BACKGROUND

In 2010 the Scottish Government published its Literacy Action Plan which lays out the overarching vision for all learners:

“to raise standards of literacy for all from early years through to adulthood”

Specifically for adults, the Scottish Government’s vision states that:

“By 2020 Scotland’s society and economy will be stronger because more of its adults are able to read, write and use numbers effectively in order to handle information, communicate with others, express ideas and opinions, make decisions and solve problems, as family members, workers, citizens and lifelong learners.”

The Scottish Government in its identifies the findings of the Scottish Survey of Adult Literacies 2009, which highlighted that low literacies are often linked to poverty and are likely to adversely affect people’s health and well being, financial status and ability participate in society, as underpinning their decision to develop particular themes within their strategic guidance.

The guidance set out 4 specific outcomes for literacies providers to make progress against:

§  Adults have access to literacies learning opportunities in which they can achieve their goals and progress

§  Adult literacies learners receive high quality learning and teaching so they can achieve their goals

§  Scotland has a coherent and effective adult literacies infrastructure that enables and supports continuous enhancement of provision

§  There is evidence of the impacts and the value of literacies learning for individuals and society

Dundee Partnership adopted these outcome as the basis for their Literacies Action Plan for 2011 - 2014.

STRATEGIC PLAN ACTIONS

The strategic plan set out the intended actions under a number of themes:

§  Provision of literacies services

§  Literacies and attainment

§  Literacies for the 16 – 24 age range

§  Literacies linked to economic activity

§  Literacies linked to the receipt of benefits/poverty

§  Literacies and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation

In evaluating the delivery of the plan the action related to each of the themes will be reviewed in turn to establish the outcomes.

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PROVISION OF LITERACIES SERVICES – ACTIONS 2011 - 2014

Stated Actions
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Outcomes
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Future Actions 2014 - 2017
§  the provision of literacies learning programmes remains a priority / The provision of literacies learning programmes maintains its position as an integral part of the delivery of adult learning services. / Literacies will remain an integral part of the delivery of adult learning services.
§  programmes are provided at times and venues across the City that make them accessible to all those requiring assistance / Literacies learning programmes have been delivered across the city at times and venues suitable to the learners. Centres used include: Mitchell St Centre, and the following community centres: Ardler, Kirkton, Finmill, Douglas, Lochee, Dundonald and Menzieshill. / Literacies services will continue to be delivered at times and venues across the city to meet the needs of the users – where this is possible within the confines of the service.
§  staff are trained to allow them to provide a high quality service using the most appropriate technologies and resources / Staff have received training to meet the needs of the service and the specialist needs of the learners. Examples of training provided includes: PEEP and Bookbug in the Home / Training will continue to be given to meet the needs of the service where possible within the existing budget.
§  work is undertaken with intermediary/referral agencies to up-skill their staff to better recognise literacies needs / Training has been provided to intermediary/referral agencies to up-skill their staff to better recognise their clients literacies needs. A number of sessions have been provided to such organisations as Jobcentreplus. / Where it is identified that this is necessary and it is possible to deliver within existing staff commitments then it will occur.

