Jan 2003
 Jan 2003
In December 2002 the Board received a report on the proposals for continuation of development activity after the end of Year 7 of the Partnership’s activity. Three options had been developed as a result of appraising each aspect of the Partnership’s structure and activity. These options were looked at and an agreement reached to support a way forward that:
  • confirmed the continuation of the Partnership as the focus for basic skills developments across the range of partners, and their networks of providers
  • extended the role to cover both Birmingham and Solihull so far as Learning and Skills Council, JobCentre Plus and Connexions related activity was concerned. Developments through Birmingham Local Education Authority were already well established; there is a basis to foster similar work via Solihull Local Education Authority.
  • Recognises the need for a formal set of arrangements across the key partner agencies but reduces the need for a private company. There is some technical work to be done re current members withdrawing from the company. This will be taken forward by the Partnership Manager.
  • seeks to secure an appropriate level of infrastructure costs (£150k plus small ‘leverage’ funding) with the majority of development funding now within the direct control of various partners.
  • links strongly to renewing neighbourhoods.
  • Maintains the cross-phase/all agency/whole area approach; preventing the agenda from becoming compartmentalised or fragmented.
  • focuses on post 16 but retains its cross-phase approach; readdresses early years/early schooling issues from the basis of family learning developments
  • ensures that basic skills issues are included in a range of current developments e.g. extended schools
  • keeps a clarity to the basic skills development agenda; enabling Birmingham and Solihull to stay at the front-edge of developments
  • promotes learning across parts of the system enabling one area to learn from another, and one service to learn from another
  • extends its network to include basic skills development work via health service activities
  • maintains the small, flexible infrastructure; focuses on change across a 3-5 year period
  • keeps the existing Partnership name and logo
  • works to the same principles that have worked well to date
  • implements national/regional/local developments ‘faster/deeper/wider’ than they would normally go
  • pushes into new areas of development; develops new models that are of value to partners on a long term basis
  • links to partners’ decision making and planning processes
  • brings its well-developed appraisal skills to advise partners on the value of developments via their own budgets
  • works towards best alignments of the range of fundings/developments (national/regional/Learning and Skills Council area/local area etc) that have a basic skills element, so that these are not presented/received as disconnected ‘initiatives/projects’
  • promotes the benefits/lessons learnt from the Partnership’s approach to date; seeking to influence other regeneration activities
  • has a flexibility that allows the Partnership to be used in an internal-review role by partners where appropriate