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Needs have been identified on a socio-economic basis using the DETR Index of Multiple Deprivation, and looking at community safety aspects. Wards in Surrey Heath identified on this basis are: Old Dean, St Michaels, Town, and Watchetts.
In addition there are 'communities of need' which have been identified, looking at issues like self reliance and basic skills needs, which are high on both government and local priorities. These are:
- People with Physical Disabilities
- Travellers
- People with mental health difficulties
- Army Community Deepcut
- Disaffected youth in the area
- Basic Skills (Old Dean, St Michaels, Watchetts) show a high ranking of need
- Vulnerable families
- People with learning disabilities (Learning support needs)
- Ex Offenders
- Ethnic minorities - issues around language, cultural barriers
- Labour market needs - priority sectors are computer services, entertainment and leisure, business and financial services. There is a growing need for management skills . Surrey Heath has a higher need for manufacturing expertise than the rest of Surrey. There is a need for health and child care professionals. There is very little work based training carried on in Surrey Heath.
- Older People - there are great health and social benefits which accrue from learning later in life.
Young people have been improving in achievement at Level 2 (GCSE et al ) at 16 and 19 years, and there is an improving record of young people going on to higher education. There is a disappointing trend for some young people not to achieve level 3 qualification. There is also a disturbing apparent dropout or failure rate from college students. This includes all ages not just 19-21 year olds. In Surrey Heath the majority of learners in the FE sector are in the 25-59 year old group with 16-18 next.
Although the government wish to measure success by accreditation, it is worth noting that people do not always want accreditation however, and often wish to learn for pleasure or interest. There is a good spread of people from Surrey Heath attending SCC adult education classes in all wards, but relatively few from Old Dean.
Barriers to Learning which have been highlighted include transport, childcare, support for carers, language and cultural barriers, basic skill needs and in particular self esteem - the 'not for me' syndrome. A lack of information and knowledge about what is on offer and that there is funded provision available is a barrier, as can be 'courses' starting at only one time a year, or being in an educational setting like a school where people have had prior bad experiences.
- Transport - Surrey does not have a well developed public transport system - people in the rural villages find it difficult to get to Camberley main centre on public transport, especially in the evenings.
- Teaching in off-site venues can be very isolating. Staff employed are often part time hourly paid staff who may not be fully conversant with college systems for providing resources. They often need a lot of support, which could be costly. (eg. of tutors at St Michaels flat) - have their own key, responsible for safety etc - taking the computers. As far as can be ascertained, no extra cost is allowed - not all tutors will do this.
- There is also the issue of safety here - is there a lone workers policy?
- Childcare - with some vulnerable groups, childcare is often a problem
- Support/relief for carers who may wish to learn and are unable to leave the home
- Basic Skills Needs, preventing understanding of what is available
- Self esteem (very high on barriers in lone parents, vulnerable young)
- Language barriers - in ethnic minority cases often cultural barriers exist (relevant to whether people will attend classes outside the home, different times, evening etc.
- Lack of interest/motivation/apathy - the 'not for me' attitude - often as a result of bad experiences at school. For these people, classes held in 'school' do not appeal - they do not wish to be reminded of painful memories.
- Cost - lack of awareness of funded provision
- Lack of IT experience or phobia about computers prohibits learning 'online'
- Family demands or 'no time' because of employment
- Lack of information - at the right place at the right time
- Lack of coherent provision - it still seems as though providers at the operational level put on what 'goes' there are few pathways identified from informal to formal. Competition element still exists where college providers are putting on courses in adult education centres. (eg. - wine tasting, languages )
- Barriers identified by Surrey Springboard for their particular clients were no staying power, 'keeping up', home life not conducive to study, disruptive lifestyle which clients are just coming to the point of dealing with.
- Debt/funding, substance abuse, re-offending
- Pressure of classroom - leading to mental blockages
- Education term times - September enrolment etc can be inconvenient for many people - more variety in start times/hours, delivery points etc. Especially true of accredited courses
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As well as Adult Education there is delivery from Farnborough College (at Camberley Library), Brooklands College (in AE centres and various community settings, U3A, Surrey Heath BC leisure and sporting provision, SCC Youth service provision, SCC Library IT learning centre and several voluntary agencies.
There is little coherence in monitoring and evaluation between agencies. Different providers have different systems, and there is a need to develop MIS systems to reflect LSC needs with a common format. Assessment may not need to be measured in just 'who passed what' but could also be measured in terms of local objectives - i.e. reduction in crime, community satisfaction, community health and safety, as well as labour force requirements and progression for individuals.
Gaps in provision in the borough include:
- practical and vocational such as health/childcare/construction/plumbing etc.
- management/professional education
- shortage basic skills teachers
- little evidence of linkage or pathways from non-accredited to accredited provision
- Opportunities exist to offer provision around Frimley and Frimley Green, rural communities
- Possibility of more basic skills delivery in the community
- People with mental, physical and learning disabilities could be better served. There is also an opportunity for extending provision to older people in the community.
MIS systems will need to cope with new initiatives, including monitoring and evaluation of extended provision.
Recommendations to widen participation include working more closely with Health and Social services; reaching vulnerable groups through 'trojan horse' methods; more direct contact with voluntary organisations, and developing relationships with business.
More research is needed around non-learners, but targets could be quantified from existing knowledge with collaboration between partners.
- Devise methods for attracting more basic skills students - see Case Study 1 Homestart, or Family Learning, story sacks, parenting groups etc.
- More direct linkage/work with the Health Service and Social Services, Borough Council - with a link in at right level - could identify clients in need or desirous of basic skills, confidence building etc, helping to increase self reliance
- Subject to discussion and agreement with SHBC, use already identified focus groups to inform on reasons why people are non-learners
- Further contact with voluntary organisations -identification of their own needs and those of the groups with which they work.
- Develop relationships with business to identify needs/requirements and also advise of the work being done within the Surrey Heath Community Learning Partnership (SHCLP), and invite participation.
- Discuss possible ownership and insurance of any equipment purchased, when and if new centres are created - several problems here for working in partnership - also staff issues around lone working in vulnerable localities
- Levels of authority to be determined for those seeking information - the exercise just undertaken has been very difficult because of lack of clarity about who has access to what levels of information
- Suggest closer working relationships with providers outside Surrey boundaries - still problem of travelling)
- Establish a central research library/list - maybe on the web - to aid and share information gathering and ready data for partners - kept up to date (by SLLP?)
- Target some/all groups already identified - will need quantification and more detail, especially on monitoring and evaluation
- Use what already works eg. working with children/parents in schools - plus other case studies identified
- There is more research needed around hospital, prison, rural communities, and non- learner requirements, but a plan could be built on needs already identified. Quantification of targets would be required and agreement of monitoring and evaluation.
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Kevin Delf, Chief Executive, Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership