Issue 282
28 October 2015
Welcome
In this issue of Update, our weekly round-up of business-critical and useful information to
Skills Funding Agency (SFA) colleges, other training organisations and direct grant
employers:
1. The Register of Training Organisations: Closes Friday, 13 November
2. Subcontractor Declaration Form 2015 to 2016: Deadline Friday, 13 November
3. Supply Chain Fees and Charges and Actual Funding Paid and Retained 2013 to
2014 and 2014 to 2015
4. Funding Rules 2015 to 2016 Version 2 Addendum 2: Apprenticeships
5. FE Choices: 2015 to 2016 Learner Satisfaction Survey
6. Provider Complaints Procedure: Updated
7. Provider Data Self-Assessment Toolkit: Updated
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have any feedback, please email Update.
NOTE: Our Business Cycle sets out the key milestones from April 2015 to March 2016 and
will help you plan ahead.
1. The Register of Training Organisations: Closes Friday, 13
November
Action
The Register of Training Organisations (the Register) is open for applications and will
close at 5.00pm on Friday, 13 November.
This opening is for new applications and for organisations that are required to enter the
Register, as detailed in our Funding Rules 2015 to 2016 (paragraphs eight and nine).
Subcontractors not listed on the Register that intend to operate with a total contract
value of £100,000 or more for each academic year must also apply.
For further information, please refer to the Register section of our website on GOV.UK
or email Register Help.
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2. Subcontractor Declaration Form 2015 to 2016: Deadline
Friday, 13 November
Action
We have written to all organisations with an SFA funding agreement that are required to
complete their subcontractor declaration form for the first time for the 2015 to 2016
academic year.
Organisations must submit completed forms by Friday, 13 November; we will suspend
payments to any organisation that does not submit their form by this date.
The Funding Rules 2015 to 2016 (paragraph 52) state that you must ensure your
subcontractor declaration form details your current subcontracting arrangements; if you
do not currently subcontract, you will need to submit a ‘nil’ return.
For further information, please contact your Central Delivery Service adviser.
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3. Supply Chain Fees and Charges and Actual Funding Paid
and Retained 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015
Action
All colleges and other training organisations that subcontract must publish the actual
funding paid and retained for each of their subcontractors in the funding years 2013 to
2014 and 2014 to 2015:

Funding Rules 2013 to 2014 [para 431]

Funding Rules 2014 to 2015 [para 469]
We expect you to publish this to your website by Monday, 23 November. You must
include the relevant weblink on the 2015 to 2016 subcontractor declaration form.
You will also need to publish your current supply chain fees and charges policy by this
date: we will suspend your payments until the information is published and verified.
For further information, please contact your Central Delivery Service adviser.
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4. Funding Rules 2015 to 2016 Version 2 Addendum 2:
Apprenticeships
Information
We have published an update to our Funding Rules 2015 to 2016 Version 2. This
reflects the changes to the funding rules for English and maths in the Specification for
Apprenticeship Standards in England (SASE) apprenticeship frameworks introduced in
2014 to 2015.
The modifications to the SASE removed the ‘five-year rule’. This applies to the validity
of Functional Skills/GCSEs/Key Skills qualifications in English, maths and ICT (where
applicable) on entry to the apprenticeship programme.
We will apply the change to the funding rules from 1 August 2015.
For further information, please visit the Funding Rules section of our website on
GOV.UK or email the Service Desk.
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5. FE Choices: 2015 to 2016 Learner Satisfaction Survey
Information
The 2015 to 2016 learner satisfaction survey will run from Monday, 2 November to 1
April 2016.
Shortly, we will write to all eligible colleges and other training organisations participating
in the survey. We will inform them of the steps they need to take to maximise their
response levels.
The survey is an opportunity for existing learners to rate their learning or training: please
encourage your learners to complete it. Their feedback helps future learners make
informed choices about where to study or train.
We will publish the results on the FE Choices section of our website on GOV.UK and
the National Careers Service website.
For further information or related queries, please email the Service Desk.
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6. Provider Complaints Procedure: Updated
Information
Following our approval as an alternative dispute resolution body, we have amended
our procedure for dealing with complaints about providers of education and training.
We will no longer investigate complaints about higher education courses in further
education colleges. We now consider complaints made within 12 months, where it was
previously three months. We also consider complaints made on behalf of a complainant,
with their written consent.
You must ensure that all learners have access to your own published complaints
procedure. They must be aware that they can complain to us if they are dissatisfied with
your handling of the complaint. This is set out in your funding agreement.
For further information, please email the Complaints Team.
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7. Provider Data Self-Assessment Toolkit: Updated
Information
We have released an updated Provider Data Self-Assessment Toolkit (PDSAT) for the
funding year 2015 to 2016 on the PDSAT section of our website on GOV.UK.
We make the PDSAT available to enable you to review your data using exception
reports and make corrections where required. The previous PDSAT enabled you to
check your individualised learner record (ILR) data throughout the funding year. This
release incorporates funding value data and the provider financial management
assurance (PFMA) sampler.
Please share this with staff who prepare for a PFMA review and those who run routine
ILR data checks.
For further information, please email Provider Financial Management.
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