A model for building Family Learning Partnerships
The Family Learning Partnerships program gives Learn Local Providers (LLPs) an opportunity to build capacity and leverage their understanding about how education contributes to life-long outcomes for parents experiencing barriers to education, which will have flow-on benefits for the whole family.
Through the establishment of the Communities of Practice (CoP), the FLP program supports collaborative partnerships between LLPs and other education and community organisations to identify, understand and respond to the barriers experienced by parents which prevent their participation in education and training.
The partnerships will support and assist LLPs with program and service delivery, identification of participants and marketing and provision of strategic support and advice. As a result, the partnerships draw on shared knowledge and networks to engage and connect parents to learning, and in turn, set them on a pathway towards further education and employment.
Roles and responsibilities
Below is an overview of the roles and expectations for each of those involved in the FLP program.
Role of Learn Local providers
- Establish appropriate governance structures to ensure project progress and sustainability
- Develop and provide learning opportunities and assist participants to develop learning plans
- Develop a sustainable project including engagement and learning strategies and pathways
- Participate actively in the CoP by attending meetings and sharing knowledge, skills and experience
- Contribute to reports and resource development
- Report risks to project delivery and seek assistance from the DJSIR program manager
- Maintain a focus on program outcomes by participating in or leading evaluation activities to capture outcomes.
Role of DJSIR staff
- Establish the CoPs and ensure strong attendance from members
- Oversee the running of the programs
- Coordinate workshops, meetings, activities, and other communication mechanisms
- Contract manage, monitor, and report on program measures and outcomes liaise between the Department, CoPs and participating LLPs
- Undertake ongoing planning activities throughout the program lifecycle
- Work with new FLP participants and their partners to attend and contribute to CoPs.
Role of Community of Practice groups
- Build effective management and collaborative leadership
- Build trust across Learn Local provider networks
- Develop members’ capabilities and professional skills by building and exchanging knowledge, sharing experience, values, and expert insights
- Help participants address actual or potential problems
- Assist in the transfer of good practice
- Capture the ‘practice’ that underpins the community (e.g., the ideas, stories and documents that community members share)
- Produce long-term benefits for service provision
- Provide opportunities for LLP participants to de-brief and talk about the impact of their work on them, both professionally and personally.
Subject matter experts
CoP participants may also identify subject matter experts who can provide leadership and advice to the CoPs, and can provide information and advice on building skills related to:
- Family violence and trauma
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Language or cultural barriers
- Engagement and adult learning principles.
Meetings and forums
Provider-led CoPs will meet twice a year in each region. At least one state-wide forum will be organised by the Department, each year, for the purpose of sharing learnings, ongoing evaluation, and feedback about the program.
Attendees will be representatives from LLPs and, when available, their partnering organisations. A DJSIR representative will also attend meetings to assist with facilitation and to capture information.
Participating LLPs are encouraged to communicate with each other outside of the formal meeting structure to develop engagement and participation strategies or seek advice.
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