Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

My Lords, first, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Low, and the agencies with whom we have dealt for all their co-operation. We have had a lot of dialogue, as was reflected in the noble Lord’s opening contribution. I entirely agree with the sentiment behind Amendment 155 that the YPLA, when developing schemes for the assessment of the performance of education and training, should be guided by the use of learners, parents and organisations representing learners. I reassure the noble Lord about the arrangements that are already in place and will continue once the YPLA is established to ensure that the views of learners and parents are given the highest priority. The YPLA will adopt and develop the framework for excellence, which will provide a quantitative performance assessment tool with standard indicators against which to assess providers. This will include an annual learner views survey, which will enable all learners to voice their opinions about the quality and effectiveness of the learning that they receive. Consultation is already under way with key stakeholders, including the National Union of Students and Skill. I am advised that we hope to be able to issue the results of the consultation before Report. I sympathise with the noble Lord’s concern about the issue raised in Amendment 161. We have been working closely with Skill to improve the statutory guidance given to local authorities about their duty to carry out learning difficulty assessments. We intend to issue the revised guidance, together with a report on the consultation, in the late autumn. This will be followed up by a further document in early 2010, providing guidance arising from the changes described in the Bill, once enacted. The guidance to be issued this autumn will reinforce the importance of local authorities having a quality assurance system in place covering Section 139A assessment. In addition, it will emphasise, through the inclusion of good practice case studies, the importance of senior management accountability for the quality of the assessment. Learners and their parents and carers will have access to a local authority’s complaints procedure, an issue that was raised in this debate. We will also ensure that the guidance sets out clearly, based on effective practice, what should be included in a Section 139A assessment, such as transport, which concerned the noble Lord, Lord Low. It will also set out who should be given an assessment. The importance of a multi-agency approach to assessment will be highlighted and examples will demonstrate wider transition planning. Before I conclude, I shall try to deal with some of the questions raised. The noble Lord, Lord Low, asked whether someone could get a Section 139A assessment if they had not previously been assessed. There is no need for a pre-16 year-old statement. It is right that that should be so—for example, a learning difficulty may be diagnosed only later in life. The noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, was concerned that young people without an LDA are at a disadvantage in post-16 education. Our view is that that is not the case. We make support available through the additional learning support funds and an LDA is not necessary to qualify for the additional learning support. Our figures are that there are currently 320,000 young people with self-declared learning difficulties or disabilities in FE colleges being helped and supported. I do not think that there is ever room for complacency, but important progress has been made. One of the concerns of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, was whether the new guidance will reflect the National Audit Office’s report on Section 139A assessments. In view of the inconsistent quality of learning difficulty assessments, we have instituted a major review of the system supporting those with additional needs. This will be conducted by Ofsted and will include issues around transition from school, assessment and support services. We will wait until that review has reported before making any changes to the post-16 assessment process, but we see that as an important issue. I am not sure that I can answer the question about training for Connexions advisers now, but I shall do so in writing. There is training, but I share the concern that we need to have consistency in the quality of the training and advice given, because this is an important group. The noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, asked whether the assessment would be the same for those in young offender institutions. I think that it should be, but I shall confirm that in writing. I am looking at the Box and am being told that it is the same assessment, so it looks like I do not have to confirm that. With those statements and with the assurances given, I trust that the noble Lord will feel that he can withdraw the amendment.