Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Report prepared for Learning and Skills Improvement Service

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Report prepared for Learning and Skills Improvement Service This report was researched and written prior to the election in May 2010. The environment in which the further education and skills sector operates is continuing to develop as the Coalition Government reviews existing arrangements and implements its policies. May 2010

2 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Summary Report This paper summarises findings and recommendations from a short research exercise commissioned by LSIS in early 2010, and undertaken by NIACE working in association with HOLEX, which sought to report on the practical implications for local authority providers of adult community learning brought about by changes in strategic leadership and governance in localities, particularly the leadership of place. The paper sets the then current context and, by drawing on five case studies developed during the research, makes observations on local practice, including service accountability, and highlights opportunities and challenges for this type of provider. The work was initially reported just before the general election held in May 2010. LSIS have subsequently asked NIACE/HOLEX to revisit the theme in light of emerging policies of the Coalition Government, particularly: the Big Society; service devolution to localities and the associated development of commissioning arrangements; the drive for efficiencies in the delivery of public services; and the introduction of Local Enterprise Partnerships. A second stage of work, including further case studies and a seminar drawing on a wider group of Local Authority ACL Service heads, is now approaching a conclusion, and we expect to be able to report further in summer 2011.

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place 3 Contents Introduction 5 Context 5 Current adult learning practice, Spring 2010 8 Service accountability 13 Opportunities and challenges 14 References 16

4 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Glossary of terms used ACL BIS CAA CALF CPD ESOL FE HOLEX ICT IDeA LAA LEAFEA LGA LSC LSIS LSP MAES NEETs NIACE NLDC PCDL PCT RDA SFA WEA Adult and Community Learning Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Comprehensive Area Assessment County Adult Learning Forum Continuing professional development English for Speakers of Other Languages Further Education The national network of local adult learning providers Information and communications technology Local Government Improvement and Development Local Area Agreement(s) The Local Authority Forum for the Education of Adults Local Government Association Learning and Skills Council Learning and Skills Improvement Service Local Strategic Partnership Manchester Adult Education Service (Young people) Not in Education, Employment or Training The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities Personal and Community Development Learning Primary Care Trust Regional Development Agency Skills Funding Agency Workers Educational Association

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place 5 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Summary Report of 2010 research Introduction This paper summarises research into the practical implications for local authority providers of adult community learning of changes in strategic leadership and governance in localities, particularly the leadership of place. The work reported here stemmed from an earlier enquiry into FE-sector governance and strategic leadership which was published in November 2009, 1 and which found that local authority providers of adult learning operate within a wider democratic and strategic leadership system that applies to the totality of a Council s services, not just learning and skills. LSIS subsequently commissioned further, more detailed research to: review the changing nature of strategic leadership and governance from the perspective of adult community learning providers; undertake case studies of local authority adult learning services that are integrating adult learning into local place shaping agendas; identify the implications for governance and strategic direction for adult learning providers. This research was focused by five case studies of local authority arrangements for adult learning, 2 selected following consultation with HOLEX, NIACE and the Local Government Association (LGA) to provide a sample of geographical areas, size of provision, type of local authority and mode of service delivery. Field research was conducted between March and May 2010, during the run-up to a general election; our reporting took place when early indications were emerging of the new Coalition Government s approach and priorities. Context Our research was conducted in a context where local authorities were increasingly being tasked with taking a lead, strategic responsibility for various strands of work, including economic development, neighbourhood renewal and the well-being of their locality. In respect of learning and skills provision, local authorities were at the time: assuming responsibility for the commissioning of 14-19 provision previously funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC); responsible for strategic planning of ESOL to address local needs: guidance issued in March 2010 expected local authorities to incorporate ESOL action plans into their Economic Assessments and Work and Skills Plans; and 1 LSIS,(2009) A Review of Governance and Strategic Leadership in English Further Education. Available at www.lsis.org.uk/lsis/governancereview.aspx 2 The case studies are based on visits to Portsmouth City Council, Kirklees Metropolitan Council, Manchester City Council, Southend Borough Council and Somerset County Council.

6 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place preparing to assume a Lead Accountable Body function for informal adult learning in line with proposals first issued in the March 2009 Learning Revolution White Paper. 3 More broadly, findings were emerging from Total Place pilots in thirteen Local Authority areas, each designed to explore the strategic and operational issues associated with enhancing a multi-agency response to address the support needs of people living in targeted deprived communities through greater coordination of public services. 4 Key points emerging from these pilots included: public spending reductions are driving greater focus on delivering better services at less cost; resource mapping of current public sector interventions has demonstrated the complexity of funding streams; a citizen viewpoint demonstrates how public services are often impersonal, fragmented and unnecessarily complex; the system driving the current arrangement of public services is overly complex; individuals and families with complex needs impose significant costs on areas, but in most cases are not tackled through targeted or preventative actions; and taking part in Total Place pilot has, for some organisations, been a catalyst for developing new ways of working and challenging existing practice. A concurrent, forward-looking commentary from the 2020 Public Services Trust 5 endorsed a localities approach and suggested that this should be characterised by phased implementation of negotiated autonomy to the local level, coupled with reduced but enabling central control, and clear accountability. The prescription was for increasing the focus of public service interventions on acute challenges, a need for behavioural change, and devolution of power to citizens and communities. This shift was summarised at the time in the following diagram, taken from a Treasury publication: Service-centric approach Largely universal delivery Services located at convenience to service providers Management and dispensing Standardised menu of options Service-based interventions Services bound by geography of provider People-centric approach More services are targeted Outreach taking services to where people are Behavioural change and responsibility for change from service user Personalisation and tailoring of services Integrated customer journey Services based on spatial level appropriate to the community/ neighbourhood & nature of outcomes needed 3 See BIS/LSC letters of 8 February 2010, headed The Learning Revolution and of 23 March 2010, headed The introduction of Lead Accountable Bodies for Informal Adult Learning: an invitation from the Learning and Skills Council and BIS ; both addressed to Local Authority Chief Executives. 4 HM Treasury, (2010:5) Total Place: a whole area approach to public services. Available at: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/psr_total_place.htm 5 2020 Public Services Trust, (2010:7-8). Delivering a Localist Future: a route map for change. Available at: www.2020publicservicestrust.org/publications/item.asp?d=2129

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place 7 At the same time, arrangements for assessing the effectiveness of local public services (the Comprehensive Area Assessment) 6 were focused on people and places, with inspectorates 7 jointly assessing how well local services work together to improve outcomes for local people, and the effectiveness of individual organisations in delivering those outcomes. We found, then, that the momentum for public sector change was increasing rapidly, driven both by a desire to make public services work better for the citizen, and by a growing awareness that the country faced a significant budget deficit. This economic context seemed likely to accelerate a localities-based approach as a means of securing greater efficiencies in public service delivery, and by the time this project reported, the Coalition Government was beginning to drive forward a new wave of public service modernisation, reducing both the size and influence of public sector bodies. The Total Place initiative was not itself progressed, but the core principles of the Coalition Government - freedom, fairness and responsibility - together with its programmes for communities and local government, continued to emphasise the importance of localities, local decision-making and joined up public services. The Coalition s Programme for Government promised to promote decentralisation and democratic engagement, and... end the era of top-down government by giving new powers to local councils, communities and neighbourhoods and individuals (Cabinet Office, 2010). This was further reflected in early iterations of the Big Society concept: to give communities more powers; to encourage people to take an active role in their communities; to transfer power from central to local government; to support co-operatives, mutuals, charities and social enterprises; and to promote greater transparency through publication of data on public service performance. Again, there was and remains an economic driver to this reform: in the words of the 2020 Public Services Commission Beyond Beveridge report: Priorities for public action are redefined through richer and more local democratic dialogue. Public services more closely mirror the patterns of risk and opportunity that citizens face. This involves some hard choices. Re-prioritisation saves money, and new types of social resources are mobilised. Assessment of the contribution that the FE sector might make to this new agenda (Gibney, 2009) concluded that: Too often in the past the learning and skills agenda has been shaped at national level without reference to the needs of particular localities - the link between local economic development, regeneration policy and learning and skills policy has not always been seamless. The potential role of the sector to act as a bridge between economy and community has not been understood across the piece. 6 The full Comprehensive Area Assessment Framework is available to download at www. audit-commission.gov.uk/sitecollectiondocuments/methodologyandtools/guidance/ caaframework10feb09rep.pdf. A user-friendly, eight-page guide can be found at www. audit-commission.gov.uk/sitecollectiondocuments/methodologyandtools/guidance/ caaframeworksummary10feb09.pdf 7 CAA brings together the work of the Audit Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, HM Inspector of Prisons, HM Inspectorate of Probation and Ofsted

