You Said We Did. Community Learning Fund Consultation Event Glebe Centre, Murton 15 th May 2015

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1 You Said We Did. Community Learning Fund Consultation Event Glebe Centre, Murton 15 th May Background Durham County Council s Adult Learning & Skills Service receives Community Learning Funding from the Skills Funding Agency to provide a broad range of provision to bring together adults (often of different ages and backgrounds) and help them to pursue an interest, address a need, gain a new skill, become healthier, or learn how to better support their children. The service is committed to involving local partnerships, key providers and relevant local agencies and services in developing Community Learning across County Durham and held its third annual consultation event at The Glebe Centre, Murton on 15 th May The purpose of the consultation was to: Review DCC approach to the Community Learning reforms Identify how to continue to respond to the Community Learning Reforms Inform the specification for the commissioning of Community Learning 1.3 Attendance 77 individuals attended the event representing a range of local partnerships, key providers and relevant local agencies and services across County Durham. A full list of organisations represented is included in Appendix A of this report. 2.1 Durham County Council s Response to feedback from the event Feedback from evaluation forms and from notes recorded on flip charts during table discussions was analysed for emerging themes. These have been summarised in the You Said We did tables below: How do we continue to respond to the Community Learning Reforms? What are the local priorities? Who should we be targeting? 49 (84%) of 58 participants who completed an evaluation form at the event agreed that the themes listed below were still applicable for 2015/16: Digital Inclusion Intergenerational/Family Learning Health & Wellbeing The specification includes reference to: Digital Inclusion Intergenerational/Family Learning Health & Wellbeing

2 37 (64%) of 58 participants who completed an evaluation form at the event suggested that more flexibility was required to enable applicants to take a more holistic approach to the delivery themes. Feedback from table discussions also suggested that it can be difficult to get some provision to fit within one delivery theme and this can stifle applications The specification has been revised to ensure that applicants can address more than one or all of the delivery themes within one application The word count for responses has been increased to enable a more holistic approach to the delivery themes. 42 (72%) requested an element of demand led community learning activity within the specification. The specification includes demand led community learning engagement activity. The barriers to continuing the implementation of the Community Learning reforms? Perceived barriers to ensuring that the 2015/16 specification for the commissioning of Community Learning continues to respond to the reforms? What support is required to ensure that Community Learning commissioned by DCC is increasingly led by and responsive to local communities? Reduce the jargon/terminology used in the specification Revisions have been made to the specification in an attempt to reduce the terminology/jargon used, particularly in the response document. It is acknowledged that the documents do contain terminology/jargon which is an element of the procurement process. Wider publicity of when the Community Learning funding opportunity is available on NEPO Impression that the funding opportunity specification is aimed at large organisations/partnerships Ensure the funding opportunity is more inclusive for smaller providers The funding opportunity will be advertised via Durham Voice as well as on the NEPO website The specification has been revised to include reference to small/vcs organisations as well as partnership approaches. Revisions have been made to contract values so that there is no minimum amount of funding that can be applied for in order to encourage smaller applications for innovative projects. The length of the contract has been increased to two years to enable a longer development and delivery period for smaller providers. Improve the timing of the funding opportunity so bids do not have to be submitted during holiday periods. The timetable for submission of bids has been reviewed and extended to allow for holiday periods. There will two opportunities to submit bids for funding during 2015.

