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Published Delegated Executive Decisions

Welcome. This system contains information about published delegated executive decisions, including exemptions.

Decision Number: 0103 2014/15

Executive Portfolio:
Regeneration, Housing, Planning and Community Safety
Decision Number:
0103 2014/15
Exempt / Confidential Item:
No
Ward(s) Affected:
All Wards
Declarations of Interest Received:
None
Title:
Acceptance of ESF/SFA Funded award for Adult and Community Learning (ACL) to deliver English and Maths provision to employed people as part of a Greater Merseyside Consortium led by Liverpool City Council
Summary of Decision:
To accept an initial grant of up to £119,350 to enable ACL to support the staff of SMEs & volunteers in St Helens to gain Maths & English skills.
Proposed Decision:
To seek approval for St Helens ACL to to sign an Accountable Body Agreement with Liverpool City Council (attached appendix) to act as a commissioned provider for the academic year 2014/15 in a partnership across Greater Merseyside including Liverpool, Knowsley and Wirral , led by Liverpool City Council and funded by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and the European Social Fund (ESF). The value of the indicative contract is expected to be £1,685,250.01 and will enable St Helens ACL to deliver Maths and English provision to those in employment or in a "volunteer agreement" for a minimum of 8 hours a week.. To approve acceptance of funds granted by the ESF and SFA which will be awarded based on successful delivery and the numbers achieving a qualification..
Summary of Reason for Decision:
The project will enable those in employment to gain the additional skills in Maths and English required by their employers.
Reason for Decision:
ACL currently works closely with other providers in the region, meeting regularly to establish best practice, offering mutual professional support and the opportunity to discuss the most pressing issues facing the sector in the region. Work has been undertaken to establish the needs of the region in terms of developing skill sets. The consortium has made representation to the SFA that a key concern among local employers is the standard of English and Maths capability evidenced by their employees. LCC submited a bid to the ESF supported by the SFA for funding to enable providers in Greater Merseyside to address this issue. Target groups are: 1. Adults in employment 2. Adults volunteering for 8 hrs or more 3. Adults who have an English or Maths need below Level 2 4. Adults with disability or health issues 5. Adults aged 50 or over 6. Ethnic minorites. The Greater Merseyside consortium is one of several bodies in the country who have submitted similar bids. Learners participating in this programme should gain a recognised qualification and the opportunity to progress to further achievements and possibly be eligible for an apprenticeship. The accompanying benefits in terms of confidence should lead to a wide range of positive outcomes for individuals who take up this provision. The funding is not only available for learning providers; an element is for a specific category of employer, namely SMEs with fewer than 250 employees, to enable them to release up to three employees to participate. This funding will directly support local employers and small medium enterprises to strengthen their businesses by increasing the skills of their workforce and volunteers. Larger organisations are eligible to participate in the scheme but there will be no funding for them to enable staff to be released. ACL will still be funded to provide learning to employes from such enterprises. The potential value to St Helens Borough is £180,562.50; ACL could benefit to a maximum of £119,350. The amount reflects the capacity of ACL to undertake provision in the borough within the designated time period. The contract will be manage d by Liverpool City Council who will be responsible for any payments made directly to the SMEs who meet the criteria. These monies will be paid from the balance of the funding.
Risks Associated with this Decision:
Failure to deliver the agreed project in terms of numbers of learners,engaged employers and quality of provision
Measures to Redress Risk:
The reduction of the effective time period for project delivery owing to the structure of academic terms has been identified as a significant risk. A project manager and steering group will use a risk management approach, reporting regularly to the designated SFA project manager and identifying delivery levels as measured against projected targets, so that the SFA is clear on the project spending levels at all times. Any risks to underperformance will be signalled. A revised schedule is attached. This will enable the SFA to reallocate funding to another project in a timely way and prevent penalties. ACL will use existing contacts and partners, such as St Helens Chamber, JCP and the VCA to engage a wide range of eligible businesses. The employer incentive scheme built into this programme will support employer engagement. ACL has a well-established quality improvement plan in place and is required to be OFSTED ready. Individual programmes for learners devised as a result of initla diagnostic assessment, comprehensive teaching and learning observations, robust performance management of teaching staff and regular assessment of all teaching and learnig materials and processes are built in to the work of ACL. All of this will be monitored by the project manager who will instigate corrective action to mitigate any risks to the quality of delivery.
Anti Poverty / Human Rights / Agenda 21 Implications:
Attachments:
Please Contact Susan Williamson - Ext 7493 for more details.