Agenda item

- report by Paula Williams, Training and Quality Assurance Co-ordinator.

The Training and Quality Assurance Co-ordinator submitted a report about the proposal for a South Yorkshire Childcare Sector Brokerage.  The proposal was for the four South Yorkshire Training Officers from the Early Years and Childcare Services to take on this role and form the management committee working alongside the Learning Skills Council (LSC) and Action 4 Employment (Managing Agent for Invest in Skills).

The proposals and details set out in the report  were :-

The South Yorkshire brokerage will have a borough wide role across Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham covering two main strands:

·        New entrants to the Early Years, Childcare and Playwork sector workforce

·        Existing Early Years, Childcare and Playwork sector workforce

Within these strands the key activities will be:

·        Work with strategic partners, LSC, Managing Agent (A4E Consult), Colleges/SYFEC, 0-19 Partnership/Children and Young Peoples Partnerships, to influence access to funding at a strategic level and meet identified training needs

·        Identify issues at local level to feed into the wider strategic workforce development agenda across the local authority and wider sub-region of South Yorkshire

·        Advocate, influence and monitor the quality of provision to ensure training providers are delivering the training required to meet the needs of the sector

·        Collection, collation and analysis of training needs/workforce data

·        Matching people with training opportunities

·        Identify and match funding to people

Each local authority (LA) has Government targets relating to qualification levels within the early years and childcare sector and progress towards these are monitored at local level through an audit process.  The introduction of a brokerage role will allow a more consistent approach across the sub-region to be adopted leading to more comprehensive information being gathered.  This information will identify skills needs and shortages within the sector to feed into the local LSC enabling each LA to address local priorities to inform strategic planning decisions and enhance current practices. 

The improved research across the sub-region will identify skills needs in much more detail.  This will enable each LA to develop an annual delivery plan encompassing LA targets and LSC specific targets relating to basic skills, employability, leadership and management skills thus supporting the development of a more responsive training provider base across the sub-region.    

Delivery Arrangements

The four local authorities with responsibility for the South Yorkshire Childcare Workforce Development Programme will tender for Sector Brokerage for the Early Years and Childcare sector.   Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, will provide the brokerage service with Barnsley acting as the lead authority on behalf of all four Authorities for contracting the service directly with the LSC.

Each local authority will work through a local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) or Children and Young People’s Partnership, consisting of representatives from childcare providers, parents, social services, education and health services, maintained schools, private and voluntary training providers, colleges, special educational needs groups, Job Centre Plus, New Deal Partnerships, local LSC, and Objective 1.

The Training Coordinators in consultation with their EYDCP or Children and Young People’s Partnerships support employers in this sector through training, business support, business start-up, assistance with developing quality provision, and recruitment.  Links are also made with employers outside the Early Years and Childcare sector to promote worklife balance practices to enable people, particularly women, to return to work by ensuring there is good quality childcare available.

All four local authorities are responsible for managing the Sure Start Workforce Development Grant. In addition Sheffield draws down LSC (FE) funding for their NVQ programme.

Representatives from the four Local Authorities, alongside other stakeholders, will form the Steering Group for the Brokerage Service, thus allowing equality and fair management of the service.

It was also reported that the total amount of funding available for this role within Rotherham was £16,000.  Funding would be supported through Objective 1 but the identified risks were that funding may be withdrawn  if the Brokerage Role was unsuccessful in stimulating demand for the Invest in Skills training fund. 

Resolved:-  (1)   That the report be received.

(2)  That officers be thanked for the good work undertaken so far and that a progress report be submitted to the July meeting of this Sub-Group.

(3)  That a report be submitted to The Rotherham Children and Young People’s Board at the appropriate time.