3 Workshop on bid writing and creating networks of providers to submit bids for funding. Durham Community Action facilitated a Community Learning Procurement Event on 25 th September A less formal process to ask questions rather than through the NEPO portal Questions regarding the process have to be submitted through the NEPO portal. Evaluators will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible to questions posted on the site. The approach to ensuring an appropriate mix and balance of learning opportunities Consortia, Partnerships and Joint Ventures? Sole Bidding Organisations? A combination of sole bidding organisations & consortia/partnerships and joint ventures? What support is required for consortia/partnerships and joint ventures? All responses recorded from table discussions favoured a combination of sole bidding organisations, consortia/partnerships and joint ventures The specification encourages applications from sole bidding/consortia/partnerships and joint ventures More information and support to raise awareness and connect organisations in relation to forming consortia/partnership approaches DCA have offered support for partnerships/consortia at event held 25/09/15 Timescales should be longer to support partnerships. The length of contract has been extended to 2 years to enable development of partnerships. Effective promotion, including branding of Community Learning What more needs to be done to effectively promote the benefits of Community Learning? Awards Events Case Studies DCC publication DCC Adult Learners Week Awards Event held June 16 th 2015 DCC to request case studies from Community Learning Provision during 2015/16 to be utilised in publicity/press releases DCC to publish Community Learning Guide Autumn Term The guide will be updated throughout the year and contain details of commissioned providers as well as wider benefits of Community Learning.

4 Local Press Better use of social media DCC Adult Learning & Skills Service to increase promotion of Community Learning through Local Press during 2015/16 DCC Adult Learning & Skills Service marketing plan for 2015/16 to include a face book page for promotion of learning opportunities across the County 3.1 Next Steps Durham County Council s Adult Learning & Skills Service will continue to work with DCC colleagues including Public Health and other partner organisations to take a collaborative approach to commissioning. The service aims to commission funding for learning opportunities and provision that adds value to existing projects, avoids duplication and compliments each other. Durham County Council s Adult Learning Service will continue to ensure that Community Learning funding responds to National Reforms and the priority themes and actions within the Council Plan ( ), including the themes Altogether Wealthier, Altogether Better for Children and Young People, Altogether Healthier and Altogether Safer The Service will actively seek the views of existing local learning partnerships, AAP s etc. regarding the priorities and needs of local communities to inform the commissioning process. Durham County Council s Adult Learning & Skills Service will incorporate the feedback from the consultation event held in May 2015 through two commissioning stages: Stage One Commission an initial round of funding by the end of May 2015 to ensure continuity of provision into the academic year 2015/16. Learning providers/community organisations will be able to prepare bids that focus on emerging local priorities that were identified at the consultation: Access to IT/Digital Inclusion Social inclusion Family Learning Intergenerational Learning Health & wellbeing Projects to support volunteers and volunteering Employability Skills

5 Evaluation of this first commissioning round will include analysis of the geographical spread of submissions for funding as well as identifying gaps and duplication in preparation for a second commissioning round. Stage Two Issue a specification by the end of October The second round will seek to address any gaps in terms of local priorities that have been identified through round one. The Adult Learning & Skills Service will implement mechanisms to evaluate the outcomes of Community Learning with all partners and providers. These mechanisms will include those identified at the consultation event.

6 Appendix A Organisations Represented at the Event Auckland Castle Groundwork Apex Training Health Watch Area Action Partnership Home Instead Aspire North East Homegroup Aucourant Horden Youth & Community Centre Beamish Hall Stonham Home Group Beanstalk Charity Jack Drum Arts Bespoke Training Killhope - Durham County Council Bullian Lane Community Association Leadgate Community Centre Bishop Auckland College Learning Concepts Blackhall Community Centre Livin Housing Association Macrae House Mencap Neca Training Mental Health North East CDC Enterprise Agency Nepacs Changing Lives New College, Durham Community Action Partnership Newton Aycliffe Children's Centre Community Member Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre Community Outreach Northern Rights Daybreak Centres NUFC Dene Valley One Stop Shop Optimum Skills Derwentside College Ready for Change Now CIC Disc Richmond Fellowship Durham County Council SAFC Deaf Hill Regeneration Partnership Shade Housing Association Durham Voice Catch 22 DWP Teesdale YMCA East Durham College The Employability Trust East Durham Trust Durham Cathedral Eastlea Community Centre Keep Moat Etherly Welfare & Community Relate Foundation UK Wingate Family Centre Framwellgate Moor Community Association Woodham Village Community Association Acumen Trust YMS training Ltd