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Learning and Skills Councils: Opportunities for the Voluntary Sector
St Thomas Centre, Ardwick Green, Manchester
Wednesday 16th February 2000
This page contains appendices FROM, and should be read in conjunction WITH the Regional Report
For the North West 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.
67 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 North West Region seminar
| LSC should ensure that funding does not only go to larger players (including larger Voluntary Sector organisations). |
| There needs to be equality of Voluntary Sector access to funds and equality of their representation in partnerships. |
| Quality standards are desirable, but they must reflect the diversity of the sector otherwise they can act as barriers. |
| There is a need to harmonise the quality standards of different funding bodies. All of these should be flexible. |
| Can the Voluntary Sector have priority in the allocation of the 10-15% non-formula funding available to LSCs? |
| There is a need to ensure the Sector is represented at all levels in the new framework. This will help promote a broad learning agenda not a narrow skills focus. |
| There is a need for sufficient resources to be allocated to the Sector to ensure its effective representation. This may require a full time paid post. |
| There is concern over the Voluntary Sector being valued properly and not considered only as an afterthought. LSCs need to recognise the value of the Sector and ensure they are included from the beginning. |
| Organisations may need a go-between to link organisations together. |
| There is a need for the capacity of the Sector to be built. This will help create cohesion in an otherwise diverse structure. However, diversity should be seen as a positive force. |
| Government consultation exercises require rapid responses. This may act to exclude smaller organisations. |
| Partnerships, which are seen as a powerful way of accessing funding, need to develop approaches that encourage equality and parity of esteem. |
| There is concern over 'short termism' in funding. |
| There is a need for co-ordination of multiple Government initiatives. The Lifelong Learning agenda must not be lost in confusion with other Government aims. |
| The Voluntary Sector must use networks effectively to engage positively with the new framework. This will help avoid fatigue. |
| There is a need for the Sector to map its current activity. This will avoid replication of provision. |
| When LSCs are assessing value, they must recognise that outcomes are harder to define in relation to some Voluntary Sector learning. Flexible definitions of learning and learners need to be used. |
| LSCs should develop a check list of 'soft outcomes' and targets. |
| Voluntary Organisations need recognition for their role in continuing to support learners rather than just recruiting them. |
| Voluntary Sector representation on LSCs should be prescribed. |
| Funding should not be 'top sliced' by traditional providers. |
| Ways in which provision can be linked with the benefit system, should be explored. |
| There is a need to incorporate the Voluntary Sector as a learning provider for young people, aged 13 and above, who need increased awareness of careers opportunities. |
| There needs to be realistic and equal funding between providers so that learners are not disadvantaged as a result of where they choose to study. The system must be learner centred not provider driven. |
| There must be recognition of the need for a variety of providers to be available to learners. |
| Learning opportunities must be flexible, both in their structure and content. |
| Learner's views about learning must be valued. |
| There needs to be recognition of the start up costs of some provision. This should be met through pump-priming funding. |
| Learners voices need to be heard in evaluation processes. |
| Criteria for franchising should ensure equity and simplicity. |
| The Sector must be pro-active and forceful in its engagement with the new structure. The challenge is to get involved, spread the message and be persistent. |
| Voluntary Sector must ensure it is involved in the development of the learning plans of local learning partnerships. |
| Local learning plans must avoid duplication of provision and action. |
| It will be necessary to work together strategically. |
| The Voluntary Sector should contribute to the development of realistic quality standards. |
| The Sector needs to assert the value of its work both in terms of its creativity and standard. |
| There is a need for traditional providers to recognise the quality of the work done by the Voluntary Sector and not to patronise it. |
| There should be access to LSC funding for grass roots confidence building work. |
| Will the Voluntary Sector be able to participate effectively rather than tokenistically. |
| There needs to be clarity in ways to access ESF funds via LSCs. |
| There should be a Voluntary Sector forum for strategic planning and the sharing of good practice. |
| Does the increased involvement of local authorities mean that the Voluntary Sector will need to become involved in local politics in order to receive funding? |
| The Voluntary Sector needs to be told now who to make representations to. |
| LSCs needs a compact with the Voluntary Sector to define the roles and functions of the Sector and local authorities. |
| There is a need for continuation of funding to protect the continuity of provision. |
| Bidding processes need simplifying. |
| Will high private sector input be detrimental to learners intents? |
| What will be LSCs attitudes to credit accumulation and transfer and accreditation of prior learning? |
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At the North West Region seminar
From the forms returned the ratings for this event were: 13 very good, 12 good, 1 satisfactory and 1 poor. 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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