Make your data work harder by using SCORE to find funding efficiencies

1. Make your data work harder by using SCORE to find funding efficiencies 13th December 2010 Written and presented by Nick Linford

2. Using SCORE or your own reports to Maximise funding and minimise cost 1. Correctly code your ILR data 2. Don’t unnecessarily over-teach 3. Claim and check fee levels 4. Have confidence in your data, and use performance info 5. Be aware of funding rate and eligibility changes 6. Minimise the risk of funding audit claw-back

3. What is SCORE? SCORE is software which has been published by Drake Lane Associates for more than 10 years It was first introduced before CAATs (now DSAT) to help colleges indentify problems with their data It imports ILR databases (LR or ER) for 08/09, 09/10 and 10/11 and produces over 100 different reports. More than half of all colleges, and some independent training providers, have purchased SCORE www.drakelane.co.uk

4. SCORE control panel

5. 1. Correctly code your ILR SCORE includes 40 reports which are designed to ensure data is correct and funding is not under-claimed For example: ~ Entitlement for 19 year-olds on second year ~ Fee remission for L2 and L3 entitlement ~ Disadvantage uplift for Skills for Life ~ NVQ glh and delivery method ~ Incorrect funding stream based on learner age

6. 2. Don’t unnecessarily over-teach Comparison of actual (delivered) GLH against ‘listed’ (funded) GLH Unfunded hours Enrolments for a particular aim Actual glh = listed glh Variance %

7. 3. Claim and check fee levels The ‘assumed fee income’ or ‘employer contribution percentage’ is 50% of the unweighted funding for LR and 50% of the weighted funding for ER SCORE compares assumed fee income with actual fees recorded (ILR field A13) This variance analysis will indentify where fees are either not being charged, or where they justify a rise Also helps indentify financially inefficient provision which is probably being cross-subsidised

8. Enrolments 4. Confidence and performance info High data quality gives you the confidence to use comparative reports to indentify weak performance Enrolments last year Enrolments this year Start month

9. 5. Be aware of funding changes SCORE includes reports which highlight changes to eligibility and rates within the Learning Aim Database Particularly useful at present: ~ Many qualifications no longer fundable ~ Many qualifications only fundable for particular age ~ Rates for many QCF replacements very different ~ Did you spot some BTEC rates going up 25% in-year?

10. 6. Minimise the risk of audit claw-back SCORE includes more than 20 credibility reports, which are designed to avoid over claims (such aswhere the SLN cap has incorrectly been exceeded) A new set of A51a reports are particularly useful These should be used in conjunction with: ~ LIS error and warning reports ~ The 66 DSAT reports ~ In-house provider validation reports

11. Audit outcomes can be terminal Higher Risk Providers & Persons and Agency Contracting (03/11/10) “a small number of providers have tarnished this otherwise positive relationship, and have achieved financial gain at the expense of both learners and the public purse, whether through ignorance or design.” Additional criteria for rejection of providers “previous activities that have resulted in significant repayment of funding (£100k or more)” “two or more instances where the Agency’s staff have audited the provision of the bidder and identified significant concerns resulting in a qualified opinion” ACTOR helps implement this

12. Finally, a word about school data YPLA have recently published school success rates following an FoI request from a journalist 23% unknown outcomes for Academies 16% unknown outcomes for School 6th Forms In total 160,000 exams taken where the outcomes were unknown Always nice to end a seminar on a high (AKA feeling smug!)

13. Any questions? Else tweet me later….. My gorgeous 14 week old son Daniel

14. Receive £200 of SCORE until the end of 2010 with discount code LSECT200 Sign up for free updates at www.lsect.com