The Head of Service for 14-19 Strategy presented a report on behalf of the Director for Children, Families and Education which set out the service’s developments, summary of delivery and learner achievements in the 2022/23 academic year.

It noted that grant funding received from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority was £1,173,362.

Wirral Council’s Lifelong Learning Service actively engaged and supported local residents (aged 19+) who were furthest from the labour market. This education provision provided learners with the confidence to take the next steps back into education and employment. As a grant funded Council service, it had the capacity to support the most disadvantaged, working on difficult issues and using innovative approaches for example, supporting community cohesion, troubled families, Children’s Centres, family learning, refugees and improving mental health through learning.

The report noted that the  2022/23 academic year was very challenging for the service with further growth in qualification course delivery, new test and learn projects plus continuation of the MULTIPLY maths intervention support programme.

The Lifelong Learning Service was inspected by Ofsted, February 2018, and assessed as ‘Good’. The service was also MATRIX re-accredited, July 2020, recognising its integrated high-quality delivery of careers education and support for its learners.

The Head of Service for 14-19 Strategy noted a correction under paragraph 1.3 which should have read: “The overall number of course enrolments during 2022/23 has now reverted back to pre-Covid pandemic levels…”

Members discussed the number of courses a person was likely to be enrolled on during a year, whether there was a recorded benefit to children whose parents had enrolled on the Lifelong Service, whether the service had a successful impact on getting adults that had been through the service employed, how the courses were funded and how the needs of the customers was led. They also queried whether there were notable issues with enrolment numbers for term two.

Officers responded that one person was likely to be enrolled on two courses per year, that the benefit to children was anecdotal at the moment but that it felt that the impact was positive, that there was statistical evidence that the service helped those that used it to gain employment. They noted that funding was provided by the Liverpool City Region and was granted on a year by year basis and that the needs of the service users was very much community led by listening to residents and third sector organisations. They noted that there had been no issues with enrolment numbers to date due to the strong work by their business support team.

Resolved – That

1.  the report be noted; and

2.  The services’ planned improvements and recognise the contribution to improving the lives of adults and families in Wirral’s more deprived communities during 2022/23 be endorsed and recognised.