Agenda item

Following pre-decision scrutiny at the meeting of the Education Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee on 8 July 2015, the Executive recommended that Officers commence consultation with staff, their representatives, stakeholders and service users on proposals to restructure and reduce the adult education service.  The Committee considered a report outlining the outcomes from the public consultation and staff engagement process.

A total of 1,159 responses to the consultation had been received, of which 1,035 were completed and 124 were partial responses.  Of the completed responses, 14 respondents identified themselves as stakeholders and the remainder were students and/or members of the public.   A breakdown of the responses that had been received was attached to the report at Appendix 2.  In addition to this, an Equalities Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached to the report considered by the Committee at Appendix 5.

A significant volume of the feedback that had been received from staff and members of the public expressed concern about the loss of the Widmore site as a key delivery point for adult education and the subsequent loss of specialist subjects from any remaining adult education offer.  Staff, students and other stakeholders also commented on the many benefits that a rich adult education offer brings to both individuals and the communities it serves.  In particular, leisure courses were seen as a lifeline to many, helping to keep people mentally and physically health, preventing social isolation, providing respite to carers, and allowing people to express their creativity.  Concern was expressed that a reduction in provision would have a negative impact on the wellbeing of some residents and lead to increased costs for other services such as health and social care.

Following closure of the consultation period, Officers within the adult education service had been in dialogue with various local community organisations with a view to identifying alternative ways to allow continuation of a wide range of adult learning activities within the Borough should the proposals go ahead.

In considering the report, the Committee noted that there was a range of facilities in the Borough available through a number of providers.  Members stressed the importance of marketing the courses available from alternative providers and signposting service users to the alternative provision.

A Member noted that there was currently a range of specialist equipment at the Widmore Centre and suggested that it would be helpful to complete an inventory of the equipment to ensure that it was not lost.  It was also suggested that when the new curriculum was being developed, consideration should be given to prioritising courses that required specialist equipment that may not be available at alternative locations.

The Committee noted the Impact Assessment Action Plan and asked that the actions were taken forward and addressed, particularly the actions relating to signposting services.

A number of Members acknowledged the obvious impact that the Adult Education Services had on people’s lives but recognised that the service could not remain as it was and needed to me more sustainable as it moved into the future.  Members agreed with the view expressed by Ofsted that funding for adult education should be targeted at the most vulnerable people and that services were provided where demand was highest.

RESOLVED: That

(a)  the Executive be recommended to endorse the proposals to proceed with the proposed  reorganisation of the Adult Education Service;

(b)  the Executive be recommended to agree that potential redundancy costs, estimated at £566,000 are funded from the Council’s Transformation Fund;

(c)  a further report, setting out the criteria to be used in developing the 2016/17 curriculum, be presented to the PDS Committee at its meeting in March 2016;

(d) a further report, setting out the structure of the final curriculum, be considered by the Portfolio Holder once the curriculum is finalised; and

(e) a further report, setting out progress on actions taken in relation to the Impact Assessment Action Plan, be considered by the next meeting of the Education PDS Committee and subsequently the Portfolio Holder for Education.