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Learning and Skills Councils: Opportunities for the Voluntary Sector
NSPCC Training Centre, Beaumont Leys, Leicester
Tuesday 15th February 2000
This page contains appendices FROM, and should be read in conjunction WITH the Regional Report
For the East Midlands Region seminar
The planning and delivery of this event was undertaken on behalf of NIACE and the WEA by Cheryl Turner (Development Officer, NIACE) and Michael Freeston (Education Officer, WEA).
Particular acknowledgement needs to be given to the hard work of administrative staff of both organisations, especially Philippa Cattell, Averil Coutinho and Vera Tunçel, for ensuring the smooth running of the event.
NIACE and the WEA gratefully acknowledge the support of Tina Cook (Age Concern England) who contributed to the presentations at the Leicester event.
68 participants registered to attend the event. Representatives of the Government Office Local Learning Partnerships, voluntary groups and 'umbrella' organisations attended. This spread of experience and knowledge ensured that participants’ contributions, both in the discussion groups and plenary sessions were lively and informative.
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At the East Midlands Region seminar
| How is it possible for there to be effective representation on the boards of LSCs for such a diverse sector? |
| The importance of non-accredited provision for some learners must be recognised. |
| There is concern over Local Authority political influence over the new framework. This must not limit innovative approaches to learning being developed. |
| Voluntary Organisations' lack of resources should not be allowed to limit their participation in the new structures. |
| The creative capacity of Voluntary Organisations and their ability to offer flexible and responsive provision needs to be protected. |
| There is concern over the potential range of different quality assurance mechanisms. Information is needed on appropriate standards. |
| Will staff development mean only Investors in People is acceptable? |
| Concern exists over competition from other providers such as mainstream further education colleges. |
| There is difficulty in finding out answers to the main questions and issues that will affect the Voluntary Sector. |
| There is a concern that existing beneficial arrangements will be lost. |
| There is need for clarity around consultation processes - where and how? |
| There are capacity issues, e.g. time, skills, funding, which will impact on the potential for smaller organisations to participate fully in the new arrangements. |
| Small organisations should consider establishing consortia to help each other and enable representation on LSCs. |
| Do LSCs know the range of work undertaken by the Sector in this region? |
| There is a need for flexibility around targets and standards if participation of small organisations is to be possible. |
| Where will 'ownership' of provision lie? |
| Staff training requirements need to be appropriate to the sector. They should not be too onerous. |
| There is a need for capacity building within the sector. Where will this come from? |
| The on costs of monitoring, inspection and quality assurance need to be covered. |
| Given the diversity and lack of resources within the community and Voluntary Sector, how will it be appropriately represented on LSC board? Is there a role here for regional voluntary sector fora? |
| There would be a potential threat to the flexibility of the Sector's provision from any imposition of inappropriate quality standards. |
| The opportunity for direct access to LSC funds is welcomed. |
| The voices of young learners must be heard. Responsiveness of provision to their needs must be seen as an element of quality assurance. |
| How will the voices of excluded learners be heard? |
| What will happen if local learning partnerships disappear? How will the involvement of the Voluntary Sector and learners be maintained? |
| The opportunity for new funds to work with excluded groups is welcomed. The training needs of volunteers to carry out this work must be met. |
| Concern exists around competition for funds with other providers. (especially colleges) |
| Could funding be ring-fenced to help volunteer training within the Sector? |
| There is need for specialised support (perhaps at County level) for new and experienced providers. |
| The Voluntary Sector's role in identifying learners and helping them link to other providers must be recognised and supported. |
| The Voluntary Sector can set standards for all providers so that local needs are met. |
| Work needs to be undertaken to help Voluntary Organisations comply with accepted standards. |
| LSCs must recognise that the Voluntary Sector starts from a disadvantaged position and a level playing field should be developed. |
| It is important to emphasise the disparate nature of the Sector. |
| There is a real danger that the Sector will be excluded in the new framework. |
| The Sector should not allow a perception to develop that it is complaining about the new structure. |
| The new structure should not be overly bureaucratic. This would act to exclude small organisations. |
| The Voluntary Sector needs to get its act together. It needs to identify informed allies and guides. |
| The Voluntary Sector must find ways to 'market' itself and communicate effectively within the LSC framework. |
| The challenge for the Sector is to 'go to the top'; identify the key people, get involved and make a difference. |
| Regional approached will vary but East Midlands Learning Partnership have been very keen to ensure they include Voluntary Sector representation. |
| LSC members and staff need to visit Voluntary Sector organisations and see what is happening. RDAs have done this. |
| Addressing the basic skills agenda must be a high priority. |
| There is a danger of 'consultation overload'. The time spent in responding to consultations must be balanced against the realistic outcomes that may arise. |
| Adults and young people should be part of the national LSC sub-committees. There should be corresponding sub-committees at local LSC level. |
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At the East Midlands Region seminar
From the forms returned the ratings for this event were: 6 very good, 17 good and 6 satisfactory. Overall, the written comments were positive and spoke favourably about the clear structure of the programme and the balance between presentations, discussion and feedback, the informal, friendly atmosphere and free flow and open character of the comments, the documentation before and during the event, the fact that it was clearly for voluntary bodies and included a number of grass-roots organisations, and the richness of the plenary discussions due to the diverse experience and knowledge of the participants
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