Agenda item

Report ED15099

The Committee considered a report outlining a proposal for the reorganisation of the Local Authority’s Adult Education service.

At the end of the 2014/15 financial year, the Bromley Adult Education service had overspent its budget by £246k with a further overspend of £382k forecast for the forthcoming year.  In March 2015, the Bromley Adult Education service received an indicative allocation from the Skills Funding Agency of the Adult Skills grant which showed a predicted reduction in the Adult Skills grant of £249k or 21% when compared to the current year’s allocation, with further reductions anticipated for future years.  The 2015/16 grant for Community Learning provision had remained the same at £796k for 2015/16, but the long term future of this grant was unknown.

Following agreement by the Council’s Executive, Adult Education services had undergone a market testing process during 2014.  Although two submissions were received, both providers were deemed not to have met the minimum Pre-Qualifying requirements and the tendering process for Adult Education services formally came to an end in March 2015.  In March 2015 there had been an Ofsted inspection of the Bromley Adult Education service which had been rated as ‘Requires Improvement’.  This was largely due to the uncertainty around the future strategic direction for the service and the lack of an agreed plan to address the overspend, but the proportion of the Community Learning Grant allocation used to support traditional non-accredited adult learning rather than disadvantaged members of the community had also been highlighted as a concern. 

In order to address the overspend and other identified issues, it was proposed that there be a reorganisation of the Council’s Adult Education service to refocus resources on adults and communities of the greatest identified need, with the Community Learning Grant used to engage with long term unemployed and low-waged adults to provide a clear progression pathway through to the low level accredited English, mathematics and vocational skills courses provided with the Adult Skills Grant and to increase the level of community partnership working.  Under the new model of service provision, the volume of traditional non-accredited learning provision (leisure type courses) would be significantly reduced.  This would decrease the need for learner accommodation, with the potential to reduce maintenance and infrastructure costs by releasing the Widmore Centre site and maximising the use of the Kentwood and Poverest Centres.

In considering the report, a Member was concerned that only one option was presented for the future reorganisation of the Adult Education service and noted that there were a range of providers of basic skills courses across the Borough, including schools and colleges, but that there were only limited providers of some of the specialist leisure courses delivered by the Bromley Adult Education service.  The Member emphasised that the Bromley Adult Education service provided a valued service for many Bromley residents, including older people who comprised 20% of the Borough’s population, and that the recent Ofsted Inspection of the Bromley Adult Education service had rated the leisure course provision as ‘Good’. 

In discussion, a Member requested that all options be explored to preserve services, including for students to pay the full cost of leisure courses without any subsidy.  Another Member suggested that available space in Adult Education centres be used by outside providers to deliver a range of courses, and a Member advised that the Bromley Arts Council had already expressed interest in offering some specialist leisure courses through the Ripley Arts Centre.  A Member suggested that a central Bromley location be identified for the provision of adult education, such as Central Library.

The Chairman requested that a report be provided to a future meeting of the Education PDS Committee giving a range of demographic information on students of Bromley Adult Education service, outlining the full cost of leisure courses and mapping available alternative provision across the Borough.  The Chairman also requested that Officers review the potential to offer support to existing college staff around delivering their own courses in community venues. 

RESOLVED that:

1)  Members’ comments on the report be noted;

2)  The Council’s Executive be recommended to endorse the proposal that the Assistant Director: Education commence consultation with staff and their representatives, stakeholders and service users to restructure and reduce the adult education services as outlined in Report ED15099;

3)  A report providing a full range of demographic information on students of Bromley Adult Education service, outlining the full cost of leisure courses and mapping available alternative provision across the Borough be provided to a future meeting of the Education PDS Committee; and,

4)  Officers review the potential to offer support to existing college staff around setting up their own courses in community venues and that this be reported to a future meeting of the Education PDS Committee.