1. Using the outcomes of
impact measurement
to improve community
learning
Elke Hein, Performance and Commissioning Manger,
Bristol City Council, Learning Communities Team
2. Community Learning West
• Community Learning Teams in Bristol, North
Somerset and South Gloucestershire
• Consortium since 2011
• Our purpose is to engage learners and to support
them to develop knowledge, skills, confidence and
social networks to get ready for learning and work
• Engaging 4500 learners 19+ with few or no
qualifications
• 28% disabled learners, 26% learners from BME
communities, 61% from the 25% most deprived
SOAs (rising to 84% in Bristol), 71% without a
level 2 qualifications
• Funded through Community Learning and First
Steps Funding
3. Why measure impact?
• Funding requirements
• Quality improvement – doing it right
• Doing the right thing by learners
• Performance management
• Getting partner buy in
• Value for money
• Support funding applications
5. Progression
to further learning, paid or voluntary
work
• ILP
• Tracking letter
• Data matching with local college
• Requirement for commissioned
partners
• Development worker follow up
• Data reports on internal progression
• Case studies
6. Bristol progression data
• 23% enrolled on 2nd
step
• 13% gained paid work
• 8% took up voluntary work
• 7% progressed internally
7. How do we use this data?
• Refocus our curriculum
• Improve IAG
• Improve performance of individuals,
teams, partners
• Enter into collaborative arrangements
• Develop data collection
• Meeting LSC / SFA requirements
9. Learner outcomes - tracking
953 responses (of 2568 learners) :
• 95% increased knowledge and skill
• 84% increased ability to learn
• 71% more ambitious
• 34% started another course
• 27% gained a qualification
• 27% joined community activities
• 20% started voluntary work
• 15% started paid work
• 8% got a better job
10. Outcomes – family learning
responses
• 85% are more confident to help children
play and learn
• 83% spend more quality time with
children
• 82% do more activities with children
• 78% are more ambitious for my child
• 77% my child’s behaviour has improved
• 75% are more confident as a parent
• 73% better at expressing myself
11. How do we use this data?
• Increase relevance of provision to learners
• Increase participation
• Show impact of provision in self-assessment
report and identify improvement areas
• Promote family learning and other courses
with Children’s Centres
• Establish links and maximise funding and in
kind contributions, e.g. economic
regeneration, health agencies and social
housing
• Quote in funding applications and ‘Pathways
to Success’
12. New this year
Community cohesion and social networks
• Helped me make contacts/friendships
that have improved my life
• I have joined a club or group (e.g. book
group, netball team, choir)
Health and wellbeing
• Made a positive difference to my life
overall
• I am more active and/or am eating
more healthily
16. Case study- Kara and Pauline: the journey so far
Came to My Life in … course
Set up Missh Group for community building
NP involvement and MP presentation
Became Learning Champions with LCT
Became Play Champions for community
Applying for Play Rangers / Play Pods
St Anne’s Day and street closure planning
Working with University Students on building
Looking into training with PEYTU and Voscur
Presentations to MShed and school
17. What else do we do to
monitor impact?
• Case studies on paper, digital stories,
learner video stories
• Meet the manager meetings
• Focus groups
• Specific questionnaires, eg equalities
telephone survey, Your View cards
• NIACE impact measure tool
18. What next?
What do you want to achieve?
What data will help you get there?
How will you collect it?
19. Reviewing what you do
Can I embed this in something we
are doing already?
Does this data make sense?
Can I improve what and how I
collect?
Is there any data I am not using?
Is there anything I can stop doing?
