Common use of Collaborative Outreach Clause in Contracts

Collaborative Outreach. 7.1 Leeds Trinity University is committed to the Higher Education Access Rewarding Transforming (HEART) partnership established by twelve HE providers in West Yorkshire (FE Colleges providing HE, HEIs and Universities) until December 2015. HEARTs mission remains to work in partnership to improve access to, and achievement in, Higher Education to enhance individual and economic development. 7.2 HEARTs approach to engaging with LAYP/Care Leavers, working through the intermediaries (local authorities, social workers, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ carers and independent fostering agencies) continues to strengthen with a significant increase in activities and attendance at these activities. The network with all West Yorkshire local authorities LAYP/Care Leaver teams meets twice annually and is enabling HEART partners to potentially reach all young people in care (approximately 3,500) in the region. The network has supported development of activities such as coffee mornings for ▇▇▇▇▇▇ carers, attendance at ▇▇▇▇▇▇ carer support groups and ‘▇▇▇▇▇▇ family learning days’ to be delivered shortly. The HEART Manager has also taken up the role as representative for Yorkshire and Humber on the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers. 7.3 Strategic target groups for collaborative activity are currently under review. The excellent work in relation to Looked After Young People (LAYP) and Care Leavers will continue together with relationships to the ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ (▇▇▇) and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Through this work we will address issues relating to mature and part-time learners. Other areas currently being considered are collaborative primary school activities and learners with disabilities. 7.4 The LCR LEP has clear objectives to create an environment for growth including the development of a skilled and flexible workforce and with particular emphasis on priority sectors of advanced engineering and manufacturing, creative and digital, finance and professional services, food and drink, health and life sciences and low carbon. HEART is working with the LEP to promote the awareness of these opportunities and continues to work in partnership to support the LEP in achieving these objectives. HEART has already established a Higher Level Skills Ambassador (HLSA) role recruiting and expanding numbers of local LCR business leaders who are able to spread the word about the value of higher education and higher level skills to their own workforce and throughout their business networks. A number of the HLSA have also engaged in outreach activities to secondary schools in Polar 3 high priority target areas. 7.5 Mature and part-time learner recruitment is a concern within West Yorkshire (as it is nationally). HEART represents the twelve partners on the LCR Skills Network, the provider group that reports into and through the Employment & Skills Panel to the LEP. A key challenge of the LCR work is to encourage greater investment in skills by businesses and individuals. HEART supports engagement in this agenda and has recently commenced a process of longitudinal analysis and reporting to the HEART Board on the quality of information provided by partners in respect of genuine part-time course offers with an aim to enhance the access to information for mature and part-time learners.

Collaborative Outreach. 7.1 7.1. Leeds Trinity University is committed to the Higher Education Access Rewarding Transforming (HEART) partnership established by twelve HE providers in West Yorkshire (FE Colleges providing HE, HEIs and Universities) until December 2015). 7.2. HEARTs mission remains Our Mission at HEART is to work in partnership to improve access to, and achievement in, Higher Education to enhance individual and economic development. 7.2 HEARTs approach to engaging with LAYP/Care Leavers, working through 7.3. During the intermediaries (local authorities, social workers, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ carers and independent fostering agencies) continues to strengthen with a significant increase in activities and attendance at these activities. The network with all West Yorkshire local authorities LAYP/Care Leaver teams meets twice annually and is enabling first year of operation HEART partners to potentially reach all young people in care (approximately 3,500) in refined the region. The network has supported development of activities such as coffee mornings for ▇▇▇▇▇▇ carers, attendance at ▇▇▇▇▇▇ carer support groups and ‘▇▇▇▇▇▇ family learning days’ to be delivered shortly. The HEART Manager has also taken up the role as representative for Yorkshire and Humber on the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers. 7.3 Strategic target groups for collaborative activity are currently under review. The excellent work in relation to focus on four key themes. a. Looked After Young People after children (LAYP) and Care Leavers will continue together LAC)/care leavers b. Learners with disabilities c. Adult learners and d. Enhanced relationships to the with ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ (▇▇▇) ). 7.4. A new approach to engaging with LAC/Care Leavers has been developed with HEART partners working through the intermediaries engaged with this hard to reach group. A HEART led network with all West Yorkshire local authorities LAC/care leaver teams has been established, the first time that such a county wide approach has been taken. HEART will continue to work through this network of intermediaries to support shared understanding, remove silo thinking and Local Enterprise Partnership support the target group by supporting those individuals that the LAC/care leavers turn to and trust so that they have accurate information on progression and support available and can signpost learners to key contacts within HEART partners. All stakeholders have agreed to meet twice annually and campus coffee mornings for carers, residential care teams and key workers to learn of the support available to those in their care are being delivered during 2013. 7.5. During the first year of operation partners supported a series of road shows and a campus event to support D/deaf learners (LEP84 learners engaged). Through this work we will address issues relating A similar approach to mature and part-time learners. Other areas currently that taken with LAC/care leavers is being considered are collaborative primary school activities and developed for working with learners with disabilities, i.e. forming a network with intermediaries: charities, agencies and advocacy services. 7.4 The LCR LEP has clear objectives to create an environment for growth including the development of a skilled and flexible workforce and with particular emphasis on priority sectors of advanced engineering and manufacturing, creative and digital, finance and professional services, food and drink, health and life sciences and low carbon7.6. HEART is working with the LEP to promote the awareness of these opportunities and continues to work in partnership to support the LEP in achieving these objectives. HEART has already established a Higher Level Skills Ambassador (HLSA) role recruiting and expanding numbers of local LCR business leaders who are able to spread the word about the value of higher education and higher level skills to their own workforce and throughout their business networks. A number of the HLSA have also engaged in outreach activities to secondary schools in Polar 3 high priority target areas. 7.5 Mature and part-time Adult learner recruitment is a concern within West Yorkshire (as it is nationally). HEART represents Plans for 2013 include open days for adults at all partners during Adult Learner Week 2013, the twelve partners on the first such coordinated series of open days targeted at adults; support from LCR Skills Network, the provider group that reports into Network and through the Employment & Skills Panel Board to recruit a new role of Higher Level Skills Ambassadors from the LEPregion’s business leaders; enhancing networking activity with business to business networks across the region; and development of shared promotional material directed at businesses presenting the economic case for investing in employee skills at higher level. 7.7. These approaches are seen as a new model of collaborative working, aimed at connecting with learners via their trusted intermediaries. In all cases the activities are directed at improving participation in the sector as a whole rather than directly to partner institutions, and qualitative evaluation methods will be developed to monitor effectiveness. 7.8. HEART continues to be monitored carefully for effectiveness and impact by the Board (comprised of senior managers from all twelve partners and representatives from HEFCE, LCR and the Local Schools/Children’s Services) and strategy and priority activities are informed and agreed by the Board. 7.9. Operational activity is overseen and guided by members of HEART planning groups (comprised of senior practitioners working in outreach/widening participation and business engagement). Continuous improvement in partnership practice is one of our four core values and we are planning shared staff development/practice sharing workshops/seminars and have agreement in principle to work collaboratively with neighbouring partnerships in York/North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. A key challenge shared staff development event has been scheduled to consider how best to support mature learners, especially Access to HE learners, in understanding the implications of the LCR work is introduction of the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan. We are also reviewing approaches to encourage greater investment engaging learners at an earlier age and in skills by businesses particular key stage 2 and individuals. HEART supports engagement in this agenda and has recently commenced a process of longitudinal analysis and reporting to the HEART Board on the quality of information provided by partners in respect of genuine part-time course offers with an aim to enhance the access to information for mature and part-time learners3.