8 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place This perhaps highlights various issues that the sector continues to face in its engagement with the localities agenda: there can be a tension between national priorities and targets on the one hand, and the needs of the local communities served by the sector on the other; and FE leaders have to invest substantial time to understand and engage with the multiple sectors and themes contained within the localities agenda. Gibney nonetheless asserted a critical role for the sector in locality leadership, or place shaping one that goes well beyond the pure skills and employment agenda. Undoubtedly the key drivers for public service in the short to medium term will be increased efficiencies and a reconfiguration of service delivery, focusing on prioritised interventions. As the following section shows, local adult learning services in part because of their historic positioning within local authorities - have in many ways kept pace with change, and are well placed to act as sector pioneers and lead agents in their localities. Current adult learning practice, Spring 2010 Adult learning services already are aligned closely with broader agendas, particularly regeneration, worklessness, social inclusion, neighbourhood working, health, well-being and support for families. They are characterised as having clear missions and planning which links closely with local priorities. This involves addressing the needs of key target groups/localities as part of the service agenda to widen participation in learning, and drawing on a range of funding streams to meet their objectives. Local authority adult learning providers clearly have the potential to influence the strategic focus of provision, add value to other service areas and help in the delivery of local priorities. This is true regardless of the size of the service, the scope and value of funding allocations or local delivery arrangements, and is often linked to other Council corporate goals, especially addressing disadvantage. Services plan to act as the potential lead accountable body for informal adult learning in their area, and many already lead for the authority on wider strategy development, e.g. for ESOL, for NEETs, for community cohesion, or in respect of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Adult learning services also have a strong pedigree of securing external funding to address local neighbourhood needs. Southend Adult Community College plays a proactive role in leading and helping form strategy development in three main ways: through keeping abreast of national developments and using this insight to advise the Council on how adult learning provision, or action by adult learning providers, will influence strongly the achievement of an effective corporate response; by offering the College, or the Principal s own direct involvement, as lead agent for the Council on new initiatives and/or as a key contributor to strategy groupings; through proactive promotion of the institution, and especially the achievements of learners, thus rendering the College an obvious and in some cases essential partner on account of its strong track record. The College has systematically developed both its profile and its active contribution to the Borough Council s development based on the three approaches outlined above. For each approach actions are identified and examples of impact given. This not only illustrates to the Borough Council and other partners what the College can deliver but it also maps out the areas of influence for the College and its staff.

