Learning Aim, for Digitals skills entitlment

The aims are listed as category 42 in LARS

Hi Martin,

Thank you for this. However Lars is only showing Regulated quals at E3 and L1 for Category 42. I am trying to claim funding for Pre-entry and E1 and E2 non-regulated as Stepping stone Quals for LDD learners. as per para 194 of the AEB funding rules:

194. We will fully fund non-regulated learning for learners, including those
assessed at pre-entry level with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities as
part of a personalised learning programme, where assessment has identified the
learner cannot undertake provision identified in paragraph 193.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Phil

Are you using LDM code 324 Personalised learning programme for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities for the non-regulated provision?

Hi Phil Dawe did you get an answer to your question? I logged this exact question with the ESFA and their response was not very helpful so i'm still unclear how to code non regulated provision for learners who have had an assessment and it has identified they are unable to undertake a digital skills qualification.  The ESFA said that we should use a category A learning aim class code even though I pointed out to them that this is not flagged as a category 42 digital skills learning aim and will error in the ILR if we record as fully funded.  Martin West, I can't see LDM code 324 listed as an exclusion to the fully funded rule LearnDelFAMType_81 in the ILR validation rules.  Any help gratefully received.  Thanks.

This code (324) should be used to identify non regulated provision that is created for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities as part of their personalised learning programme where there is no other suitable alternative within a regulated framework.

As long as the learner is employed, aged 19 or older, assessed at below level 1:

194. We will fully fund non-regulated learning for learners, including those assessed at pre-entry level with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities as part of a personalised learning programme, where assessment has identified the learner cannot undertake provision identified in paragraph 193.

Where I think you misunderstand as it is only digital skills entitlement that is fully funded, for those undertaking none regulated which is not is not category 42 it is not fully funded for those employed and 24 and over as this comes under provision for those progressing to level 2.

Thanks for replying Martin, sorry i'm still struggling to understand, para 194 says they will fully fund non regulated learning where assessment has identified the learner cannot undertake provision in para 193 - the provision listed in para 193 are the essential digital skills qualifications.  We therefore read that as a learner aged 19 or over who is employed can be fully funded for a non regulated learning aim if our assessment shows they are unable to take an essential digital skills qualification.

As per the government contributions table where the provision is for Essential Digital Skills Qualifications up to and including level 1 they are fully funded but non regulated provision comes under Learning to progress to level 2 which is fully funded excepting for those 24+ other who are co-funded.

Hi Karen/Martin,

We did try to use code 324 as per Martin's suggestion but they still failed validation so I posed the following question to the help desk:

Can you clarify Para 196 of the current AEB funding rules 20/21 regarding Digital entitlement for those 19 or Older:

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196. We will fully fund non-regulated learning for learners, including those assessed at pre- entry level with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities as part of a personalised learning programme, where assessment has identified the learner cannot undertake provision identified in paragraph 195.
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Does a learner have to have 'a significant learning difficulty and/or disability' to be fundable for non-regulated aims as part of the Digital Entitlement for those aged 19 or over?

I got this response:

Dear Phil 

Please see following response from the AEB team:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding digital entitlements.

The learner does not have to have 'a significant learning difficulty and/or disability' to be fundable for non-regulated aims as part of the Digital Entitlement.

You are not required to have to have a statemented LDD but you will have to keep evidence of the assessment which you undertake with the learner and the reasoning why they cannot undertake the provision (as stated in para 195 of our rules), as highlighted in para 196 in your enquiry.

I have now put in a query as to how to code them to get past validation rule LearnDelFAMType_81: The Full funding indicator is not valid for this learning aim

Thanks Martin, i still think the ESFA's paragraph 193/194 contradicts the government contributions table because its says fully funded for non regulated. 

Thanks Phil that's the same reply we had from the ESFA.  They did not answer the validation rule LearnDelFAMType_81 question for us so if / when you get an answer from them it would be great to know their response.  Cheers, Karen

The government contributions table  must be correct as there is no way in the ILR to identify non-regulated aims used under digital skills entitlement from non-regulated aims used for provision for those progressing to level 2.

Karen Simmons & Phil Dawe  Did you receive any further clarification from the ESFA on your latest queries?  We are suffering with this issue too?  Many thanks in advance

Garry Bradbury - Not yet. I have submitted a number of test ILRs for them to see on SLD but have not had a response back yet.

Phil Dawe Thanks for your reply.  I will have to raise also, would appreciate it if you could feedback on any response

There may be an error in rule LearnDelFAMType_81 as it is not triggered for Essential Digital Skill (LARS_BasicSkillsType = 43) but in LARS the Digital Skills aims are recorded as Category 42?

Is this error an issue for anyone?

Karen Travers & Phil Dawe  Did you receive any further clarification from the ESFA on this? 

Are you now able to fully fund the non reg and get it through validation?  If so any advice on how appreciated.

Many thanks

Phil Dawe and Garry Bradbury did either of you work out how to code the non regulated digital skills in the ILR??  Many thanks

Karen Simmons Unfortunately not. I still have two outstanding open support requests with the @ESFA Helpdesk which have both 'been escalated to the ILR team' Given the amount of time they have been open I am not hopeful. :-(

Phil Dawe I also logged a support request and haven't had a full reply, meanwhile we are getting no funding for these learners :-(

Karen Simmons as per Phil Dawe I still have an open support request.  The initial feedback was that we would be ok if we flagged the learners unemployed and in receipt of a benefit!!!  I referred them to the funding rules and they subsequently passed the case to the policy team.  Will keep you posted ......  

Garry Bradbury how ridiculous!! thanks for the updates, fingers crossed we have a solution at some point :-)

Good morning all, has anyone received any further updates on how we should code and return non-reg digital skills? Thanks

Hi Andrew Senior unfortunately no, still nothing from the ESFA on how to code these learning aims.  

Thank you Karen Simmons, that is a shame. Let's hope we get some news shortly as time is ticking and I can only see our use of these increasing next year...

Hi Andrew Senior / Karen Simmons / Garry Bradbury, 

I have just had a response from the ESFA yay!

Unfortunately it will only help for next year :-(

I have included the response below for your information.

Phil

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Dear Phil

Further to your query;

The LARs team has created the z codes for Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level by levels and this information will be displayed on FaLA on the 26th July, please note all of the new class codes start 01/08/2021.

Z0009419 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, Up to 2 hrs, PW A
Z0009420 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 3 to 4 hrs, PW A
Z0009421 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 5 to 6 hrs, PW A
Z0009422 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 7 to 12 hrs, PW A
Z0009423 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 13 to 20 hrs, PW A
Z0009424 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 21 to 44 hrs, PW A
Z0009425 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 45 to 68 hrs, PW A
Z0009426 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Entry Level, ICT for Users, Up to 2 hrs, PW A
Z0009427 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Entry Level, ICT for Users, 3 to 4 hrs, PW A
Z0009428 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Entry Level, ICT for Users, 5 to 6 hrs, PW A
Z0009429 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Entry Level, ICT for Users, 7 to 12 hrs, PW A
Z0009430 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Entry Level, ICT for Users, 13 to 20 hrs, PW A
Z0009431 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Entry Level, ICT for Users, 21 to 44 hrs, PW A
Z0009432 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Entry Level, ICT for Users, 45 to 68 hrs, PW A
Z0009433 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, Up to 2 hrs, PW A
Z0009434 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 3 to 4 hrs, PW A
Z0009435 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 5 to 6 hrs, PW A
Z0009436 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 7 to 12 hrs, PW A
Z0009437 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 13 to 20 hrs, PW A
Z0009438 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 21 to 44 hrs, PW A
Z0009439 Non-regulated SFA formula funded provision, Essential Digital Skills, Pre-Entry Level, ICT for Users, 45 to 68 hrs, PW A

Regards

Service desk

Thanks for posting Phil Dawe, that's really helpful.  I don't understand why the records are only available for 21/22 onwards when the funding rules were the same in 20/21........ :-(

Very helpful Phil Dawe, thank you.

Thanks very much Phil Dawe - for the record I have received nothing further from the ESFA on this.  The list of aims is really useful thanks, however I wait with bated breath to see if we get the same validation error when flagged Fully Funded.