16 + Learning Choices Action Plan

Target 1: ESTABLISH THE STRATEGIC ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF AGENCIES AND PRACTITIONERS WITHIN THE 16+ LEARNING CHOICES PARTNERSHIP

Task / Who / When / Outcome / Status
Develop a 16 + Learning Choices plan with clear goals and measures – action plan / 16+ Lead Officer and QIO / By April 2011 / Action Plan outlined now needs implemented / On course
Develop a strategy to communicate aims of 16+ Learning Choices Partnership to Argyll & ButeCouncil, partner agencies and the wider community / 16 + Lead Officer
Strategy Group / By June 2011 / Initial meeting organised for 20/04/11
Key partners will be consulted and action plan shared with stakeholders / On course
Roles and responsibilities of all agencies within the local 16+ LC partnership defined and shared with relevant partners / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer / By June 2011 / An A&B Framework Paper will be written by key partners and then made available to other relevant agencies / On course
To ensure the involvement of all partner agencies in the16+ LC partnership, (as outlined within roles and responsibilities) / School based 16 + LC Group
16+ Lead Officer
Local MCMC partnership or similar / By June 2011 / Each school will be tasked with setting up their own 16+ LC group with representatives from their partner agencies before the end of the summer term.
All key partner agencies actively involved in 16+ LC Group / On course
Define roles and responsibilities of key practitioners supporting young people within Argyll & Bute / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer / By June 2011 / An A&B Framework Paper will be written and made available to practitioners and key agencies / On course
Ensure that local 16+ LC strategy reflects More Choices, More Chances, GIRFEC and Curriculum For Excellence / Strategy Group
QIM and QIO Pupil Support / Ongoing / 16+ LC embedded into policy development for ALL partner organisations / On course
Status key / Achieved / On course / Not started

TARGET 2:CONTINUE TO IMPROVE PROCESSES FORIDENTIFICATION AND MONITORING OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEED OF AN OFFER OF LEARNING

Task / Who / When / Outcome / Status
Further develop working relationships between school and SDS staff / 16 + Lead Officer
School staff
Schools Careers Advisers / Ongoing / School and SDS staff have joint responsibility to identify and monitoring group / Achieved
Adopt a refined ‘Risk Matrix’ approach to identifying young people in need of support both in school and post school. Risk Matrix’ approach:
  • to influence strategic decision making
  • to support the work of practitioners on the ground
  • to identify needs of all young people including those displaying less obvious need but would who benefit from additional support
/ Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer
Angie Watson – SEEMIS
Appropriate school staff
Appropriate SDS staff
Schools ICT Development Officer
Appropriate post school practitioners
David Chandler has been involved in partnership work with Glasgow City Council - Martin / By August 2011 / Risk Matrix in place and information shared with appropriate partners / On course
Identify approaches to aid the exchange of client information between agencies to support management information and client caseload systems / 16 + Lead Officer
Strategy Group
Simon Marshall (SDS)
Angie Watson (SEEMIS)
Stephen Doogan (G&R) / By April 2011 / Effective systems in place
Data Sharing Agreement – debated, agreed and signed / On course

Target 3:ENSURE THE RIGHT SUPPORT AND PROVISION IS IN PLACE TO ALLOW AN APPROPRIATE OFFER OF LEARNING TO BE MADE TO ALL YOUNG PEOPLE