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place 9 This is in places consistent with a Council s approach to the engagement of local citizens, which can include locality teams and links with local (often neighbourhood-based) committees of elected members. A distinctive feature of arrangements in Somerset is the extent to which efforts are made to ensure direct, local user involvement in service development. The Adult Learning Advisory Group comprises elected County Councillors and is chaired by the relevant Cabinet Lead; this was put in place to secure direct linkages between County Councillors and adult learners, and each meting receives reports from area-based meetings where service users are invited to comment on aspects of the provision on offer. Extensive partnership working is universally evident, with the adult learning service acting as convenor/ co-ordinator of authority-wide multi-agency groupings. Such groups are often advisory in nature, and operational in focus. Membership is likely to include other local providers, third sector and community-based agencies, housing associations, other public sector agencies e.g. PCTs, police and other Council service delivery units and community-focused teams. The remit of such groups is likely to include co-ordination of programme planning across the area, mapping progression routes, and collaborative bidding for external funds. Partnership arrangements are designed to enhance the range of learning opportunities and resources available to service users. Partnership arrangements in Somerset are extensive, and links with other agencies help to support learners, to increase the recruitment of those who do not traditionally participate in learning, and to enable more efficient use of resources and teaching accommodation. The service has developed a number of innovative projects, using a range of funding sources, and plans these in close partnership with local and national organisations: projects include work which targets priority areas for council regeneration work, and to address the needs of specific groups. The Service convenes a County Adult Learning Forum (CALF) which brings together all key provider agencies 8 and which meets termly, acting as an operational co-ordinating group for adult learning across the county. Many adult learning services already have considerable experience of multi-agency working together with the collaborative and co-operative working skills that it requires. For example, adult learning services often will work with health workers, Sure Start staff, housing association, FE colleges and job centres to engage hard to reach learners, devise relevant programmes and enable further progression into training or employment. Such partnership working is formally established where the local authority sub-contracts elements of provision. The success of the adult learning service in influencing and brokering was judged to be outstanding by Ofsted and the role of the service in developing a multi-agency approach was recognised: Staff actively involve a range of community groups and effectively co-ordinate a multi- agency approach to provision, enabling greater networking between the agencies while reducing duplication of effort and resource. A strategic approach is applied to commissioning, with service specifications informed by Council priorities and detailed data analysis. In cases, such commissioning is undertaken by a central corporate unit. 8 Membership of CALF includes Bridgwater College, Dillington House, LSC, Learning South West, Leisure Trust, Library Arts and Information Service, Somerset Skills & Learning, Strode College, Taunton East Development Trust, Vista, WEA and Yeovil College.

10 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Commissioning processes typically include the adult learning service taking a proactive and supportive role in enhancing capacity within its provider network, including ensuring adoption of robust quality assurance processes. The adult learning service in Portsmouth has a strategic approach to the commissioning and sub-contracting of its community learning provision. The service produces detailed tender specifications, informed by its priorities and data analysis. The contracting process operates through the City Council s own Gateway contracting process on exactly the same basis as other Council services: the adult learning service produces a service specification detailing the priority groups, learner numbers and targets for specific groups; the tendering process is advertised in accordance with Council policies and open to all; an independent panel assesses and awards the tenders submitted; and all aspects of the process are subject to the Council s scrutiny procedures by elected members. This commissioning process has resulted in a small network, usually four or five providers, delivering PCDL, NLDC and first step learning. The service actively manages its sub-contractors with regular direct contact and includes sub-contractors within its partnership structures. This practice was regarded by Ofsted as being particularly effective. Adult learning services contribute to targets linked to Local Area Agreements, particularly those relating to safer stronger communities, health and older people as well as learning and skills. Examples identified where adult learning is directly contributing to the objectives of other service units and external partners include: work with adult social care, providing links to adults with learning difficulties and disabilities; links with community housing via support of tenants associations; confidence building of local residents, and developing employability and job-search skills, as part of neighbourhood regeneration schemes; family-focused and inter-generational initiatives; work with elderly residents in care homes; working with doctors surgeries and PCTs to enhance the service offered to patients, including those recovering from metal health problems; recruitment, induction and support of volunteers; personal support work with particular client groups, including ex-offenders and substance abusers; and community liaison, including acting as advocates for vulnerable groups and/or for minority ethnic communities.

