Report to the Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services
Report submitted by: Executive Director for Adult and Community Services
Date: 18 March 2013
Part I - Item No. 1
Electoral Divisions affected:
All
Lancashire Adult Learning: Fees and Remissions Policy 2013/14
(Appendices 'A' – 'B' refer)
Contact for further information:
Steve Hailstone, (01257) 516441, Adult and Community Services Directorate
[email protected]
Executive Summary
Fees and remissions in respect of Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL) provision are
reviewed annually. Revisions for the academic year 2013/14 listed in this report
reflect government expectations that providers will supplement public funding
received from the Skills Funding Agency through fee income where appropriate.
This is deemed to be a Key Decision and Standing Order 25 has been complied
with.
Recommendation
The Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services is recommended to agree,
with effect from 1 August 2013:
(i)
To increase the hourly tuition fee (where applicable) by 5% as follows:
 Community Learning public courses from £5.50 to £5.80
 Accredited courses from £3.05 to £3.20
 Self-financing courses from £6.30 to £6.60
(ii)
To continue to provide a broad range of courses where no fee is payable
including all targeted provision, foundation level programmes, Family
Learning, English and Maths.
Background and Advice
1) Fee Strategy
The service's strategy continues to be to make its public programme of adult learning
self-financing. This will enable the service, in line with national guidance, to use the
Community Learning funding for that it receives from the Skills Funding Agency
-2exclusively to meet the needs of disadvantaged and under-represented groups
through a targeted programme of adult learning that is free to the learner. To achieve
this strategy, fees on the public programme will need to continue to increase at or
above the rate of inflation over the next two years. This is in line with the expectation
nationally that learners who can afford to pay for their learning should make a
significant contribution to its cost.
The range of provision that is free to the learner remains extensive and includes all
targeted provision, foundation learning, English and maths, family learning and taster
courses.
In addition, the service will maintain its current fee remission arrangements in order
to ensure that learners who wish to follow a course for which there is a fee attached
but cannot afford to pay for it are able to have some or all their fees remitted.
Learners in receipt of a broad range of benefits will receive full fee remission on the
public Community Learning programme (apart from a £10 fee per enrolment), 50%
fee remission on self-financing course, and 25% fee remission on full-cost
recovered courses. Learners on Adult Skills provision in receipt of the newly
introduced universal credit will receive full fee remission.
Alongside this the service also provides work-based learning programmes for
employers across the County through the delivery of apprenticeships, QCF
certificates and diplomas. This provision is funded by the Skills Funding Agency or
Student Loans Company. A financial contribution is payable by the employer and is
negotiable.
Consultations
N/A
Implications:
This item has the following implications, as indicated:
Risk management
N/A
Financial
There has been a small decline in enrolments to date in 2012-13. Some of this may
be attributable to the fee increase. However, the impact of the increased hourly fee
has been to a large extent compensated for by a small reduction in course length.
This has resulted in a reduction in delivery costs and an overall course fee which has
remained broadly comparable. The decline in enrolments is as likely to reflect the
general public anxiety about spending, rather than a reaction to the course fee
increase. The net result is that despite the percentage increase in fees and small
decline in enrolments, the service is on target to generate the level of fee income set
in its budget and reduce overall costs of delivery.
-3The estimated impact of the proposed increases in fees in 2013/14 is therefore as
follows. Assuming that the service achieves all delivery targets, we would generate
an additional £23,839 in fee income due to the hourly rate increase. However, even
with a reduction in activity of 3% the service would achieve the same level of
projected fee income for 2012/13.
Equality Analysis
In 2010/11 an Equality Analysis was undertaken relating to the proposal to make the
public programme self financing. This involved inviting learners to comment on the
proposals via a questionnaire. 204 responses were received. The percentage
responses, in relation to those who answered each of the two questions, were as
follows:
Do you agree with our strategy to target the public funding we receive for adult
learning on the most disadvantaged and under-represented groups? Yes: 70% No
30%
Do you agree with our strategy to increase our hourly fee on our public programme
to £5.50 per hour? Yes; 48%, No 52%
The service's fee policy aims to widen participation and increase access thus
reducing inequalities. The learners responses to the questionnaire including their
comments indicate that whilst the fee increases were not necessarily welcomed,
there was broad understanding and acknowledgement that our fee policy aims to
reduce barriers to learning and thus have a positive impact on equality.
A copy of the Equality Analysis is set out at Appendix 'B'.
There has been no change to the strategy that has informed the fees proposed and
the Equality Analysis is therefore updated and re-submitted.
2) Policy
The service's Fee Policy which lists all proposed fees for 2013/14 is set out at
Appendix 'A'.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985
List of Background Papers
Paper
Date
N/A
Reason for inclusion in Part II, if appropriate
N/A
Contact/Directorate/Tel