LITERACIES AND ATTAINMENT

Stated Actions
/
Outcomes
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Future Actions
§  provide support to parents which assist them in engaging with and supporting their children’s learning / Specialist courses have been provided for parents of children with dyslexia: the content provides strategies which parents can use and develop with their children / Where there is an identified need and staff commitments allow this will continue to be delivered.
§  literacies which has an impact on family learning is a priority within the delivery programme / Additional funding has been provided by Education Scotland to pilot highly targeted family literacies learning programmes – this has assisted in developing staffs’ understanding of the types of programme development most suited to this delivery. / A family learning role has been established and will be working in agreed targeted areas. The areas will be identified through the use of literacy area profiles and be targeted on families with children under 5.
§  develop and deliver marketing materials and promotional activities which attract adults with families into literacies learning programmes / A number of different marketing approaches have been undertaken:
§  leaflets – a number of different printed materials have been generated to advertise both provision and the Facebook page
§  Facebook – to allow learners to access information and post comments and photos about their participation in learning
Promotional activities have included:
§  Use of the Playbus
§  Baby Cinema
§  Messy Play / Use will be made of existing marketing materials and Facebook where appropriate. New materials will only be developed where funding can be identified or additional funding streams are identified.
§  further develop early years and schools partnership working / In relation to early years partnership – the PEEP Strategic Group and Practitioner Network have been established.
Work with schools has been on an ad hoc basis over the period and partnership working is less well developed. / Where opportunities arise this will be investigated, the employment of 17 School Family Support Workers has provided an opportunity to extend partnership working.
LITERACIES FOR THE 16 – 24 AGE RANGE
Stated Actions
/ Outcomes / Future Actions
§  innovative programmes for the 16 – 24 age range to be a key component of the delivery programme / Literacies provision for this group has been integrated into the mainline literacies delivery and specific learning programmes are developed and delivered as necessary. / Provision for the 16 – 24 age range will continue to be delivered within the mainline provision. There at present no plans to have dedicated programmes targeted at this age group.
§  joint work to be undertaken with MCMC staff to fulfil 16+learning agreements / Where agreements are put in place specific delivery is agreed and undertaken. / Where agreements are put in place specific delivery is agreed and undertaken.
§  continued partnership working with Dundee College to support people with literacies needs access and sustain college courses / Service level agreements have been put in place with the College to support literacies delivery to a minimum of 200 students per year. / Service level agreements have been put in place with the College to support literacies delivery to a minimum of 200 students per year.

LITERACIES LINKED TO ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Stated Actions
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Outcomes
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Future Actions
§  partnership working with Jobcentreplus to address and support the literacy needs of people seeking work / A number of initiatives have been undertaken in partnership with Jobcentreplus:
§  a member of the literacies staff being in place on a regular basis one half day per week in a jobcentre to meet with clients to discuss how they can access literacies programmes
§  referral routes provided to Jobcentreplus staff to ease clients participation in literacies learning / Literacies support will be available for people seeking work through general literacies services and where funding is made available specialist support will be provided for this group.
Services will also be available where funding exists to support people with need created by welfare reform an example of this is the IT4Work team.
§  literacies support be provided for those working through the employability pipeline / A service level agreement established with Craigowl to deliver literacies to those working within the employability pipeline. / Due to a change in the targeting in focus CraigOwl it has been agreed to conclude the Service Level Agreement from September 2014.
§  literacy support be available for people needing assistance to gain, maintain and progress in employment / This support is provided on an on-going basis through mainline literacies programmes provided either in Mitchell St Centre or on outreach. / This support is provided on an on-going basis through mainline literacies programmes provided either in Mitchell St Centre or on outreach.


LITERACIES LINKED TO THE RECEIPT OF BENEFITS/LIVING IN POVERTY

Stated Actions
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Outcomes
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Future Actions
§  key target group to be those who are vulnerable and/or excluded from society / Literacies provision is targeted at those who are vulnerable and/or excluded form society – this can be substantiated through the Communities Data Management System (CDMS) / Literacies provision will continue to be targeted at those who are vulnerable and/or excluded form society.
§  provision of literacies programmes which impact on financial capabilities / The issues related to financial literacies are addresses with individual learners and not through discrete programmes. / The issues related to financial literacies are addresses with individual learners and not through discrete programmes. Additional resources may be developed through the IT on the Move project.
§  partnership working with agencies which support offenders / Additional funding was provided by Education Scotland to work with agencies to support offenders/ex-offenders. This funding was used to develop learning materials and provide training to staff within agencies in identifying literacies issues and tailoring their provision to better support clients. / Where this can be provided by the mainline Literacies Team then this will be available.

