5A: How to achieve success in leadership and management

This question addresses how well literacy, numeracy and ESOL support for customers across the organisation’s provision is strategically planned, resourced, led and managed. Successful providers implement effective arrangements to assure the quality of their literacy, numeracy and ESOL support and they promote equality of opportunity to customers who require literacy, numeracy and ESOL support. Their leaders and managers set a clear direction leading to high-quality education and training, and performance is monitored effectively, through quality assurance and self-assessment procedures. Action plans are prepared in response to weaker areas, and steps are taken promptly to secure improvements.

Good providers are also aware that equality and diversity must be promoted in a way that helps all customers to achieve their potential. Where relevant, governors or other supervisory boards meet their responsibilities actively and in full. They are also closely involved in ensuring that resources are deployed effectively and efficiently to achieve value for money.

Managers need to develop good local labour market knowledge and have good links with local employers. This will require taking part in local regeneration networks, partnerships and initiatives. The organisation must have a commitment to training in the employment context, and to developing literacy, numeracy and language skills within a work-related environment. It will need to develop a work ethos that is sufficiently adaptable and flexible to meet local employer needs and requirements.

Staff resources

Providers who have effective resourcing ensure that all staff have an understanding and commitment to teaching literacy, numeracy and language in a work context. Managers need to take the lead in appointing qualified and experienced staff who have the skills and ability to deliver training programmes that meet the needs of customers and local employers. This means recruiting staff with the relevant qualifications and experience to use up-to-date, contextualised materials. Good providers also offer appropriate training to staff who need to learn these skills or attain qualifications. Managers should develop procedures that support staff training and development and allocate time for course development. Managers will also need to establish effective partnerships to attract funding to deliver imaginative and effective training programmes that will benefit local people and employers. These partnerships should involve staff in meetings of the local employer networks.

Some of the critical success factors for the effective resourcing of programmes for unemployed customers are as follows.

• Tutors and support staff have an interest in, and knowledge of, local labour market issues.
• Staff attend meetings of local employer groups, and meet regularly with local human resources managers, employers and so on.
• The organisation has a resource bank for literacy, numeracy and language development, as well as resources for jobsearch and personal development activities. These will include: vacancy lists, newspapers, Internet access, videos, sample CVs, sample job descriptions, speculative letters and role-play cards.
• The organisation is a member of the local IAG network, local brokerage services, local employer network, and has links with Jobcentre Plus personal advisers and voluntary-sector providers.
• The organisation has sufficient space and training facilities to accommodate the full range of activities required by Jobcentre Plus programmes.

Excellent support materials are available to managers through the LSC Skills for Life Quality Initiative and by accessing the ALI website at: www.ali.gov.uk

The website includes information about inspections, reports and statistics, publications and a searchable database, Excalibur, which contains examples of good practice. You will also be able to access information on events for providers and the inspection toolkit at: www.ali.gov.uk/excalibur/htm/about_toolkit.htm and www.ali.gov.uk