Task / Who / When / Outcome / Status
Audit current support and provision for all young people aged between 15 and 18 making the transition from school and through the Senior Phase of Curriculum for Excellence within Argyll & Bute. / 16 + Lead Officer
SDS
Strategy Group
School SMT
College/Training Providers/CLD/MCMC local partnerships / By August 2011 / Clear and up to date information on support and provision made available by all partners in a set format for inputting onto NLOD / On course
Assess what local provision is effective, what is not and where there are clear gaps in support and provision / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer
Economic Regeneration and Workforce Development / By September 2011 / Paper produced outlining service developments required
Initial discussions at through the Service Delivery Agreement between SDS, CPP and Education
Agencies supported to adapt and develop support and provision to meet the needs of young people in Argyll & Bute – partnership to take responsibility for exploring joint developments / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer
Local Employability Partnership / By December 2011 / Changes in provision reported back to Strategy Group – template will need to be developed to aide reporting
Develop new opportunities and involve new providers where appropriate to meet required levels of provision / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer
Local Employability Partnership / By March 2012 / Further opportunities in place, taking cognisance of LLMI and Activity Agreements
Use audit to develop local ‘prospectus’ of provision, accessible by young people, parents/carers, practitioners and managers / 16 + Lead Officer
SDS / By December 2011 / Prospectus in place
Support the development of a national E-Prospectus / Strategy Group
16 +Lead Officer / By March 2012 / National Prospectus in place
Develop anArgyll & Bute approach to the full implementation of 16+ LC including the offer of a range of non-formal learning opportunities / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer / By December 2011 / 16+ Learning Choices fully implemented
Activity Agreements in place / On course

Target 4:ENSURE PRACTITIONERS HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SUPPORT SYSTEMS TO BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR CLIENTS

Task / Who / When / Outcome / Status
Develop a Practitioners Forum and create a programme of events to build practitioners knowledge and awareness of provision in Argyll & Bute in order to share good practice / 16 + Lead Officer / By March 2012 / Programme in place
Annual good practice conference held / On course
Develop a case conferencing approach to allow practitioners to explore how partner agencies can help to support their clients / 16 + Lead Officer / By December 2012 / Case conferences held
Develop a web-based portal where practitioners can access relevant information and contacts to support their work with their clients / 16 + Lead Officer
SDS / By August 2011 / NLOD portal in place and available for practitioners

Target 5: ENSURE THAT THE VOICE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IS HEARD WITHIN THE PARTNERSHIP’S STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING

Task / Who / When / Outcome / Status
Develops ways to involve young people in decisions about local provision and support / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer
QIO - MB / By September 2011 / Young persons involvement as standard / On course
Develop ways to engage young people who choose not to work with key agencies within the partnership. / Strategy Group
16 + Lead Officer
QIO Pupil Support - DB / By September 2011 / Programme developed aiming to reach disengaged young people / On course

SUPPORTING MATERIAL FOR ACTION PLAN

APPENDIX 1

Lead Officer 16+ Learning Choices

APPENDIX 2

16+ Learning Choices Strategy Group

APPENDIX 3

Minute from Scottish Government meeting with LA – 5th November 2011.

APPENDIX 1

Secondment – Argyll and Bute 16+ Learning Choices Lead Officer

Job title:Lead Officer (16+ Learning Choices)

Department:Community Services - Education

Workplace:Dunoon, Oban or Helensburgh Education Offices

Immediate Supervisor: Quality Improvement Officer (MCMC)

The Scottish Government is funding the appointment of a lead officer to drive forward their 16+ learning choices agenda. 16+ Learning Choices, the new model for facilitating the planning and delivery of the senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence, based on the presumption that all young people will stay in learning post-16.This will be achieved by providing young people with clear and appropriate routes to education, training and employment, with particular focus on providing more choices and chances for those who need them. Every local authority is expected to be starting implementing 16+ LC between now and December 2010.

Applications are therefore invited from suitably qualified and experienced individuals who are committed to the values, principles and purposes of Curriculum for Excellence, More Choices More Chances and 16+ Learning Choices.

Purpose of Job

The successful candidate will develop and take forward Argyll and Bute’s strategy for 16+ Learning Choices in line with national objectives.

As part of the 16+ Learning Choices strategy the Lead Officer will work with schools and partners to encourage young people to choose a well-balanced and coherent programme of study throughout the senior phase.

A key part of the role will be to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, understanding their needs and progressing agreed solutions to agreed timescales.

