Archived decisions

Decision Maker:

Executive Member for Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs

Date of Decision:

9 July 2009

Decision Title:

Background and Response to Recent Government White Paper on `The Learning Revolution'

Decision Reference:

802

Report From:

Director of Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs

Contact name:

Beverley Jones

Tel:

01962 846943

Email:

[email protected]

1) The Decision:

1.1. That the Executive Member endorses the strategy Hampshire Learning is making to incorporate the vision set out in the White Paper published by the Government in March 2009.

1.2. To continue the strategy of promoting more of a culture of learning for adults and their families within the Council, within district and boroughs - via partnerships, voluntary organisations, clubs etc.

1.3. To note that the tone of the Paper is very much about cross-departmental working - working with others, both at Government level and at local council level. The County Council has recognised that a single organisation is unlikely to make the `step change' in adult learning which is required to support its corporate strategy, in particular maximising wellbeing and enhancing the quality of place for Hampshire residents.

1.4. To acknowledge that the concept of organisations signing to pledge support for the vision sits well with the County Council's developing strategy. At a Hampshire level those companies who have pledged support will be drawn together to see if individually and collectively their interest can be used to further support the development of the adult learning offer. To date the service has really benefited from working in partnership with external partners e.g. the provision of a mobile learning unit to take learning opportunities to those in challenging locations. This mobile facility has been achieved by a partnership between First Bus Company and Portsmouth Football Club. The County Council expects to work with other Hampshire companies to further develop positive partnership working.

1.5. That the County Council will continue to maintain a `mixed economy' of provision, based on contracting out some provision and by very focused direct delivery support. That the offer to residents will incorporate a variety of programmes which embrace the skills /accreditation agenda, informal learning and non-formal learning.

1.6. That Hampshire Learning develops, with others, the concept of facilitating individual and group learning via various models of self-organising groups. The White Paper offers a clear steer that there should be more experimentation with groups energised to form around an area of interest and that the role of Hampshire Learning should be to support, encourage, and develop the skills of such groups to be self-organising. Hampshire Learning will encourage this development as part of its over-all offer to local residents.

1.7. That the County Council will make a unified application to the Transformation Fund to seek funds to begin the process of changing the thrust of some of its work from that of provider to that of enabler/facilitator. The County Council will link this main application to the Transformation Fund with other bids from a variety of areas of work within the county - museums, archives etc., so that it offers a united strategy to a variety of funding bodies - and if successful, one plan links to another and all benefit.

1.8. That the service will hold a festival of learning in Spring/Summer 2010 with planning taking place in late Summer/Autumn 2009.

1.9. The White Paper offers another clear steer that if there is emphasis on any particular learner age group in society, the focus should be on those in greatest need - those with low or few skills and those of advanced years. The County Council will work with a variety of agencies and providers to ensure this focus becomes a reality to individual learners in local communities. The Service will take advice on how a reduction in fees for the elderly can be achieved.

1.10 The White Paper indicates that technology and broadcasting can transform the way people learn. The County Council will continue to ensure that technology is used/ encouraged widely in all taught courses. Many individuals cannot manage to attend their local centres for a variety of reasons. The Service has seven years experience of online learning via its Learndirect operation. With changes to funding and the demise of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), continuation of these schemes will not be an option. However, by working closely with Hampshire IT Services it is hoped to continue to offer Hampshire Learning online programmes.

1.11 The County Council share of the £210 million safeguarded funding from the Government remains. Access to the funding has been via the LSC and, with its demise in 2010, the County Council will gain access of support via a new body - the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The County Council will begin to make contact and seek a positive relationship with this new organisation over the next few months.

1.12 The County Council welcomes the news that Ofsted will develop a new model of inspecting its work in the future. The new model, when developed, will link with the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) process.

1.13 That the development of the County Council's `learning platform' continues - to incorporate a number of online learning programmes developed in association with IT Services and focuses on those who find regular attendance at a centre/programme impossible because of age/disability or who find travel/mobility difficult.

1.14 That the Executive Member recommends to the Leader that the County Council itself should sign up to the informal learning movement pledge (a copy of the pledge documentation is given in Appendix II of the report along with a selection of named companies and organisations that have already signed up).

2) Reasons for the decision

2.1. The September 2008 report informing the Executive Member of developments in adult and family learning in Hampshire made reference to the enquiry being made by the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills into adult learning.

2.2. The Secretary of State's enquiry began in 2008 and reached conclusions as set out in the White Paper published in March 2009.

2.3. This report highlights the main responses and conclusions reached in the White paper and how Hampshire's adult and family learning service will respond.

3) Other options considered and rejected:

3.1. Not applicable

4) Conflicts of Interest:

4.1. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision-maker:

None

4.2. Conflicts of interest declared by other Executive Members consulted:

None

5) Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee:

None

6) Any reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent :

None

7) Statement from the Decision Maker:

Approved by:

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Date:

9 July 2009

Executive Member for Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs

Councillor Mrs. M. Snaith