Learner Voice Strategy
Learner Voice
Learn Devon is committed to ensuring that it is delivering learning opportunities and environments that hold the learner as central to everything that the organisation does. Key to this is ensuring that we actively listen to the Learner voice, seek feedback regularly and take actions to improve the organisation as a result.
Learn Devon is accredited to the Matrix quality standard for information advice and guidance services until 5th March 2024. Learn Devon strives to maintain this accreditation standard in the future.
The 2021 Matrix report highlighted under Areas for Development the learner voice project, which is aimed at improving the quality of feedback. (Matrix, 2021)
This strategy focuses on ways we can improve learner voice, including:
- The different methods of feedback we make available to learners.
- How feedback will be processed and reported.
- How we will make learners aware that we are listening to and acting on their feedback.
- How the methods will be promoted
Methods of Feedback – how they are promoted and reported
In Person
Front line staff are key to encourage an ongoing dialogue with our learners, communities and partners. We seek to enable these staff members to feel comfortable and supported in having these conversations and being able to feed this information back into how Learn Devon operates. They do this by discussing within their teams and with the wider management what themes and suggestions have been raised. The process has been reviewed and as a result the “Staff feedback from Learners” form has been developed and implemented. Service managers and governors receive this feedback as part of the KPI report.
Destination and Progression
Information on destination and progression of learners is received through a third party (J2Research) who complete tele surveying for Learn Devon, along with destination information from final course paperwork. From 19/20 Academic year J2Research have asked supplementary questions relating to the impact of learners’ learning, where learners have indicated that they are happy to answer these questions. The results are provided by J2Research in a form that benchmarks our results with other similar providers.
Learner Survey
At the end of their course learners are given the opportunity to complete a Learner Survey on their experiences with Learn Devon as a learning provider. This is sent out within an automatic end of course email. Work is ongoing to ensure this process is inclusive to all learners and therefore a non-electronic version of the survey is being developed. This survey has been reviewed, and is in use, gaining increased levels of feedback in comparison to previous versions. The questions asked are directly match the questions asked by J2Research so that the responses can be combined to give a larger picture. Learners who do not complete their course are sent a survey (Something changed?) so that they can provide feedback on why they did not complete their course. Data from both surveys, and “Staff feedback from learners” is included in the monthly KPI report to SMT.
Surveys (Ofsted)
We send a survey out to our learners on behalf of Ofsted that feeds into any inspection.
Website
Learn Devon’s new website went live in December 2022 and contains more visible options for learners to get in contact along with contact and feedback forms.
Social Media
Our social media strategy (within the Communication policy) is to use this platform to start a conversation with new learners and keep existing learners interested with greater levels of content. We will be using social media to share learner experience, gathered from other learner voice feedback channels.
Comments around learners’ experiences with Learn Devon, received through social media, will be recorded through the staff feedback survey and feedback processes.
Learner Information Leaflet
This leaflet includes details on how learners can feedback to us. The leaflet is available through the Welcome letter, and staff will be aware so that they can signpost the learners to the information.
Feedback and Complaints
We use the Devon County Council complaints procedure for all formal feedback and complaints, this can be found at:
Devon County Council – Have Your Say
Ways we will show learners we are acting on feedback
You Said/We Did
Learn Devon is committed to acting on feedback from our Learners, communities, and partners. We aim to produce a ‘you said/ we did’ section on our website with updates as to improvements that have been made due to feedback. This will also give the ability to feedback further. This will be shared within Learn Devon through the staff newsletter, to support awareness by all staff.
Posters promoting a selection of You Said/We Did actions will be created which also further promoted the various methods of feedback.
Learner quotes on website
A way to publicise positive feedback. This is already in place and is the responsibility of the Communications and Marketing Officer to update and maintain.
Impact Evaluation
The effectiveness of this strategy will be determined by the impact it has on the experience of learners who engage with Learn Devon. Impact will be captured as part of the Learn Devon Self-Assessment Report activity which provides an opportunity for commentary on:
- Summary of Learner Feedback for the Academic Year – drawn from the methods for gaining feedback
- Evaluation of the change implemented because of this activity. This is likely to be similar to the You Say/We did activity but may include other actions not visible to the learner (for example system / structural changes)
Action Plan
What | When By | Who |
Learner Voice feedback and survey review | Nov 2022 | Project Team Leader |
Trial learner feedback sessions on Zoom | May 2023 | Communications and Marketing Officer with input from areas within the organisation seeking feedback |
You Said/ We Did website update and poster creation | May 2023 | Communications and Marketing Officer |
Policy History
Policy Date | Summary of Change | Contact | Version/Implementation Date | Review Date |
March 2023 | Website gone live, You said/We did to be shared in staff newsletter, addition of service videos and annual dates added. | J Harris | March 2023 | September 2023 |
Updated March 2023