The management and structure of Learning & Skills departments in prisons

The Learning and Skills department has the overall responsibility for ensuring that an appropriate range of learning opportunities is available for each prisoner and that the requirements of OLASS are met. However, the Heads of Learning and Skills do not necessarily manage the actual delivery of these opportunities. They have responsibility for procuring appropriate courses from the LSC but, as is explained elsewhere, these are actually contracted out to the LSC appointed external provider for the area. Generally, these providers line manage the teaching staff that they employ to deliver the LSC contract through an education manager, whom they appoint themselves. The role often involves responsibilities such as:

  • To oversee the maintenance and development of the quality of the provision offered by the prison by leading and monitoring the curriculum delivery, resource management and innovative developments.
  • To liaise with partners including the prison’s Head of Learning and Skills, the external IAG provider, the LSC and NOMS to ensure the education programme meets the needs of the service

At a more routinely operational level Programme Managers supervise the detail having responsibilities such as:

  • To take the lead in maintaining and improving the quality of the provision for a particular curriculum/learning area and monitoring its delivery and resource management on a day to day basis.
  • To provide direct line management and leadership of the staff working in the specified curriculum area.
  • To be responsible for Performance Management Review of staff as appropriate
  • To manage staff leave, sickness and day-to-day cover to ensure that the education programme is delivered.To undertake a negotiated teaching timetable.
  • To undertake a negotiated teaching timetable.
  • To ensure audit/inspection/funding criteria are adhered to.
  • To organise regular team and self assessment report (SAR) meetings.
  • To ensure professional development is planned and carried out in all areas.
  • To ensure that quality standards are set, monitored and reviewed within the section including the production of an area SAR.

Reporting to them will be a number of subject teachers/lecturers, whose responsibilities include:

  • To teach a specific subject or subjects, whether academic or vocational
  • To prepare and revise curriculum planning tools and materials as appropriate

There are also ‘support for learning’ staff whose responsibilities typically include:

To provide appropriate pastoral and other learning support within or outside the context of formal learning sessions.

All staff are required:

  • To comply with the rules and directives of the Prison Service and Prison Governors when carrying out duties and responsibilities.
  • To take responsibility for ones own professional development and continually update as necessary.
  • To comply with Equal Opportunities policies and to assist in the development of Equal Opportunities.
  • To comply with all Health & Safety, Child Protection and Risk management policies and legislation in the performance of the duties of the post.
  • To comply with all aspects of the Data Protection Act.

The wider educational and training activities will be the direct line management responsibility of other prison departments, including the department carrying out industrial contracts, the library and the chaplaincy.

Although there is potentially some ambiguity about the management of the education and training process in prisons, the role of the Head of Learning and Skills (HOLS) is critical. The HOLS set the vision of tone of each prison’s response to the government’s challenge. Many of them seek creative ways of developing a comprehensive service to prisoners, including encouraging innovative projects and liaising with external partners, as is illustrated in the section on the range of learning opportunities offered in prisons.