SfL Project Evaluation Report – LB Newham
Skills for Life ProjectEvaluation Report
London Borough of Newham
March 2008
Skills for Life Project - Contact Details
Bob HeatonExecutive Director Resources / EastHamTown Hall
East Ham
London E6 2RP
Tel: 0208 430 2000
Catherine Anderson
Learning & Development Consultant /
Tel: 0208 430 2620
Oreleo DuCran
UNISON Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator /
Tel: 020 8430 6269
Working in Partnership
Contents
1Background and Introduction1
2Scope of Report2
3Literacy, Language and Numeracy Learning Needs at Newham2
4Recruitment2
5Skills for LifeAchievements2
6Equalities Information3
7Impact in the Workplace3
7.1Success Stories4
7.2Feedback from Newham managers whose staff had attended
a SfL course5
7.3Feedback from Newham Union Learning Representatives7
Appendix 1 – Numbers on Courses and Qualifications Achieved
Appendix 2 – Equalities Information
SfL Project Evaluation Report – LB Newham
Skills for Life Project Evaluation Report – London Borough of Newham
1Background and Introduction
The London Borough of Newham has one of the most culturally diverse populations in the country and a much younger age profile than the national average. In 2005 Newham had a population of 258,000, 64.5% of its population are of non-white ethnicity.
Newham’s vision for the future is that ‘Newham will be a major business location and a place where people will choose to live, work and stay’. To help realise this vision Newham must be able to deliver efficient and quality services to the local community; this can only be achieved if Newham’s workforce has the commitment, motivation and skills necessary to deliver high quality services.
In January 2006, Newham’s Learning and Development Team, in partnership with its unions, launched a pilot SfL learning programme. To date 171 have attended a SfL course either literacy, numeracy, basic ICT, communication skills or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Many have attended more than one course; a total of 215, 30 hour, courses have been completed.
In 2006 Newham was successful in its bid for a London Development Agency £30,000 funding and support package. This has been used to part-fund Newham’s SfL Co-ordinator post.
In June 2006 Sir Robin Wales, Newham’s elected Mayor, Dave Burbage, (now ex) Chief Executive and Bob Heaton, Executive Director Resources, signed up to the Get On (GO) Local Government Award, which commits the authority to providing SfL learning opportunities to Level 2 for its workforce. Newham achieved the GO Local Government Award in March 2007. In May 2007 Newham’s Union Learning Agreement was signed.
Newham’s Skills for Life (SfL) project has been steered by its SfL Action Group. Its members include managers, union representatives, union learning representatives (ULRs), providers and learning and development professionals.
Over the last few years literacy, language and numeracy (LLN) skills have been known under a number of generic terms including, basic skills, key skills, functional skills and SfL. Throughout this report these skills will be referred to as SfL or LLN.
2Scope of Report
This report summarises the achievements, and impact on the workplace, of Newham’s SfL project.
3Literacy, Language and Numeracy Learning Needs at Newham
Newham estimated the extent of its LLN need by totalling the number of its workforce in semi-skilled jobs, ie up to an including scale 4. This amounts to almost 6,000 staff - 46%, of its workforce. Newham acknowledges that there will be a significant number of staff within this group whose LLN skills are not below Level 2, equally, it recognises that there are staff working in more senior jobs who need to improve their LLN skills.
The estimated scale of need is vast; it was agreed by the SfL Action Group that an organisational-wide assessment of all staff in semi-skilled jobs was not feasible. However, 2 service areas, which were identified as focus areas, chose to take this approach as the numberto be assessed wereachievable.
4Recruitment
Recruitmenton to courses has, on the whole, been on a voluntary basis; learners were encouraged to attend at information sessions (organised by the Learning and Development Team and Newham’s unions), by ULRs and/or their line managers. This method can be viewed as a little ‘hit-and-miss’ with the possibility of those with the greatest need not attending the courses. However, Newham felt that in some work areas to insist that potential learners are assessed, in other words (tested), would be too daunting for many who had not been involved in learning for many years.
Newham’s main method of recruitment is to encourage staff to attend, often using ICT as an incentive. When they are on the course we make sure they enjoy themselves which encourages them to come back. Once they feel comfortable with the situation they are assessed; assessments are usually completed by session 2 or 3. This method presents some challenges to the tutors, if the range of skill levels on the course is too great, but with experienced tutors, and the help of ULRs, we have found that this is not an insurmountable problem.
5Skills for Life Achievements
The SfL project commenced in January 2006. Newham’s SfL courses have included literacy, numeracy, ESOL, ICT and communication skills. The majority of courses were for 30 hours, 3 hours a week over a 10 week period.
In summary:
- 171 learners have attended a SfL course
- 215 courses have been completed (some attended more than one course)
- 198 qualifications achieved
- 39 national tests achieved
- 42 achieved more than 1 qualification
Newham has focussed on staff in the following areas:
- Public Realm (refuse and cleansing)
- Care
- Catering and Cleaning
- School Support
See Appendix 1 for a full breakdown of courses, qualifications achieved and learner numbers from each service area.
6Equalities Information
Newham’s SfL courses were flexible to ensure that workers, who do not normally have access to learning opportunities (due to the type of work they do,their shifts and/or caring responsibilities), are not disadvantaged. For example, courses with 2 hour sessions were timed between 10:00 and 12:00 so that school crossing patrol staff could attend between their crossing patrol shifts.
The majority of our learners have been male, (62%). This is primarily due to the fact that most of our learners have been from our Public Realm services who are predominantly male. As more learners are coming from female dominated areas eg care, catering and cleaning and school support, this percentage is decreasing.
See Appendix 2 for a full report on equalities information.
7Impact in the Workplace
The impact on individuals has been profound with many examples of learners progressing, as individuals, and/or within in the organisation, as a direct result of their attendance at a course. The majority of evidence that demonstrates the impact in the workplace is anecdotal; we anticipate that it may be some time before we see measurable outcomes for the organisation. However, we strongly believe that the number of positive changes there have been for individuals, in their personal and work lives, will have an impact on the organisation. There are some examples of learners who have inspired a member of their family to learn which, as a large percentage of our SfL learners live locally, could have an effect on the skill levels and affluence of our community,Again, this evidence is anecdotal.
Newham’s achievements have been significant over the last few years as the figures above demonstrate, however, the organisation is acutely aware that there is still much work to be done.
7.1Success Stories
7.1.1A street cleaner who was successful in obtaining a customer service job, a salary increase from scale 2 to scale 6, partially as a result of attending a number of SfL courses.
7.1.2Drivers who are now able to provide support in the office as a result of attending SfL courses.
7.1.3 A learner who was encouraged to leave school at 15 to go to work in a fish factory. He said:
“I have achieved a lot since being at Newham and becoming a ULR has given me so much confidence that I feel I will soon be able to apply for a promotion at work. I have been encouraged to join in the learning process, to go forward and achieve more qualifications for the future. I have recently completed a short course at work covering the Health and Safety at Work Act and really believe that my reading is so much better – I understood nearly everything.”
As a result of his new found confidence he recently spoke at a union conference with an audience of over 100 people; he told them about his life, his learning and his willingness to help others.
7.1.4 A learner who has supported her 3 children through university and has great difficulty reading and writing herself. She said:
“I have never been able to read or write properly. I’ve spent the last 26 years supporting my children through their education. They now have their degrees - now it’s my time.”
She has attended a literacy course and ICT course and is waiting for the next course so she can increase her literacy skills further.
7.1.5 A learner who works in refuse and deals with money on a daily basis because he quotes and charges for large items to be removed said:
“These courses are great they really help to build your confidence. I learned maths in the bookies, until I did the maths course I didn’t know you could work out calculations on paper – it’s going to make my life a lot easier. “
7.1.6 A ‘PC-phobic’ learner said:
“I can now use a PC, I can’t believe it, I’ve been frightened of them for years. It has opened up a whole new world for me.”
7.1.7 A learner who achieved Level 1 in numeracy.
“I can now do percentages. My son is just starting school, at least I now have a hope of being able to help him with his home work. That would have been really embarrassing!
7.2Feedback from Newham managers whose staff had attended a SfL course
The sample size is relatively small because many of our SfL learners report to the same manager.
Thirteen out of 15 Newham managers said that they were aware of mistakes made by their team due to poor LLN skills. Many gave examples of breakdowns in communication caused by poor written and verbal communication.
“Language barriers have always presented us with a challenge. There have been times when one has tried to pass on a message about the urgency of a duty to be performed, because the operative’s understanding of the message is different to yours, what could have been done on time takes longer and results in more labour costs.”
“Some staff have poor numeric skills which are essential when completing time sheets, payroll calculations and rota hours. I spend hours every week trying to sort out their incorrect time sheets to ensure that they are not under or over paid. A real waste of my time.”
Newham Managers were asked whether there had been any benefit from their employees joining Newham’s SfL learning programme. They gave two responses one for the learner and one for themselves as managers and/or the organisation.
Ten out of 15 Newham managers felt that their member of staff had benefited ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’. See figure 1.
Figure 1Newham Managers’ rating on the question “Has there been any benefit from your member of staff joining the SfL learning programme? For the learner.”
Ten out of 15 Newham managers felt that they as managers and/or the organisation had benefited ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’. See figure 2.
Figure 2Newham Managers’ rating on the question “Has there been any benefit from your member of staff joining the SfL learning programme? For the manager/organisation.
Although some of Newham’s managers expressed concern about the difficulties in providing cover for staff when they are on courses they all said that they would release staff in the future to attend SfL courses.
7.3Feedback from Newham Union Learning Representatives
Eight out of 9 ULRs were aware of mistakes made at work caused by poor LLN skills.
“In my particular job as passenger transport driver we have drivers who can’t calculate their overtime, have gone to the wrong addresses due to misspelling of street names. Many can’t understand their pay-slips. Also the use of complex words in bulletins etc can confuse some staff.”
“When referrals are passed on to other teams the language and hand writing can be difficult to understand – this leads to mistakes.”
All 9 ULRs at the focus group answered ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ in response to the question “have you seen any benefits from Newham’s SfL learning programme? For the learner.”
Figure 3Newham ULRs’ rating on the question “Have you seen any benefits from Newham’s SfL learning programme? For the learner.”
“Some drivers have been given the opportunity to progress and work in the transport office as a result of showing their competency in the SfL courses.”
“The levels of confidence gained by learners after completing the courses has greatly benefited the learners. They are more confident to ask questions and get clarification from their managers.”
“I have seen an increase in the use of IT, especially the intranet and email. This means that these staff now have access to the communication that the rest of the staff get.”
Seven out of 9 ULRs at the focus group answered ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ in response to the question “have you seen any benefits from Newham’s SfL learning programme? For the manger and/or the organisation.”
Figure 4Newham ULRs’ rating on the question “Have you seen any benefits from Newham’s SfL learning programme? For the manager/ organisation.”
“One manager sent me an email saying that his staff have a better understanding of computers and generally a better outlook in the workplace. He said his staff have worked harder when they return to work in the afternoons to make time up.”
“A woman in estates was acting up into an office job.Her manager discovered that her English and IT skills were poor. He came to us for help as he was under pressure to put her back to her previous job as a porter. She did the English and IT course. She still has a long way to go but it gave her the confidence to give it a go. I think she’s still in the job.”
1
SfL Project Evaluation Report – LB Newham
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Numbers on Courses and Qualifications Achieved
186 qualifications recorded
2 not achieved
184 qualifications gained by 129 employees.
Qualification Subject / TotalSfL - Basic IT / 87
SfL - Basic IT & English / 25
SfL - Communication at Work / 29
SfL - English / 31
SfL - Maths / 14
Grand Total / 186
Qualification Level / Total
SfL - OCN Entry Level 1 / 2
SfL - OCN Entry Level 2 / 4
SfL - OCN Entry Level 3 / 19
SfL - OCN Level 1 / 120
SfL - OCR Entry Level 3 / 3
SfL - OCR Level 1 / 33
SfL - OCR Level 2 / 3
Grand Total / 184
Qualifications gained
Qualification / Qualification Subject / Total1 Credit / SfL - Basic IT / 47
2 Credits / SfL - Basic IT / 15
3 Credits / SfL - Basic IT / 21
3 Credits / SfL - Communication at Work / 28
6 Credits / SfL - Basic IT / 4
6 Credits / SfL - Basic IT & English / 8
Communication 3 credits / SfL - Basic IT & English / 4
Communication 3 credits / SfL - English / 1
Fail / SfL - English / 2
Pass / SfL - English / 25
Pass / SfL - Maths / 14
Speaking 3 credits / SfL - Basic IT & English / 7
Spkg 3 & Comms 3 credits / SfL - Basic IT & English / 1
Writing 3 credits / SfL - Basic IT & English / 4
Writing 3 credits / SfL - Communication at Work / 1
Writing 3 credits / SfL - English / 3
Wrtg 3, Spkg 3 & Comms 3 credits / SfL - Basic IT & English / 1
Grand Total / 186
Qualification levels gained
Summary of employees gainingmore than one qualification
No of qualifications / No of employees with multiple qualifications2 / 29
3 / 12
4 / 1
Appendix 2 - Equalities Information
As at 17/12/07, 171 employees have attended Skills for Life (SFL) courses. Some have attended more than 1 course which makes the total amount of delegates 215. The number of delegates who have attended more than one course is 38. The following information shows the equalities information for those employees (which includes both current staff and leavers).
/ 69.2% (117) of the SfL delegates are male, whilst 30.8% (52) are female. The Council’s percentage of female staff as at March 2007 was 71.1%. This is because the majority of learners came from Public Realm which is predominantly male. This is likely to change as more care workers and school support staff are recruited./ Majority of the delegates are aged 40 – 49 (66 employees), closely followed by the 50 – 59 age bracket (58 employees). The least represented age group is over 65 (2 employees), followed by up to 24 years (5 employees).
/ 60% of the delegates are of White/British origin, whilst 39% are Black and Minority Ethnicity. For 3 employees (1%) their ethnicity is unknown. The Council’s BME level as at March 2007 was 44.1%.
/ Twelve employees (7.1%) classify themselves as having a disability. The Council’s percentage of disabled staff as at March 2007 was 3.8%.
/ Majority of the delegates are Scale 1 to 4 (71.6%).
/ The split between the various groups for the number of years’ service with Newham is relatively similar. The largest group is 2 – 4 years, followed by 10 – 19 years.
/ Almost two-thirds (60.9%) of the delegates live within the borough. This compares with 55% of the Council’s total workforce that are Newham residents.
Service / No of Staff
Adults Service / 29
Children, Young People and Families Service / 3
Council Tax and Benefits Service / 1
Crime and Anti Social Behaviour Service / 9
Culture and Tourism Service / 1
Finance Service / 1
Housing and Public Protection Service / 1
Learning and Schools Service / 11
Lifelong Learning and Economic Wellbeing Service / 1
Public Realm Service / 114
1