Management fees and charges

Staffordshire County Council subcontract most of the Community Learning provision supported with funds awarded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). 

The County Council uses 15% of the funding from the ESFA to cover the management costs of supporting Community Learning commissioning, performance monitoring, quality assurance and sub-contractor development. 

In return for the charge, subcontractors receive the following support, guidance and challenge:

Planning and Procurement:

• Programme planning informed by local and national priorities
• Development and management of Community Learning framework
• Annual due diligence
• Annual review and production of the Community Learning Specification and Quality Framework
• Tender and procurement process
• Contract negotiation and agreement
• Setting up contracts and payments
• Issuing contracts

Funding and Data Management:

• Monitor ESFA compliance, funding rules and regulations
• Develop and produce documentation in accordance with ESFA requirements
• Purchase and maintain specialist Management Information System
• Collect and record data on Management Information System
• Submit accurate and timely Individual Learner Records (ILR) and funding returns to ESFA
• Create and provide performance dashboard and reports
• Manage invoices and process contract payments
• Carry out internal audits and make recommendations for improvement
• Provide access to and maintain the Community Learning SharePoint portal
• Appoint and fund external auditors as per ESFA funding rules

Regular Monitoring Meetings

• Assigned named Provider Relationship Manager to support and manage the contract
• Review contract performance against targets, via monthly dialogue and termly meetings, production of reports and action plans
• Review quality performance against targets, via monthly dialogue and termly meetings, production of reports and action plans

Quality Assurance

• Assigned a Provider Quality Manager to manage provision in accordance with quality standards set out by Ofsted and ESFA, for example, undertake unannounced class visits, observations of teaching, learning and assessment, RARPA audits, online evaluations
• Production of reports and action plans following on from quality assurance activities
• Act as lead for Ofsted inspections including support and preparation for inspection
• Manage the self-assessment process and produce an annual self-assessment report and quality improvement plan
• Manage and monitor the quality improvement plan
• Collect and collate learner feedback to support the development of provision
• Analysis of learner feedback and actual progression including production of reports
• Organise and deliver tutor and provider training, plus bespoke staff development when required
• Review and agree course proposals, schemes of work and lesson plans to provide ongoing support to develop provision and remedy any issues
• Annual Tutor Induction Briefing sessions

Sub-contractor Updates

• Termly Safeguarding and Prevent update
• Monthly Provider Updates to ensure providers are kept informed of developments and receive reminders for deadlines
• Provider Network meetings used to give service updates, sector developments and sharing of good practice
• Teaching and Learning Blog to share best practice

Promotion of Programmes

• The maintenance of Staffordshire County Council's Adult and Community Learning website and Course Directory
• Upload of courses to National Careers Service

For providers who do not have the systems to input data electronically and receive this service from the Community Learning Service, a fee of five per cent (5%) of the total allocation will be charged to the provider.

For providers who do not have in-house capacity to undertake observations of learning, teaching and assessment and moderation (OLT), a charge of £80 per completed OLT will be made by the Community Learning Service.

The payment schedule, terms and timescale for paying invoices and claims for funding received are fully detailed in the sub-contractor contract for services.