Learning and Skills Framework 2015/18 (The West Lothian Community Learning and Development Plan)
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West Lothian Council Learning and Skills Framework 2015/18 (The West Lothian Community Learning and Development Plan) Assessment of Need Data Analysis and Summary of Conclusions Document NOTE: UPDATED 15 June 2015 (v2.6)(2) 1 | Page CONTENTS • Assessment of Needs Overview Page 3 • Targeted support for learners with specific needs Page 3 • Citizens Panel Survey Page 7 • Uptake of current activities Page 10 • Risk Matrix Page 12 • Consultation with key community organisations Page 14 • Demographic and employment projections Page 15 • Life Stages Page 19 • The Community Learning and Development Workforce Page 20 • National and Local Strategies considered as part of the Plan Page 21 2 | Page Assessment of Need - Overview The local authority is required to ensure that the following happen in its area, regardless of who does them: ■ Target individuals and groups most likely to benefit from the provision of community learning and development are identified. ■ The community learning and development needs of these individuals and groups are taken into account. ■ There is an assessment of the extent to which these needs are already being met. ■ Barriers to the efficient and adequate provision of community learning and development are identified. An assessment of need has been undertaken, bringing together a number of information sources including a questionnaire to the Citizens Panel, consultation with key community organisations working in our most disadvantaged areas, uptake of current provision, and consideration of demographic and employment projections. Back to top Targeted support for learners with specific needs Consideration has been given to what targeted support is required to meet the needs of individuals with the following specific needs: ■ Deaf and hearing impaired: ■ English as a Second or Other Language ■ Lacking qualifications ■ Unemployed people ■ Refugees and asylum seekers ■ Gypsy / Traveller ■ People with a Disability ■ Dyslexia An assessment of need has been undertaken, bringing together a number of information sources including a questionnaire to the citizens panel, consultation with key community organisations working in our most disadvantaged areas, uptake of current provision, and consideration of demographic and employment projections. ■ Deaf and hearing impaired: There are an estimated 1,012,000 people in Scotland with some degree of hearing loss (of whom approximately 546,000 are over the age of 60); an estimated 701,000 people with mild to moderate deafness; and an estimated 57,000 people with severe to profound deafness. British Sign Language users are less likely to be economically active, and more likely to be permanently sick or disabled. They are also more likely never to have worked than the population as a whole. The number of people in Scotland who identify their first language as British Sign Language (BSL) is 13,000 according to the 2011 Census. Assuming a uniform distribution, there would be around 430 residents of West Lothian who identify their first language as British Sign Language. 3 | Page The target population is those adults for whom there is an acquired hearing loss. Lip- reading classes are targeted at adults with acquired hearing loss, not the whole of the deaf population, and in 2014-15 there were 55 lip-reading learners as shown in the table below. Given the expected increase in the over 60 population, this indicates a potential needs for additional provision. West Lothian College and Donaldson’s School, Scotland's national school for children who are deaf, hearing impaired or have communication difficulties, also run British Sign Language classes for which there are fees. ■ English as a Second or Other Language: Minority ethnic and white non-British groups made up 8% (220,000 people) of Scotland’s population in 2011. West Lothian has a lower proportion of minority ethnic groups at 2.5% of the population against 4.0% for Scotland. Polish people in Scotland had the lowest English language skills. There were 61,000 Polish people in Scotland, so assuming a uniform distribution, there would be around 2,000 residents of West Lothian who are Polish. Learning ABE ABE - ABE - ABE - ABE - WL Community total Literacies ESOL Lipreadin Accreditai College g on ABE - ESOL Armadale Ac. 11% 13% 8% 16% 16% 9% Bathgate Ac. 20% 19% 25% 10% 14% 20% Broxburn Ac. 16% 8% 23% 19% 12% 10% Deans CHS 10% 13% 8% 10% 10% 19% Inveralmond CHS 18% 18% 21% 2% 18% 26% James Young HS 6% 5% 7% 6% 4% 5% Linlithgow Ac. 3% 5% 1% 10% 4% 3% West Calder HS 5% 5% 3% 15% 5% 4% Whitburn Ac. 11% 15% 6% 13% 18% 6% WEST LOTHIAN 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% TOTAL 1134 410 525 62 137 105 The table above gives a breakdown of various streams within Adult Basic Education, including English as a Second or Other Language provision (through both Adult Basic Education and West Lothian College). There is significantly higher take up of English for Speakers of Other Languages in the Bathgate, Broxburn and Inveralmond which reflects the high proportion of private rented homes in these areas, many of which are rented by Polish and other workers from the expanded European Union. The priority group will be those adults who have little, if any spoken and written English Language skills and who wish to gain accreditation. Evidence indicates that current provision is adequate. ■ Lacking qualifications: The proportion of adults in Scotland aged 16-64 with low or no qualifications (SCQF level 4 or below) was 11.5% in 2014; down from 19.1% in 2004. Males, older people, those with a disability and residents of the most deprived 20% of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) data-zones are more likely to have low qualifications. http://www.gov.scot/About/Performance/scotPerforms/indicator/skill 4 | Page Planned literacies and community based adult learning provision is targeted at adults with no or low qualifications. The opportunity to gain accreditation is embedded within existing provision. ■ Unemployed people: The unemployment rate in West Lothian is similar to the Scottish average, but there is a core of very long term claimants (more than 5 years) across all age ranges who require additional support. The table below gives the number of learners access accredited learning and community based adult learning delivered by the CLD (Adults) team and registrations and outcomes from the Access 2 Employment team. Learning % of WLC CLD CLD CLD A2E A2E Community populatio (adults) (adults) (adult regis- outcome n of accred- Communi learning) trations s working ited ty Based all course age : learning Adult partici- 2011 Learning pants Armadale Ac. 9.6% 9% 8% 8% 13% 12% Bathgate Ac. 13.5% 11% 5% 6% 18% 17% Broxburn Ac. 10.5% 17% 9% 9% 10% 10% Deans CHS 9.5% 14% 15% 17% 5% 6% Inveralmond CHS 13.9% 20% 16% 15% 14% 12% James Young HS 7.9% 4% 9% 8% 5% 3% Linlithgow Ac. 11.2% 4% 8% 7% 4% 4% West Calder HS 12.5% 8% 12% 13% 6% 7% Whitburn Ac. 11.5% 13% 17% 17% 26% 28% WEST LOTHIAN 100.0% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% TOTAL 153 818 903 1,367 846 These show a greater than average number of learners in the Deans, Inveralmond, James Young and Whitburn learning communities and a greater than average number of job-seekers registering in Armadale, Bathgate and Whitburn learning communities which are areas of higher unemployment. ■ Refugees and asylum seekers: Scotland currently hosts around 2,000 asylum seekers, which was around 10% of the total number of asylum seekers making claims in the UK. The vast majority of asylum seekers in Scotland live in Glasgow. A refugee is someone whose application for asylum individually has been successful; there are no robust figures available for the number of refugees living in Scotland. ■ Gypsy / Traveller: These are a diverse set of communities with a population of around 4,000 in Scotland. The 2011 Census recorded 66 Gypsy / Traveller residents in West Lothian. These were more likely to have lower skills in English language and more likely to speak other languages at home; and were more likely to have worse health than the population, despite a younger age profile. There is currently no targeted work with this community although some members of this community access mainstream provision. ■ People with a Disability: Compared to the general population disabled people are more likely to be economically inactive, to have no qualifications, never worked and to be in the lowest social grades. They are more likely than non-disabled people to 5 | Page face barriers to work due to lack of confidence and attitudes of employers, and are more likely to work from home. The 2011 Census found that 28.7% of the population of West Lothian had one or more long-term health condition, which was the eighth lowest of Scottish local authorities. The West Lothian European Social Fund (ESF) Priority 5 Pipeline (Sept 2011- December 2014) had 3,898 registrations of which 4.5% had a disability, 4% had mental health issues and the same percentage had a physical illness. Some people experienced more than one issue so the percentage of participants with a disability would be below 12.5%. All evidence gathered from the roll out of the recent Welfare Reforms indicates that adults with a disability will be more likely to be disadvantaged. Actions will be targeted at those adults with a disability who are seeking to upskill and gain employment. ■ Dyslexia: an estimated 10% of the Scottish population is thought to be dyslexic in some way. Assuming a uniform distribution, that would be around 17,500 residents of West Lothian. There is a wide range of skills levels amongst adults with dyslexia and literacies provision is targeted at those adults for whom dyslexia has the greatest impact on reading, writing and number skills.