision across the County.

5. Conclusions

5.1 The Task group wishes to recommend to the Life Long Learning BVR Steering Group the following key points for inclusion and/or action in the Life Long Learning Strategy:

    I. population predictions indicate that the numbers of 0-13s living in Hampshire will reduce over the next 6 years. This needs to be taken into account when considering how best and where to develop services;

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

    III. A single entry point on Hantsweb for information about provision for 0-13s should be available for parents, carers and providers. This could extend to a ChildrensWeb which would present the same information age appropriately;

    IV. Hantsweb, perhaps because of the way it has grown and developed over time, is not as customer or learner friendly as it could be. It is not child friendly;

    V. Survey returns and background research indicate a common concern about difficulties in enabling access to services for hard-to-reach groups. Common themes include: rurality; ethnicity including travellers; physical or learning disability and teenage parents among others;

    VI. Specific attention needs to be paid to better meeting the needs of teenagers;

    VII. There is a clear need for improved partnership working within the County Council as well as between the Council and its many partners. Maximising the opportunities presented by the Children's Bill would be a route to achieving this;

    VIII. The proposed Life Long 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;

    IX. The proposed Life Long Learning Strategy should address the need for workforce development in relation to all those involved in work with 0-13s. A number of suggestions for priorities in this area are included in the survey analysis at Annex 1.

Early childhood is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. But it is not just a preparation for adolescence and adulthood: it has importance in itself.