Northumberland VCS Learning Consortium

1. Northumberland VCS Learning Consortium Annual Review 2009

2. Background • Established in 2005, Funded by Learning & Skills Council as part of the ‘Working Together’ programme • Delivered a VCS management skills programme in 2005 to 77 learners • 2005 Carried out action research with 100 VCS staff and volunteers to identify skills needs within the sector • 2006 - 8 Community skills programmes including youth work, community development work, IAG, training trainers and assessors, health and social care, funds for 4 VCS organisations to achieve matrix standard, back fill funding for VCS groups • 2007-8 Coordinated partnership delivery of ‘Now What’ programme of support to young people out of work, education or training • 2009 – Train to Gain contract

3. Northumberland VCS Learning Consortium • Membership of VCS learning providers • Established in 2005 backed by LSC • Has run four LSC contracts worth £350k • Recognised and funded by NSP as strategic VCS voice on learning and skills • Provides quality assurance framework for VCS learning delivery

4. VCS Membership of Learning Consortium • NCDN • Hexham Youth Initiative • CEP Associates • YMCA • Women’s Health Advice Centre • Northumbria Youth • Carers Northumberland • Northumberland Sport • Development Trusts Association • Headway Trust • NCBA • BECON • Trinity Youth • Bliss Mediation • Project North East • Castle Morpeth Disability Association • Groundwork • FONDT • Barnardo’s • CSV • Wansbeck CVS • Blyth Valley CVS • Project Northumberland • BCTV • Volunteering Northumberland • Shilbottle Skills Centre • WEA • Northern Learning Trust • Barnabas Safe and Sound • Age Concern • Bell View Project • Gateway into the Community • Gallery Youth Project • Berwick Family Centre • LINKS Tynedale • Adapt

5. Collaborative Approach • Tutors / assessors and learning supporters drawn from range of VCS organisations and public bodies - sustainability • Working together to raise awareness and responsiveness • Economies of scale underpinning local linkages • Strong links with community venues and excluded communities / diversity groups • Partners in Connexions, schools, extended services, Adult Learning, regional specialists, Volunteering Northumberland, Northumberland Sport, Northumberland College

6. Northumberland VCS Learning Consortium • Berwick Family Centre • Project Northumberland • Gallery Youth Project • LINKS Tynedale • Adapt • Bliss Mediation • Hexham Youth Initiative • CSV • Training Solutions NE Ltd • Northern Learning Trust • Fourth Action

7. VCS and the personalised approach • Every learner • Skills audit and tasters • Action plan and review cycle • Ongoing mentoring through learning process • Supported referral • Partnership approach • Access to placements for maximum flexibility • Accredited progression-based learning from Entry Level to Level 2

8. VCS in delivery of learning As employers - apprenticeshipsand diplomas • LSC / NCDN apprenticeship pilot agreed by Lifelong Learning for community development and youth work – 2006 • Structured access to volunteering placements through Volunteering Northumberland and Learning Consortium, including Personal Best • Community-based NVQ’s, mentoring, learning modules and technical support

9. VCS in tailored community-based progression • Certificate – sized qualifications • Community-based personal and social development learning • Community-based functional skills Functional skills English Maths ICT 5 credits each One certificate-sized qualification at entry, 1, 2 or 3 Personal and social development learning 4 credits

10. The third sector in delivery of learning As partners – with schools, Connexions, College, private providers, employers • Specialist provision eg young women into construction, ‘personal best’ programme support Learning disability support • Alternative programmes • No threat to school rolls – plus leverage of further funds

11. NEET Progression Pathway to skilled work or an Apprenticeship Apprenticeship 14-19 Intermediate Diploma GCSE Learning Level 2 14-19 Foundation Diploma Level 1 EntryLevel Progression Pathway to Foundation Diploma or GCSE’s

12. Influencing VCS Learning Consortium has a voice on: • 14-19 Strategy Group and its task groups • Area 14+ groups • Personal and Community Development Learning Task Group • NSP Business Skills and Enterprise Board • IAG task group • ‘Whatever it takes’ NEET task group • Removing Barriers to Work task group • Regional VCS hub ‘Contracts Matter’

13. Remit • influence the skills agenda for Northumberland and contribute to strategic decisions on the provision of quality provision by and for the sector. • identify and simplify funding opportunities, facilitating the sharing and information within the wider VCS in Northumberland. • work together to ensure that VCS learning opportunities are widely disseminated and provided in an accessible way. • operate in coordination with other VCS sub-regional and regional consortia to join up activities for the benefit of the VCS as a whole. • promote equality and diversity in all activities.

14. 1. What do VCS based learning providers particularly contribute to the needs of community based learners? • Real understanding of community issues • Trust built up over a number of years • Good non-threatening environment – informal setting • More flexible to learners needs and requirements • Directed training, IAG, Support, Sector knowledge, Links, Empathy • Local delivery • Specialist knowledge of client group • More person centred approach (empathy)

15. 2. What are the issues facing your organisation as a VCS learning provider? • Risks? • Short term funding • Unrealistic targets (in relation to client group) • Competition from larger organisations • Gov Funding restraints • Chasing same learners • Chasing same funding pots • Too many hard outcomes – restrictive! • Government contracting strategies • Focus, Funding, Resources, Staffing • Opportunities? • Funding (Focused), Partnership, Lead partner, Capacity Building • LSC listening and responding to Voluntary Sector • Access to contracts via VCS Learning Consortium • Sharing good practice and skills via network • Research as a lever to attract funding (NRDC & others)

16. 3. What are your organisation’s needs to develop your learning provision? • Assessor training • Becoming a training provider (viability/cost) • Funding for training, delivery of essential skills • Staff Training, - Bid writing – Quality Assurance – Management Setting & Maintenance Standards

17. 4. What should the Northumberland VCS Learning Consortium be prioritising in the next three years? • Making and managing consortium bids on behalf of VCS learning providers • Offering a brokerage role for VCS organisations with multi-sectoral partnerships • Offering small VCS organisations access to its accredited status • Developing capacity to deliver new qualifications within the sector • Concentrate on community-based learners • Concentrate on VCS workforce development needs • Perform as sub-regional element of regional initiatives Also: • identifying higher level training • More commitment from Consortium Members to influencing work • Assessor training • Support for more VCS groups to become training providers

18. 2009? • What changing relationships are needed with: • VCS Consortium • Contracts Matter • New unitary arrangements / NSP • 14-19 strategy • NEWS network