News

A new service from LSIS to keep up with their ACL activities.  This link takes you to the sign-up page.

The Capital Skills Prospectus gives non-college providers of education and training access to capital funding for the first time. It gives a wider range of training providers access to new investment which will enable them to develop and deliver specialised services.

Please click here to view the Prospectus.

This New Year we are hoping to raise some money for Endeavour by collecting people's Christmas Trees and taking them awayto be recycled.

On Friday 9th and Saturday 10th January we're going to try and raise £2,500 by collecting Christmas Trees and taking them away to be recycled.

For further information please click here.

This is for Infrastructure (Second Tier Support) organisations and to individuals who, having experience in this field, may wish to contribute.  However, the list is far from complete, so please do forward it to anyone else you think may be relevant.

We are developing a new set of national occupational standards for development workers in 'infrastructure' organisations (also known as 2nd Tier Support organisations) who support other voluntary and community groups and organisations to develop their capacity and become more effective.

Your job title may be Support Worker, Development Officer, Community Support Worker, Planning and Partnership Officer… but, so long as you provide support services to other organisations, these standards should apply to you. National Occupational Standards are the way job descriptions are measured against standard descriptions of tasks that are common in our sector and the skills that are required to successfully complete them. The hope is as a result of the standards, the sector will begin to see, for the first time, development workers being able to gain a nationally recognised qualification that supports their field of work - and one that is transferable and adaptable across the sector.

A group of development workers from all corners of the UK - including Belfast, the Highlands of Scotland the South West (and Sheffield!) have been the steering group for the development and have played an active part in shaping the Standards.   NOSs from other frameworks will be signposted where they are completely relevant, so we've focused on the tasks for which no Standards currently exist and those that needed adaptation in order to be relevant. We've all worked very hard - and there is more work to be done during the consultation phase - to make sure that the Standards are relevant, useful and complete……

We need your help!

We want to make these national occupational standards as relevant and useful as we can. We want to check that both the content and the way that we actually produce the standards will work for you.

If you're a development worker who supports voluntary and community groups and organisations, it's easy to get involved.

Before you start, you can read more about what the project involves by taking a look at the invitation to tender. Download a brief here (.doc, 240Kb).

You can give your feedback during the three month consultation phase taking place from December 2008 until the end of February 2009:

• Read the draft standards, available at www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/dwnosconsultationand complete the questionnaire or send in an email with your general feedback.

This report, commissioned by the LGA, analyses the local effects of recession and the impact of the economic slowdown on towns and cities, regions and sub regions in England.

Please click here to view the report.

Grant letter to the LSC outlines the priorities expected of the LSC for 2009/10.  The adult skills component of the expectations includes a balancing of targets and flexibility around Train to Gain and JobCentre+ initiatives, to deal with the impacts of recession; a renewed emphasis on numeracy and on refocusing skills for life provision on what people need to help them find and progress in work.  In terms of ‘informal learning’, the emphasis is on maximising the range of opportunities and different approaches available, with better co-ordination.  A clear link is made between ‘informal learning’ and active citizenship, and with ESOL and community cohesion.

To view the letter please click here.

Please click here to view the Press release from DIUS, launching the new Qualifications and Credits Framework.

Please click here for the press release from LLUK announcing the beginning of workforce data collection on WBL and ACL providers.

The LSC’s Statement of priorities for 2009/10 includes new duties to be placed on the LSC with regard to adult learners; the maintenance of the safeguard; the expansion of the remit of PCDL partnerships to include other elements of the safeguard; a new approach to ESOL provision; refreshing of the skills for life strategy, including numeracy assessments for literacy and language learners.

To view the Statement of Priorities please click here.

Please view the current consultation document National Mental Health Strategy Refresh, which was launched at the annual NIACE Disability Conference on 29 September 2008.

To view the letter please click here.

Report by a working group of MPs, chaired by David Blunkett, and requested by the prime minister, reviews the role and place of the third sector for future policy developments.

To view the report please click here.

Publication of a practical handbook to help public servants open up the consultation process to reach third sector workers on the ground and to use their experience to influence policy outcomes.  The handbook accompanies new research by Involve on effective and innovative ways of consulting with the third sector.

To view the handbook and research information please click here.

nextstep East Midlands *Stop Press*

keeping you up-to-date with news and events from across the region

22 December 2008

The Skills Accounts Website Launches

On the 18 December the Skills Accounts website was officially launched at www.direct.gov.uk/skillsaccounts

Learners who have already opened a Skills Account will receive a letter to notify them of the website’s launch and ask them to complete a registration process to activate their account.

An A5 leaflet has been developed especially for the website so that learners opening an account online can download direct from the site. You may want to download a copy for your reference as we are not planning to print any additional leaflets at this stage.

As this is a long-term, ambitious project the LSC are keen to receive as much feedback as possible – about the website, clients’ experiences of opening an account and how the voucher is working. As a reminder the East Midlands contact is;

Gerarde Manley, LSC East Midlands

Gerarde.manley@lsc.gov.uk

07825 826 593

Ofsted’s latest annual report shows a decline in ACL provision and learner numbers, together with a slight decline in the proportion of providers achieving good or excellent grades, as compared with last year.  ICT provision is shown to be the best performing area, whereas concerns are raised around preparation for life and work provision.  Grades for family learning have slipped slightly.

To view the Annual Report please click here.

The Interim Report of the Tackling Worklessness Review contains the Review team's current thinking on how successful multi-agency and cross-sector local partnerships can best tackle worklessness in their communities.  It identifies a particular role for local authorities in helping to ensure a ‘wraparound’ approach.

To view the Interim Report please click here.

The government will be producing an action plan in the new year, on creating a sustainable environment for the third sector, particularly in the current economic climate.  They are asking for contributions from the sector to help develop their thinking.  This follows an NCVO summit highlighting the challenges the sector faces and how the sector and government might work together in the future.

To view the Cabinet Office website please click here.

Study looking at the relationship between time poverty and income poverty, in particular the impact on the material benefits and parental input that children need to thrive.

To view the study please click here.