Decision details
Adult education - protecting learner continuity and provider stability
Decision Maker: Chief Executive, West of England Combined Authority
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
This decision was taken in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic and the very difficult challenges this presents
to the delivery of adult education across the West of England.
During this difficult time, the Combined Authority considers it is
critical to maintain as much ‘normality’ and continuity
of provision wherever this is possible. The Combined Authority
wishes to reassure adult education providers that it will take all
reasonable steps to ensure continuity of learning where this is
possible, and to protect the stability of the provider base.
This is an emergency decision taken in light of the COVID-19
pandemic. The West of England Combined Authority constitution
allows the Chief Executive of the Combined Authority, in cases of
urgency or emergency, to take any decision on behalf of the
Combined Authority (after consultation with the Mayor). This
decision has been taken under this provision.
Decision:
In response to the current challenges, the
Combined Authority (WECA) confirms the following:
1. Payments: WECA will continue to pay providers in line with their
current payment profile (as set out in the Grant Funding
Agreements) for the remainder of the academic year unless the
provider asks WECA, in writing, to do otherwise. Some providers
have already verbally indicated that they would like payments to be
frozen. If this remains the case, providers are asked to confirm
this in writing as soon as possible.
2. In-year reconciliation: WECA will not seek to recover any
funding as a result of the mid-year review process that was
completed in February 2020 and the further review process scheduled
to take place in April / May will not proceed.
3. End-of-year reconciliation: WECA is not yet in a position to
fully confirm the authority’s intentions regarding any
potential end-of-year reconciliation of funding as this will depend
on a number of different factors. However, WECA is able to confirm
that the authority does not wish any provider to be financially
penalised or destabilised as a result of COVID-19 and therefore has
no plans to recover funds due to under-performance that may occur
as a result of the pandemic, on the condition that providers comply
with the Expectations of Providers set out below:
WECA’s position regarding end-of-year reconciliation may
however be shaped by wider government interventions and support
that may be accessed by providers in response to the pandemic.
Whilst wishing to protect the stability of providers, the authority
remains obliged to protect the public purse and therefore must
avoid the risk of double-funding arising from decisions concerning
end-of-year reconciliation.
WECA will continue to monitor the situation and will confirm the
precise approach to end-of-year reconciliation later in the year
once the actual impact on delivery and the wider context is
clearer. In the meantime, providers are asked to notify the
authority if they either apply for, or secure, other forms of
government support that relate to COVID-19.
Expectations of providers: The measures set out above are intended
to protect the stability of providers during the current crisis and
ensure that they are in a position to recommence normal delivery as
soon as it is reasonable to do so. In exchange for these measures,
providers are expected to commit to the following:
a. Protect learners: Although the authority is confident that this
will be the case, providers are asked to make best efforts to
ensure that learners are supported to continue their learning
during the current disruption. This includes both supporting the
retention and completion of existing learners and the recruitment
of new learners where it is possible to do so (not least as this
may be a highly effective means through which to support vulnerable
and disadvantaged residents during the necessary isolation brought
about by the COVID-19 situation).
b. Protect staff: The authority intends to protect the income of
all providers irrespective of the current situation in order to
ensure that a stable and secure network of providers is intact and
able to continue delivery once normality resumes. Given this,
providers are expected to take all reasonable steps to ensure that
their staff (including agency staff) continue to be paid throughout
the crisis and avoid lay-offs. For a provider who is exclusively
funded by WECA, this should normally be entirely possible given the
protections that are outlined though it is appreciated that
providers funded from a number of sources may face different
challenges. However, if a provider is considering any staffing
changes that are likely to impact on current or future WECA
delivery, this should be discussed with the authority in
advance.
c. Protect sub-contractors: Sub-contractors are a vital component
of the West of England Adult Education system and therefore the
measures set out above are intended to support both directly funded
providers and their sub-contractors equally. As WECA is committing
to continue to pay our providers in line with their agreed profile,
the authority’s clear expectation is that WECA funded
providers ensure that their subcontractors continue to be paid as
normal.
d. Keep WECA informed: As the situation appears to be changing
rapidly, it is important that effective communication is maintained
to ensure that the authority fully understands what is happening
and is therefore in a position to respond effectively. All
providers should already have performance monitoring meetings
scheduled. It is proposed to proceed with these meetings (via TEAMs
virtual meeting arrangements) but to predominantly focus on how
providers are responding to COVID-19. Providers are also asked to
complete and submit the new Monthly Claim Report and associated
risk-register. This may prove to be particularly important if
current challenges make it more difficult to rely on the
Individualised Learner Record. To avoid the risk of double-funding
it is particularly important that providers inform WECA of any
applications or grants of funding from central government or other
relevant organisations that may impact on their WECA adult
education delivery.
4. Allocations for 2020: WECA remains confident that the authority
will be in a position to confirm indicative allocations for 2020 on
10th April 2020 as was originally planned. The authority also
expects to be in a position to continue the implementation of the
2020/21 Planning and Allocations process broadly as planned (though
the authority will continue to monitor the situation and is willing
to consider any reasonable adjustment that providers may
request).
Alternative options considered:
Option 1 - This is the option delivered
through the decision set out in this decision record.
Option 2 - Not to take action – this was considered
inappropriate and inadequate as a response in light of the COVID-19
situation. It is considered that not taking action at this point
would seriously threaten the stability of the region’s adult
education provider base.
Publication date: 01/04/2020
Date of decision: 27/03/2020
Accompanying Documents: