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CHAPTER SIX: ISSUES AFFECTING SUPPLY

6.1 This chapter draws on the interviews with providers and stakeholders which explored the factors affecting the supply of ESOL provision. In particular, it examines how decisions are taken about the nature of provision and the effect of funding, fee levels, and the availability of teachers.

Assessment of demand and managing places

6.2 Many providers took the nature of demand into account when considering what courses to provide and how to manage the demand for places, though for some it was a matter of:

• maintaining the broad pattern and structure of courses they had provided for some time; and
• reacting to funding available. For colleges in particular the level or type of funding that was available from the SFC was a key determinant as was partnerships with other organisations such as community groups, employers, and government departments such as the NHS. For the voluntary providers the type of provision available was often dictated by rules applied to the funding they had obtained (in terms of specific groups of learners, levels of ability). For example, such providers often had resources to hold classes for asylum seekers only, for women only or for literacies only.

6.3 Providers generally found it more difficult to react to changes in levels of demand or to obtain information so that they could plan in advance. Even so, some providers' responses to demand have included:

• Considering the population of specific migrant groups to develop new courses in terms of subjects and timing. One CLD Partnership commented that the providers they collaborated with

" are planning to deliver 'New Scot' classes. These will include basic literacies and personal development comprising basic cultural information such as how to open a bank account and how to book a GP Appointment";

• Tailoring provision to the needs of specific groups, such as asylum seekers and refugees. One college had introduced pre-elementary courses because existing course were too demanding; others point to changing their traditional pattern of course times to enable migrant workers to attend regularly;
• Management of waiting lists by referring learners to voluntary organisations or colleges. For example, one CLD Partnership in North East/ NI manages its waiting list by assessing individual learners to find places for them, appropriate for their level. If they are seen as able to pay, they are referred to private provision. Only those who have very poor English and are likely to have literacy problems in their own language are offered a course by the council. Another CLD Partnership in Fife and Tayside has eliminated waiting lists by creating new courses and new places on an as-need basis. They have been able to do this with the help of flexible teachers, who are willing to take on more hours. In addition, the teachers work on seasonal contracts, so are very willing to take on more hours for extra pay;
• Working with employers or umbrella organisations to develop provision. For example, one college is offering ESOL for specific groups through working with the NHS and local employers;
• Adjusting fee levels. There are instances of providers managing demand by charging fees to some learners to subsidise others. A provider in Fife and Tayside commented that they charge learners who are employed and working more than 16 hours each week, self-employed people, au pairs being funded by employers, and those in the UK on a short-term basis. By charging learners who are perceived as being "able to pay", they have the resources to employ more teachers and put on more courses as the need arises. Another voluntary provider charges for evening mixed-gender courses, which is populated with mostly A8 nationals. The fees cover some of the costs of the courses which are also supplemented by grants;
• Prioritising learners for places. Some FE colleges give priority to international learners because they could charge them full fees. An FE college in Central West explained that in courses where there were waiting lists, these full fee paying learners received the first places, even over returning learners. New learners from the UK and EU were the last to gain places.

6.4 One voluntary provider reported that it was reluctant to add on more ESOL courses to meet increasing demand because the community centre was also responsible for holding a variety of adult education programmes targeting non- ESOL learners. The provider felt that they needed to keep the balance between courses targeting migrant communities and those targeting the indigenous population.

Courses provided

6.5 Providers have different approaches to the type of ESOL courses, their length, level, accreditation and timing.

Courses

6.6 FE providers:

• offer a variety of courses, both at their sites (often several different locations) but also in the community;
• are less likely to offer beginners classes;
• are more likely to specify learning levels required;
• are more likely to conduct a needs assessment for their learners to place them in the appropriate level. Some rely on the results of an exam they have developed, others require qualifications from an established ESOL institution such as the Cambridge exams. Some also conduct an interview or an informal assessment;
• are more likely to offer accredited courses, rather than "informal" or "non-accredited provision"; and
• mainly run courses around the academic year, from August until June.

6.7 Some provide wider ranges of courses than others. For example, in Central West one FE provider offered 10 Levels of ESOL; ABC Beginner, Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency, International English Language Testing System ( IELTS) and Cambridge Advanced. They also offered separate classes for refugees and migrant workers through an employer and for asylum seekers aged 16+. In the same region, another FE college started their classes at an intermediate level and had one full-time and 4 part-time courses, an evening course in the college and an outreach course in the community. This college did not have targeted classes for specific student groups, possibly because the area in which it was located was more residential and overall had lower populations of asylum seekers and migrant workers.

6.8 With respect to entry level requirements where they did exist, they often depended on the type of class learners wished to enrol in. For example, one FE provider described that learners needed to have taken a 5.5 IELTS, or level 6 IELTS to take an ESOL course, a Cambridge Provisional English Test level to enrol in vocational courses, and a Cambridge First Certificate in English to attend more academic courses. Another college required learners to have Intermediate level ESOL to enrol in non ESOL classes.

6.9 Some providers have reacted to recent trends:

" Lumping everyone into elementary would cause problems. Asylum seekers, for example, differ greatly in the level of ESOL they need, hence introducing pre-elementary and ESOL literacy. New migrants and asylum seekers also may have different paces in learning English, due to their previous experiences with learning languages, experience with formal education, and knowledge of language/grammar in general" ( FE college, Central West).

6.10 Another college is running ESOL support classes for learners who were studying mainstream courses and did not have the required level; while another college in the Central area is working with a local employer so that tutors from the college delivered ESOL classes in the workplace during lunch time, while the employer provided an extended lunch hour.

6.11 CLD Partnerships and voluntary providers:

• are more likely to run courses that were English combined with other subjects, such as ICT;
• have more classes within a community setting that do not have an established structure, though the larger providers often have courses structured similarly to those offered at FE colleges. For example, one CLD offered small group courses based on learner needs rather than a specific level. Concurrently, they deliver courses at a community centre following term-time structures;
• are more likely to offer informal tutoring, with voluntary providers in some cases home visiting. Areas covered were ESOL for literacy, housing searches and job interviews;
• the majority do not have a specific requirement for entering courses, but many learners tended to have a basic level of ESOL understanding; pre-testing was unusual; and
• of all the providers, voluntary organisations were the most likely not to require a certain level to do ESOL.

6.12 Private organisations offer a diversity of provision, often targeted to specific learners. One provider in Fife and Tayside did not deliver regular classes, rather provided bespoke options paid for by employers for learners who are interested in the IELTS exam and for Cambridge exams.

" The structure is dictated by the client, they may require a course to learn the language of the workplace, for example Health and Safety. We can offer evening course and in the workplace, working around shifts."

6.13 Another private provider offered 3 terms of 8 classes in the day and evening. They offered separate writing courses and had a summer school, which was for 6 weeks and ran at different levels. The pre-requisites for private provision varied according to the provider and the types of classes they were offering, some providers required learners to sit exams before enrolling. In other instances, private providers worked directly with learners to arrange courses, for example at their place of employment, to work on specific vocabulary. In this situation the classes were demand driven and not dependant on a certain level.

Accreditation

6.14 Providers do not seek accreditation for learners on all their courses.

• Over half of all of the providers interviewed ( FE, voluntary, CLD Partnerships and private) offered some type of accredited courses. FE providers were the most likely to offer accredited courses, but many also simultaneously offered non-accredited community courses;
• Most of the accreditation came from the SQA, but private providers and some colleges were also teaching to the Cambridge and IELTS exams;
• Many larger providers offered a mixture of types of courses, some of which were accredited, others not.

6.15 One FE college, for example, offered 8 levels of ESOL, of which only 5 mapped to SQA qualifications. They also offered community-based women's courses as well as vocational ESOL (English for Beauty, English for Computing, English for Business). This college explained that they offered more levels because of the diversity of their learners' educational backgrounds.

Times and hours of courses

6.16 Large providers tend to offer a variety of course lengths and times; most are evidently sensitive to the times that best suit learners and tailor these accordingly. This appears to be occurring among FE colleges as much as among voluntary providers.

6.17 An FE provider in Fife and Tayside mentioned that ESOL had been offered since 1970 but in the past few years there had been a large increase in learners and they were now offering evening courses specifically to accommodate migrant workers by shifting some of their daytime offerings to evening courses due to the changing student population. Generally, one of the main reasons learners were likely to drop out of classes is because their work shift had changed or because they had taken on a new job that was incompatible with the course hours. One college in North East/ NI reported that in the evening courses, 50% of the learners drop out after 10 weeks. An FE provider in Central commented that they added an additional course to have more varied times in their provision and therefore accommodate learners working shifts. Stakeholders concur that their communities benefit from having ESOL courses offered on a flexible timetable.

6.18 Some changes that providers have instigated to help learners are:

• the option of evening classes to fit with work patterns;
• extra classes from September to December because of seasonal worker migration which can more than double their prospective learners; and
• courses at different times of the day to fit in with people's working patterns, delivering courses in the morning, afternoon, evening and twilight and allowing learners to float between courses.

Teachers

6.19 All providers reported that it was often difficult to obtain and retain qualified and experienced staff with the increase in demand for ESOL teachers and the growth of the private sector. FE colleges tended to have more qualified staff than the other sectors. Voluntary providers tended to have a mix of teachers and volunteers. Volunteers were generally absent in other providers.

6.20 FE colleges are more likely to offer training and provide the opportunity for Continuing Professional Development than other providers. Some colleges offered Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults ( CELTA) or the Trinity Certificate in Teaching English. Additionally, some FE colleges funded teachers taking the Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults ( DELTA) as well as the TQFE (teaching qualification for FE). A few FE colleges did report that ESOL courses pay less than other teaching opportunities and one college specifically pointed out that extra funding would be helpful to keep teachers "sustainably employed."

6.21 Voluntary providers and CLD Partnerships that had a staff of volunteers providing ESOL tutoring, offered learning workshops. One provider explained that they offered workshops which were free to tutors and potential tutors (often learners pursuing advanced ESOL). This provider had 8 workshops in total, 4 for the Voluntary Learning Providers and 4 for potential tutors. Workshops covered practical issues, such as moving beginners on, and how to improve lessons. For the most part, we found that voluntary providers and CLD Partnerships did not offer organised Continual and Professional Development ( CPD).

6.22 On the whole, CLD Partnerships usually did not specifically have their own training programmes, but partnered with other organisations. There were a few cases of CLD Partnerships that were able to financially or otherwise support staff that wished to take the CELTA, DELTA, or other ESOL qualifications such as the PDA in ESOL Literacies: Teaching Adults Reading, Writing and Numeracy.

6.23 A stakeholder in the South West reported that they collaborate with FE colleges for teacher training but specifies that teachers need to be better qualified.

"There are issues if the teacher doesn't know the first language of those they are teaching, which is a barrier. We need to look at the target population. If you train someone in the target population to teach ESOL, you will achieve a result quicker, and save money and resources quicker".

6.24 Another stakeholder that provides support for adult education programmes offers workshops and creates resource packs for teachers employed in ESOL and citizenship.

6.25 Voluntary sector providers work with project based funding which means that the teaching contracts they offer are almost always short term. They are also more likely to be sessional contracts. This might make employment less desirable for teachers.

6.26 A voluntary organisation in Central West mentioned that teacher salaries were a large concern in maintaining provision. They commented that the funding required teachers to work on a contract basis, which meant that at the end of every term they would receive a letter stating that their contract had ended. While in most cases, they would be employed in the subsequent term, the provider described that this policy contributed to them feeling as if they lacked job security. When voluntary organisations used unpaid volunteers to teach ESOL it was also difficult for them to maintain a high level of quality.

6.27 Some teachers are leaving their ESOL posts to start their own private delivery organisations. In a Highlands/ WICLD Partnership, two tutors had been lost as they started off their own private practice, mainly for the oil industry and visiting learners. They left because they could charge a great deal more for their time if they ran their own business.

Funding levels and costs

6.28 Under half of the providers could be described as being satisfied with their level of funding. Most are concerned that their funding is insufficient to provide the volume of courses that they could put on. Some providers are concerned about future funding being available to maintain courses they are providing. The following are concerns raised by more than one provider:

• Sustainability of courses funded from time limited funding. This includes FE colleges in Central West and the Highlands/ WI, CLD Partnerships in Fife and Tayside and Central, and most voluntary providers whose courses are funded by the ESF and sometimes Big Lottery Funding which will be ending in the coming months;
• Unexpected funding cuts create uncertain conditions for providers offering ESOL. In one case, local authority funding for ESOL was withdrawn and the provider had to apply to alternative sources to continue ESOL provision. A CLD Partnership in the South West mentioned that their ESOL budget has been cut at a time when they are already stretched to fund their current courses. One voluntary provider offered a crèche service to enable their learners to access provision. As the provider just recently experienced funding cuts, it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to maintain this service;
• Lack of knowledge of all the alternative funding streams. Some voluntary and FE providers reported that they received significant funding from the ESF but that this money will be coming to an end soon and they are unclear where to go to seek additional funding. They have tried looking into alternative sources but have found it difficult to find other funding which covers programmes targeting asylum seekers;
• Many FE colleges, voluntary and CLD providers worry that the current funding they receive is not enough to support the programmes they hope to deliver in the future. Many hope to add other courses, as they see their migrant populations growing, especially from A8 countries. They are concerned that the funding they are able to secure will not be sufficient. This issue was highlighted by a CLD Partnership in Central that was hoping to offer evening classes in the future for migrant workers but could not make their current budget stretch to cover them;
• Voluntary providers were generally dissatisfied with the routes through which money was distributed and felt funding requirements to be too restrictive. It was mentioned by both providers and stakeholders that the ALN funding was specifically earmarked to provide literacy courses, which were not always needed for beginning ESOL learners. It was also mentioned that sometimes it was difficult to assess a learner's level of literacy in their own language and therefore difficult to gauge if they are in fact eligible for the ALN funded provision. Some voluntary providers relied on unpaid staff to support courses, but did not feel this approach was sustainable. They found it difficult to find funding which would enable them to employ more staff.

SFC funding

6.29 Providers in the FE sector commented that the SFC funding model does not necessarily provide for the costs of courses although colleges acknowledge that costs are lower than other courses they offer.

6.30 Their main concerns are that:

• ESOL is considered less expensive to run in comparison to a course using heavy machinery (such as a course in engineering), consequently ESOL learners are generally weighted as only 75% of a Student Unit of Measurement ( SUM). Learners on ESOL course tend to need a lot of additional support and because many of the courses are for short hours there is a lot of administration compared to full-time courses. Additionally there are some courses that are labelled as a "priority" such as maths, accounting and science. These courses receive more weighting regardless of the actual course cost. Other courses such as humanities, languages and social sciences receive less. ESOL is classified under humanities courses and one FE college in Central West commented that their ESOL funding comes from the SFC, but through the monies that are allocated in the Department of Business for "communication" courses in the College. Currently funding is adequate because they are also working within the CLD Partnership that delivers courses in the evenings using the college's building;
• Even though there is high demand for places, they are deterred from overfilling courses by the payment system. There is an incentive to ensure courses are filled when 25% of the hours of a course have been completed. This is done either by taking in people from the waiting list when learners drop out up to this point, or taking more learners on at the outset. But there is no incentive to take more since there will be no more funding made available to make up for a teacher managing a very large class;
• In some cases, SFC funded colleges use funds they had hoped to target to administrative or other costs to make up the difference of what they are not receiving from the SFC. For example, a college in the South East reported that they used the general funding they were hoping to put into their library to make their ESOL courses sustainable.

Fees

6.31 In Scotland, for FE providers, there is a long-standing policy to waive fees for full-time Scottish, other UK and EU learners to take ESOL provision. Learners from other countries will generally be charged the full fees and in some cases, as one FE provider commented, fee paying students are seen as priority learners and accepted into programmes first to ensure that they are guaranteed a place. Full-time learners are generally on courses over 21 hours a week. Part-time learners in receipt of benefits are also funded, or receive heavily discounted provision. Others pay depending on circumstances and the provider's policies on remission and fee levels. As a consequence, learners in similar circumstances can pay significantly different amounts depending on the provider.

6.32 Asylum seekers in Scotland are guaranteed free full-time ESOL provision. Courses in other subjects are only offered for free if they are part-time. For example, an asylum seeker learner in Central West was hoping to finish her ESOL provision and continue with a course that was more in line with her career aspirations. Because there were no part-time options, the learner would have to pay for the course herself and she could not afford it. UK and EU learners who are in part-time courses are funded if they have income under £6,500 a year. In most cases, international learners, from outside of the EU, are charged at full rates.

6.33 One FE provider described the differences in fees:

" Funding varies depending upon the learners' individual circumstances. International students with a visa pay fees. They are categorised as full-time students. Learners who hold a spouse visa or a work permit can study on a part-time basis and have to pay according to an hourly rate. Those who are EU citizens or who have UK citizenship, who are claiming benefits, are eligible for fees and the hourly rate, depending upon the course. However, learners from this group are encouraged to apply for an Individual Learning Account [ ILA] which will provide up to £200 per year of academic study. A fee waiver policy operates for people on benefits and on low incomes".

6.34 As a consequence, all providers charged international students who travelled from abroad to take English classes.

6.35 Some providers use fees from those not eligible for remission to offset costs and manage the amount of courses and places they offer. Others have reviewed fees and other charges for ESOL courses. For example, one college in Fife and Tayside is beginning to charge full-time learners for their books. They currently receive the materials for free. Part-time learners will be allowed to use the books in class and will not be charged.

6.36 Publicly funded provision through voluntary organisations and CLD Partnerships have more flexibility around waiving fees, while FE colleges tended to have a specific policy in place over which part-time learners they charged. In some cases, voluntary providers charged fees for formal courses but offered free informal provision for learners who may have additional barriers, such as women from specific cultural/ethnic backgrounds. There were instances where voluntary providers offered courses to learners in areas where they were unable to afford the college courses, as in the case of one in North East/ NI. Additionally, voluntary providers often would offer lower level courses for free, but once learners progressed to higher levels they would have to move onto the FE college and pay.

6.37 Generally, voluntary providers were the least likely to charge fees and private providers almost always did, unless they were working in collaboration with other organisations. Private providers tended to charge the highest fees, followed by FE colleges and CLD Partnerships. Voluntary providers, when charging fees, often did so in cases where employers requested work related ESOL.

6.38 Fees were paid mostly by learners but also through employers, government bursaries and Individual Learner Account ( ILAs). One private provider in Central West commented that the majority of learners pay their own fees but that 'there is an increasing number of learners who are funded by their employer'. The fees at this provider range from £40 a week for preparation for the IELTS part-time courses to full-time courses at £115 a week. One voluntary provider in the Highlands/ WI had most of its courses funded by the ESF, ALN and LEC (local enterprise company). However, for courses such as English at work, where learners may be attending at their place of employment, the employer was expected to give 'in kind' support, such as use of facilities and time off work. In some areas CLD Partnerships (and community based provision) offer free classes, while local colleges charge some learners. This is the case in Central, South East and Central West.

6.39 For UK and EU learners, when fees were charged there were opportunities for some learners for bursaries, fee waivers and access to ILAs.

6.40 It was common though for many providers to waive all fees except for examinations where:

• providers had received enough overall funding to cover teaching costs;
• providers received funding for programmes targeting specific groups such as asylum seekers and women;
• providers partnered with other organisations and government bodies to deliver courses; and
• employers were sponsoring courses.

6.41 Stakeholders were mixed over whether the members of their communities paid for ESOL provision. Some said that learners were able to access free provision or are provided bursaries under certain circumstances, while others mentioned that their learners paid a small fee. All commented that fees are a barrier for learners with economic difficulties.

6.42 The following case explains the situation of a non UK/ EU learner paying fees.

Learner 1
This learner from Thailand had worked as a nurse and midwife and is married to a Scottish man. They have two children. She was attending ESOL courses at an FE provider because she wanted to improve her English enough so that when she moved back to Thailand she could teach courses. She had found out about the course through a newspaper ad. She was enrolled in an Advance ESOL course and attended the course everyday. Initially she had taken a course offered through the CLD but found it to be too easy. She was never on the waiting list as she is paying for the whole course, at £450. She was satisfied by the course, liked the teaching and structure and felt that she had learned many things. She enjoyed that her class was diverse, with learners from different nationalities. She was working towards SQA and Cambridge Advanced exams. While she studies mainly at home, her three children aged 9, 8, and 6 make it difficult for her sometimes. She feels a crèche would be useful, especially during school holidays.

Collaboration between providers

6.43 Most providers work with each other as well as other institutions to offer provision. Collaboration took the form of:

• informal arrangements of referrals, for example FE colleges referring learners to other colleges when they had long waiting lists or cross referring learners with needs that cannot be met to providers with the appropriate courses;
• formal Partnerships, for example FE colleges providing teachers to give courses for a CLD Partnership or voluntary provider;
• working with other providers in the design of courses; and
• offering venues for classes.