Major tasks

In partnership with local authority staff, schools, local colleges, Careers Scotland (SDS), training providers and other partners the role of the 16+ Lead Officer will be to:

  • put in place strategies, systems and support that will help ensure that all young people stay in learning or move to positive sustained destinations after leaving school;
  • help ensure that the delivery of 16+ Learning Choices is planned within the wider context of Community Planning, delivery of the local Single Outcome Agreement, and the local authority's wider implementation of Curriculum for Excellence and Additional Support for Learning Act;
  • work with schools to help plan and deliver a coherent and inclusive curriculum in the senior phase taking specific account of the needs of more vulnerable learners;
  • plan the support for winter leavers in the initial phase of implementation of 16+ Learning Choices
  • build a collaborative network to prepare, support and enable young people to make a successful transition;
  • work with learning providers and other partners to ensure the relevant provision and processes (including monitoring and evaluation) are in place;
  • help the Local Authority to meet its specific responsibilities towards looked after children, young people and care leavers; in particular, their corporate parent responsibilities;
  • develop approaches, with key partners including Skills Development Scotland (SDS), to identify and map and monitor local information about the full range of learning opportunities;
  • develop procedures for sharing information with partners on offers made to young people in schools;
  • promote 16+ Learning Choices to all staff working with young people (particularly those who are looked after and accommodated);
  • work with Educational Psychology Services, to develop and establish a comprehensive understanding of why young people disengage and how provision should be revised better to meet their needs;
  • ensure that 16+ Learning Choices articulates with local partnerships' wider responsibilities to help 16-19 years olds engage, sustain and progress in learning;
  • provide management, leadership and direction for centrally based staff responsible for existing and emerging pre and post 16 vocational programmes
  • work in parallel with the national programme timeframe and mirror the objectives for implementing the "e-prospectus" including harnessing the contributions from all providers of 16-19 learning opportunities including schools, colleges, training providers, community learning and development and youth work
  • be familiar with aspects of Council Education Policy and be seen as a representative of the Director of Community Services when visiting schools or when involved with outside agencies.

The successful candidate will be working directly with schools and wider partners, will be a visible leader who provides direction, inspires trust, motivates people and actively uses team – and partnership - working to deliver objectives. You will influence thinking and behaviour by drawing on your specialist knowledge and operational experience and communicating and engaging effectively with (internal and external) stakeholders in order to understand their needs, maintain trust and credibility, and manage conflict for the benefit of all.

The post is being offered on the basis of a secondment until the end of March 2011 and can be based in the Dunoon, Oban or Helensburgh Education Offices. A current driving licence and access to a car is essential, as the lead officer will be expected to travel across Argyll & Bute and attend appropriate national events.

Where post fits within the Education Structure

APPENDIX 2

STRATEGY GROUP

Initial discussion meeting arranged for the morning of the20th April 2011 at Inveraray Conference Centre. At this meeting Senior Managers from across the local authority and key partner agencies will be asked to identify a key member of their personnel who can sit on the strategy group and who has the capacity and facilities to make decisions on behalf of that department or organisation.

Department/OrganisationSenior ManagerRepresentative

EducationCarol WalkerAileen Goodall, Lead Officer

Social WorkDougie Dunlop

CLDDonald MacIvar

Economic RegenerationRobert Pollok

SDSAnthony Standing

UHI/Argyll CollegeMichael Breslin

NHS Highland

Plus additional partners will be involved in the delivery and implementation. They include:

Roslyn Redpath, Educational Psychology

QIM and QIO for ASN/Pupil Support
APPENDIX 3

MCMC Review meeting with Scottish Government

5th November 2010

Present

Christine GreigScottish Government MCMC Team

Scottish Government MCMC Team

David ChandlerQIO

Bill BairdDHT Tobermory HS

Sallie CondyAdult Literacy & Numeracy Manager

Martin TurnbullYouth Services Manager

Raymond FlannaganCommunity Learning and Development

Scott DouglasCommunity Learning and Development

Glenn HeritageVolunteer Sector

This is an annual review meeting that Scottish Government has with each local authority and follows a self-evaluation model. It is intended to be a supportive meeting where the Scottish Gov representatives help us to move forward in the coming year. This year a toolkit was provided of which 2 areas (one which is going particularly well and one which presents significant challenges) would form the basis of the discussion. Those were:

  1. Does the area have an effective MCMC partnership, with productive collaborative arrangements in place?
  2. Are there effective links with employers to involve them in sufficient high-quality delivery?

Single Outcome Agreement

The first part of the meeting was a discussion on progress on the Single Outcome Agreement. In particular the national indicator “Increase the proportion of school leavers (from Scottish publicly funded schools) in positive and sustained destinations (FE, HE, employment or training)”

They acknowledged that there were positive initiatives on the ground but they wanted to know where MCMC sits within the council plan to addressing the national indicator and how the partnership works with “Getting It Right For Every Child Framework” and the “Additional Support for Learning Act”. Unfortunately the partnership considers these but there is no structure in place where they all work together. CG felt that this should be collaborative strategic approach at a senior level and therefore all of the various policies should be written in collaboration. CG expressed disappointment that there appeared to be no one with a clear responsibility for MCMC. When asked how the work of the partnership feeds into the council strategy no one from the partnership could name who takes overall responsibility for this.

Other key questions asked were:

Do we sit on the CPP and are we asked to report to them or provide data?

Why is social work, health or Jobcentre Plus not represented on the MCMC strategy group?

Based on the discussion CG expressed the view that MCMC did not have the level of profile that it should. She noted that the MCMC Partnership was multi-agency, but due to the lack of senior people involved that it was not strategic enough to co-ordinate, plan and manage delivery of the MCMC strategy in the most effective way. She was concerned that the figures for young people not in positive destinations had increased this year and what were we doing about it. To my knowledge this information is not released to us though until the 1st December.

She finished by stating that she would speak to her boss to look at how they could raise the profile of MCMC with senior people within Argyll.

Does the area have an effective MCMC partnership, with productive collaborative arrangements in place?

This was recognised as an aspect of the partnership that presented significant challenges. Discussion was around the following points.

Make-up of the partnership

The partnership consists of the lead person from the local partnerships and other key partners, which includes Education, SDS, CLD, Argyll College, Argyll Training, Voluntary sector, Employability unit and Strathclyde Police. It was noted that in the past year there has been a change of personnel at local level and therefore within the strategy group. This has resulted in a lack of meetings but also a poor turnout. CG commented that the group consisted of interested and committed individuals but lacked senior people. The challenge was how to engage Social Work, Health and form a Scottish Gov perspective, senior individuals.

Vision and Leadership

Discussion on how the current strategic plan had now run its course and was currently being updated in light of 16+ Learning Choices and curriculum for excellence. It was highlighted that there was a full time secondment from education to take the plan forward. Unfortunately due to reduced funding there is no longer anyone in place. This is now down to the leads in each local area and David Chandler as chair of the group. It was also noted that the chair has changed hands 3 times over the past 2 ½ years. This led to a general discussion regarding funding, resources, role of the partners and time required to lead MCMC effectively. CG expressed that the writing of a new strategic plan should be done as a matter of urgency and in collaboration. Scottish Government offered their assistance with this if required. This transition period has resulted in a loss of vision at local level. The group agreed that this was a matter of urgency and set a date of 8th December to meet.

Planning and Strategy

Discussed how the original strategy was developed from research carried out by an independent research company, CM Associates. It was agreed that any future plan must support the delivery of curriculum for excellence and 16+ learning choices. David Chandler informed the group that he has put together an action plan for the implementation of 16+ learning choices in the absence of a lead officer for 16+ LC. He updated the group on the difficulties encountered in securing the funding for a post, getting it advertised and finally the lack of interest. If we were unable to find someone David would have to take this forward. SG reminded us that Scottish Gov expected all young people in Scotland to have a 16+ offer by December 2010. David gave a guarantee that this would be achieved for the summer 2011 leavers.