LITERACIES AND THE SCOTTISH INDEX OF MULTIPLE DEPRIVATION

Stated Actions
/ Outcomes / Future Actions
§  those living within the Community Regeneration Areas are a continued key target group of the literacies provision / Literacies provision is targeted at those living within Community Regeneration Areas – this can be substantiated through the Communities Data Management System (CDMS) / While the general provision is targeted on the Community Regeneration Areas, there will be specific work done – family literacies learning – on certain streets within the CRAs which have been identified as having high levels of people with young children who may have literacies needs.
§  pilot work with the NHS to develop their staffs’ skills to offer a literacy sensitive health service which could improve engagement and improve self care activity / It has not been possible to achieve this action – work with the NHS is on a more ad hoc basis. / Where potential opportunities arise these will be investigated.


LITERACIES AND THE SINGLE OUTCOME AGREEMENT

Stated Actions
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Outcomes

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Future Actions

§  review the partnership structure and membership to ensure best use is made of expertise and staff time / Structure reviewed and literacies is now an agenda item on the Learning and Culture Theme Group agenda / At present there is no intention to make further changes to the structure.
ADDRESSING THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT OUTCOMES:

1. Adults have access to literacies learning opportunities in which they can achieve their goals and progress.

Stated Actions

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Outcomes

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Future Actions

§  continue to provide access to support agencies to assist prospective learners to make appropriate decision about their learning / Support agencies have had the opportunity to access guidance training and support.
The agencies also accessed support from specialist staff within the Learning Around team. / There is no intention at present to offer further guidance training to staff. Should the need arise this will be investigated.
§  build practitioners’ guidance skills to better identify and respond to individual learners’ needs / Practitioners have had access to guidance training, all City Council literacies staff have participated.
§  literacies learning programmes should have at their core the development of confident and successful learners who are able to take responsibility for their own learning / All literacies learning programmes aim to develop confident and successful learners – this can be substantiated through CDMS. / All literacies learning programmes will continue to aim to develop confident and successful learners
§  a range of accreditation options are available / A range of accreditation options are available to learners – this can be substantiated through CDMS and SQA database. / A range of accreditation options will continue to be be made available to learners


2. Adult literacies learners receive high quality learning and teaching so they can achieve their goals

Stated Actions

/ Outcomes / Future Actions
§  learners have access to high quality resources including technologies to support learning / Resources are reviewed regularly to ensue they remain appropriate to learners’ needs. Desktop and laptop computers are available to learners as are a variety of assistive technologies. / Resources will be reviewed regularly to ensue they remain appropriate to learners’ needs. Desktop and laptop computers will be available to learners as will a variety of assistive technologies
§  learners are able to engage in learning activities at a level, mode and pace appropriate to his/her needs, goals and aspirations / Every learner has an individual learning plan which outlines their needs, goals and aspirations and related work-plan. The plans are regularly reviewed to ensure they still meet the learners needs. / All learners will continue to have Individual Learning Plans which will set out their goals, aspirations and related work-plan. Where possible these will be held electronically on CDMS to enable tutors to better assist learners.
§  practitioners have the necessary professional skills in teaching adult literacies / All literacies tutors undergo training using the Initial Training in Adult Literacies Learning (ITALL) – in addition they also spend and agreed amount of time being supervised by an experience tutor. / Appropriately trained staff will be used at all times.
§  practitioners continue to develop, enhance and extend the skills required to deliver flexible, embedded, integrated and specific literacies learning, including distance and technology-based learning opportunities / Practitioners undergo training on a regular basis in addition to having regular individual supervision sessions with their team leader. / Practitioners undergo training as appropriate in addition to having regular individual supervision sessions with their team leader
§  practitioners to apply effective learning and teaching approaches using the social practice approach / This is substantiated in the Individual Learning Plans that are created for each learner. / Team leaders will review learning plans on a regular basis to ensure that effective learning and teaching approaches are being applied
§  managers and practitioners to embed the principals of the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Curriculum Framework and Curriculum for Excellence within literacies learning and practitioners training programmes / Training has been provided to all staff in relation to the Literacies Framework and Curriculum for Excellence. / Staff will be up-dated as necessary on the Curriculum for Excellence


3. Dundee has a coherent and effective adult literacies infrastructure that enables and supports continuous enhancement of provision.