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place 11 Manchester Adult Education Service, both through being part of Regeneration and as a result of the influence the Head of Service has in her role as lead officer on skills development in the city, is now prompting other areas of the City Council and partner organisations to identify in their own planning documents how they can draw on the Service to address selected needs. The Service is also encouraging and advising other service units in their use of employment and skills data as part of their mainstream planning and has been working proactively to demonstrate how performance reports can help focus delivery objectives, and bolster cases for redistribution of available resources. This process is helping extend cultural change to respond to the worklessness agenda across the city. Adult learning services are overtly aligning their operational planning to strategy documents and associated targets published by local authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships/Boards. In cases this alignment is reflected in a new service management structure. the adult learning service is systematically reviewing Council business plans for informal adult learning taking place within other service areas, including libraries, museums, governor training, health education and trading standards. This both ensures service activity and the work of partners on agreed priorities, and demonstrates the breadth of adult learning contribution to a range of local agendas. Services are raising their profile through increased promotion of their own performance achievements, and through a proactive, outward-facing approach by senior managers, many of whom are active contributors to authority-wide groupings and boards. Southend Adult Community College had no involvement in the Local Strategic Partnership when formed. Since the advent of the Local Area Agreement, this position has changed significantly: the College is now regarded as a key strategic player, with a position on the Partnership s Skills Sub-Committee and its Culture Sub-Committee. The College Principal also sits on the RDA Economic Participation Partnership. Through these positions, and via less direct influence, the College is promoting adult learning as a contributor to a range of local priorities and at the same time is re-profiling its curriculum offer to show more direct linkage with LAA targets. Services are raising their visibility and using this positioning to further draw in other agencies, and to lead on joint initiatives. Adult learning staff typically already possess skills in identifying and addressing need, acting as advocates on behalf of vulnerable people and providing a signposting service to other sources of support. Adult learning services demonstrate a number of aspects of citizen focused public services that characterise the concept of locality working: significant experience of systematic, multi-agency work on the frontline, and a detailed and in-depth knowledge of the skills and approaches needed to work with partners in identifying and meeting complex needs. They also have demonstrable expertise in the engagement of organisations whose prime purpose is not adult learning, and in supporting them to deliver learning to their client groups.

12 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place A multi-agency approach to engaging learners is central to both the adult learning service s strategic and operational strategies. Through this multi-agency approach the service has strong links both in the Council and with other public and Third Sector bodies. These include well established links between informal adult learning and regeneration, and a range of work with UK Online, with joint groups being established in some areas to set up and provide IT training and access to digital technology in the Council s enterprise centres. The importance and contribution of adult learning is moving up the agenda within local authorities, and it is expected that greater cross-directorate and inter-service working will result: this is likely to provide greater coherence for potential learners, reduce duplication and secure economies of scale. There is also an increase in the contribution adult learning services are making to developing the workforce both within local authority service units, and partner agencies. Examples identified include: specific skills development for front-line workers e.g. care assistant training, and CPD for classroom assistants; customer service skills and qualifications; skills for life programmes for manual staff; ICT skills training, including involvement in rolling out UK Online centres; client engagement skills, including active listening ; and skills required for effective multi-agency working. under the Skills Pledge initiative, the Council now offers skills checks for employees as a result of which some are referred to service provision. The Service is recognised as an approved provider for the delivery of a range of programmes to Council staff, including generic ICT training and a variety of soft skills e.g. assertiveness training, working under pressure, interview training for frontline staff. The Service, which operates on a traded services basis, also holds contracts with Adult Social Care and Children and Young People (Integrated Workforce Development). The approaches and styles of working of adult learning services, based on engagement of local communities in determining programmes that meet their needs, provide a sound foundation on which to develop the concept of the Big Society. Empowerment and the encouragement of people at a local community level to be involved in decisions about their own learning are also central to achieving the aims of the Big Society: here again, the needs-driven, client focused nature of local adult learning services seems fit for purpose. Where local areas have been a formal Total Place pilot, the adult learning service takes a significant role, both as service provider and as a source of effective practice in working in a multi-agency manner, and to address resident needs.