6.44 The following are some examples of collaboration:

• Throughout Scotland, there are 32 CLD Partnerships. These are cross-sectoral and comprise of the local authority, colleges, voluntary organisations, local divisions of national organisations ( e.g. Careers Scotland, Jobcentre Plus) as well as other organisations, all working towards building stronger learning communities;
• A college in Fife and Tayside partnered with other colleges within the area for the referral of learners when there were waiting lists. This college had a dedicated coordinator to provide new ways of working and partnering with the local community. This college also coordinated with a local prison to offer ESOL provision on the premises;
• In Central West a recent partnership was formed between two councils, where they had seen a huge demand for ESOL courses owing to an increase in migrant workers in the area. One of the colleges in the area delivered courses as part of this partnership with the co-ordination taking place through their Community Outreach Department;
• A CLD Partnership has included voluntary providers representing BME groups. The partnership worked on the basis that these voluntary organisations provided outreach to learners and the CLD Partnership funded the classes. This CLD also offered ESOL tutoring in partnership with employers for A8 nationals;
• An FE provider referred beginner learners into local community ALN provision. This ALN provision also delivered classes for learners preparing for the UK citizenship test. The ALN referred other learners to the college for additional courses.
• In a South East CLD Partnership, the local authority worked together with an FE provider to deliver ESOL through outreach courses. In addition integrated ESOL was offered to the community through vocational courses in the form of additional study groups at the college;
• One provider had established a network which offered different levels of provision. If a learner enquired about provision at the college at a level that was not offered, the provider would refer them to the local authority or a voluntary organisation in the area which offered the level they required.

Support offered

6.45 Along with providing ESOL, many FE colleges and voluntary organisations offered learners additional support. This support was in the form of the following:

• advice for international students on visas;
• additional literacy classes;
• student employment services, advice and guidance and work placements;
• housing, council tax, Citizens Advice Bureau and general advice on daily life issues; and
• personal counselling and family surgeries.

6.46 One voluntary provider in Central West offered Citizens Advice Bureau surgeries once a week as well as a surgery for families, especially targeted at asylum seekers.

6.47 One CLD Partnership in a rural area provided a housing outreach programme for Polish migrants. In this community, there were approximately 200 Polish workers, and most were paying extremely high rates to live in substandard living conditions which were run by their employers. The CLD had gone in to place these workers in more adequate accommodation.

6.48 Some FE colleges offered career services. One college offered those studying advanced ESOL classes the opportunity to take work placements, which has enabled some learners to secure permanent, full-time work as a result. Other colleges offered bursary funding for learners to cover their transport costs. An issue that FE colleges have expressed is that some teachers can become too engrossed in some of their learners' issues. For this reason, they encourage teachers to refer their learners on to the appropriate student services department. Many learners who were interviewed stressed the importance of the support they received from their teachers and providers to deal with difficulties that may have arisen.

Key Points from this chapter

• Providers generally took the nature of demand into account when considering the courses to offer but also preferred to maintain the courses they have been providing. They further reacted to the funding available;
• Providers offered a range of ESOL courses and levels, often having both accredited and non-accredited courses. There is an increasing need for flexible and evening courses to accommodate A8 nationals who are in employment;
• Providers had difficulty reacting to changes in levels of demand but have considered the changes in learners to offer different courses or tailor them to the needs of specific groups;
• Providers have often found it difficult to obtain qualified and experienced ESOL staff, although FE colleges tended to have more qualified staff then the other sectors;
• Few providers are satisfied with the level of funding they receive and feel they could offer additional courses to meet demand if they received more funding. Most providers are worried about future funding being sufficient to cover growing demand;
• Payment of fees varies based on learners' situations, courses and providers. Fees are paid by many part-time, which is the majority of ESOL learners. Some providers manage demand through their charging policies though most provide some concessions;
• Accreditation is not sought for learners on all courses, but over half of all the providers interviewed provide some type of accreditation. Some providers offer a mix of accredited and non accredited classes;
• Informal and formal regional partnerships and collaboration are a key factor in delivering provision, both in terms of offering additional courses and making referrals where there are waiting lists. To react to changes in demand, some providers have worked with employers or umbrella organisations to develop provision;
• There is some evidence of effective CLD Partnership working between sectors across the country;
• ESOL can provide a way into mainstream support services. Providers offer learners additional support holding family surgeries, offering literacy classes, career guidance, visa advice, providing support on daily life issues.

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