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place 13 Manchester AES (MAES) has been actively involved in a Resident Wages initiative which seeks to address a proven imbalance between the income of those who live in, and those who work within, the city, by piloting an integrated service delivery model that focuses on improving economic and social outcomes for residents. MAES is represented on the Project Strategic Steering Group, and is one of a range of public sector agencies supporting project delivery on the ground. Involvement in this Total Place pilot has prompted MAES to customise a small volume of provision for targeted residents, but the broader learning from the Residents Wages pilot may well be more far-reaching for the Service. It is clear that there needs to be a streamlining of assessment processes between agencies, and workforce skills enhancement both in informal interview techniques, and in personal capabilities such as resilience. The project has identified shortcomings in some agencies competence in engaging with residents, and the centrality of the personal adviser role. In all these areas, it is suggested, MAES has capacity to offer support and advice to partner service providers. Manchester City Council has recently taken the decision to apply Residents Wages approaches to two follow-on pilots, each covering a wider geographical area. MAES is already active in planning for this next phase, and will use the initiative to further strengthen its own position as a provider of programmes addressing worklessness and delivering employability skills, as a source of recognised expertise in family learning, as a key contributor to the community well-being agenda (especially in respect of mental health issues), and as a service with considerable experience of, and success in, engaging members of the most vulnerable communities within the locality. Service accountability Adult learning accountability is sophisticated, with reporting lines both to local authority Cabinet structures and to Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP), and with direct service user input to planning and performance assessment, and quality improvement. Most local authorities have a cabinet system of governance. A Council s scrutiny process not only ensures accountability of the adult learning service but also demonstrates its role in monitoring wider cross-cutting agendas. Lead responsibility for adult learning is held by different cabinet members in different authorities: formal reporting lines include regeneration, children and young people, employment and skills, human resources, community services, adult services, and cultural services. Typically, an annual Adult Learning Development Plan will be subject to full Council approval, with service reports subject to formal Council scrutiny panel examination. Kirklees Metropolitan Council s scrutiny process is thematic, typically crossing a number of Council service delivery areas, e.g. closing the gap in communities in relation to economic and inclusion measures. Thematic scrutiny reviews can be determined by the Local Public Sector Board, requested by local elected members or proposed by the adult learning service itself. Additionally, adult learning services will have a line of accountability to the Local Strategic Partnership, usually through a theme-specific sub-group. Here again, the focus will vary: adult learning sits within LSP structures for well-being, for employment, skills and enterprise, and for stronger communities. In cases the sub-group has chosen to have an impartial Chair from outside the learning and skills sector, but with good knowledge of the public and voluntary sector: this is seen as providing an additional element of scrutiny and challenge.

14 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place Portsmouth has an Informal Adult Learning Partnership which reports via the Economic Well-Being Partnership Board to the Board of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). This process both informs the LSP of the work of the informal adult learning partnership and its wider contribution to other agendas, and also enables the work of the Informal Adult Learning Partnership to be scrutinised by the LSP. The Informal Adult Learning Partnership has an Advisory Group of 12 organisations and has a wider membership group of approximately 70 organisations. The advisory group s membership includes all of the sub-contractors, the City Council s library service, health improvement team and other City Council service teams with a stake in informal adult learning, including trading standards, the PCT and housing associations. At the time of our visit it was expected that the Informal Adult Learning Partnership would form the basis of a partnership for the City Council to deliver its envisaged Lead Accountable Body responsibilities. Formal service-level governance arrangements exist in only a small minority of cases, and usually reflect historic approaches. Where governing bodies do exist, places are allocated for local authority representatives, and governors planning arrangements enhance already strong strategic links between the service and the Council. Leadership - by Cabinet members, within LSP structures and both formal and informal governance arrangements - is essentially by non-professionals, and is generally experienced as providing independent challenge, scrutiny and support. Opportunities and challenges Adult learning services have much to celebrate, and much to offer, by way of locality-based approaches, but may need help to promote this; they need to capitalise on their position within local authorities to demonstrate how learning can help deliver a range of corporate strategic responsibilities. Local services have the potential to act as champions of targeted, resident/community-focused multi-agency work. They are well placed to deliver some of the core generic skills that multi-agency working requires, such as collaborative and co-operative working skills; working across professional boundaries; skills relating to outreach and engagement; information and advice skills; mentoring; and understanding and addressing cultural differences in public sector organisations. The workforce development programmes already offered by some adult learning providers within their own local authorities could be developed and offered to other public sector providers. An increasing need to secure efficiencies, together with a concern for consistent quality, is driving adult learning services to adopt whole-service approaches to management and infrastructure, and this raises questions about the potential separation of adult and community learning from other more mainstream - forms of further education and skills development, worklessness, regeneration etc. Coherence and value for money will be best secured by linking strongly with structures for these other services. Some adult learning services see a potential conflict of interest in having to adopt a strategic leadership and commissioning role for some aspects of provision whilst at the same time being direct deliverers of services themselves. Application of impartial and transparent commissioning arrangements, maybe using other parts of local authority services, should overcome this. There are real opportunities for pooling experience and knowledge in relation to commissioning of adult learning: aligning commissioning arrangements with other parts of council services, such as 14 to 19 commissioning, may also create operational efficiencies. National benchmarking data on local adult learning especially that supported from the Adult Safeguarded Learning budget - is overly limited. At the local level, while much evidence abounds on the impact of service activity this is often anecdotal, or of a nature where causative relationships are difficult to prove. While

Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place 15 these wider benefits of service activity are well known, it will be increasingly important to provide evidence of the wider social, economic and cultural benefits of adult learning, and to quantify this systematically to demonstrate impact on key outcomes. There is scope for adult learning to work with other local authority units on a shared services agenda, or to develop shared services with neighbouring services/ providers or other public sector bodies. To date, although there is extensive partnership working, formal pooling of resources and sharing of common functions is scarce. Recommendations for adult learning services: ensure all staff are adequately briefed and aware of the changing nature of strategic leadership and governance in localities and its implications for adult learning; systematically identify and map how adult learning aligns with, and contributes to, local area agreements and other strategic local priorities; develop and refine the assessment of outcome benefits, especially soft outcomes; develop and use killer facts to demonstrate the economic and social benefits of adult learning; consider how their services expertise in multi-agency working, engagement with hard to reach communities, CPD and workforce development can be re-framed to support the introduction of integrated service delivery in other parts of the public sector; pro-actively identify efficiencies through shared services within the local authority, and/or identifying collaborative working with other public sector bodies or neighbouring adult learning services; utilise existing adult learning networks such as LEAFEA and HOLEX to systematically identify and share approaches being adopted by services; seek new alignments and partnerships where adult learning may be able to improve outcomes or impact as part of joint working; and recognise that engagement in locality work will need staff at all levels to be made aware of the potential role of the service, and the likely external commitments that will bring. Recommendations for further work by LSIS/NIACE/HOLEX: ensure comprehensive dissemination of this report through LEAFEA, HOLEX and other professional networks, conferences and seminars; seek further case studies from providers through the NIACE-serviced IDeA community of practice to be established in 2010-11; work with providers to identify practical shared services or invest to save initiatives that would provide models for increased efficiency or modes of delivery; revisit this research area in Spring 2011 to assess the leadership role emerging for adult community learning, and to draw on emerging practice to provide guidance to providers; develop methodologies to assess and quantify the wider benefits of learning that can be used by providers; and further research governance arrangements in strategic commissioning models of delivery, particularly through arm s length social enterprises.

16 Adult Community Learning, Governance and Management of Place References 2020 Public Services Trust (2010) Delivering a localist future: a route map for change. London: 2020 Public Services Trust. 2020 Public Services Trust (2010) Beyond Beveridge. London: 2020 Public Services Trust. Cabinet Office, (2010). The Coalition: our programme for government. London, the Stationery office. Department for Communities and Local Government (2006) Strong and Prosperous Communities the Local Government White Paper. London: The Stationery Office. Department for Communities and Local Government (2008) Communities in control: real people, real power. London: The Stationery Office. Gibney, J. et al (2009) The new place- shaping: the implications for the leaders in the further education sector. Coventry, LSIS. HM Government (2009) Putting the frontline first: smarter government. London: The Stationery Office. HM Treasury (2010) Total Place: a whole area approach to public services. London: The Stationery Office.