Health Department
Strategic Change Unit

Dear Colleague

RETURN TO LEARN IN REMOTE AND RURAL COMMUNITIES

In order that access to Return to Learn through the current assisted funding scheme does not unduly disadvantage staff and employers working in remote and rural communities, additional support has been put in place by the Scottish Executive Health Department to assist the delivery of courses in these areas. The additional financial support will be available until September 2001.

It has been recognised there are a number of operational and logistical factors which put rural service providers and their staff, at a disadvantage to other employers.

NHS Employers are encouraged to take a number of approaches to overcome these difficulties and these include:

• Development of partnerships with Local Authority employers for student recruitment and course delivery
  
  
• Adaptation of delivery methods or models in conjunction with the WEA in order to facilitate participation in remote areas
  

Additionally, NHS employers servicing remote and rural areas can receive further support through increased financial support for course delivery in rural areas. The current reimbursement rate of £150 per enrolled student, requires an employer to have 16 students enrolled to recoup the £2,400 costs of course delivery. An arrangement is now in place to make it possible for an employer in a remote or rural area to reclaim the total £2,400 from the Scottish Executive, provided that a minimum number of students are enrolled on the course and that eligibility criteria are met.

6 July 2001

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For individual employers organising course delivery, the minimum number of enrolled students will be set at 8 students per course.

For groups of Trusts and Boards working in partnership to organise courses, the minimum number of students will be set at 10 students per course.

This financing mechanism would also apply to staff working in LHCC's in remote and rural areas.

Invoicing procedures would be on the same basis as at present with WEA invoicing employers and then employers reclaiming monies from the Scottish Executive. The upper limits of student attendance still apply.

The eligible areas have been identified using the Local Government Information Unit's definition of Rural, Urban and Mixed communities, which is determined on population density. (See attached Annex)

Trusts and Boards wishing to qualify for this additional support, should apply directly to Alan Reid, Project Office, contact details overleaf..

This circular, and future circulars in this series, will be placed on the Scottish Executive web site at www.scotland.gov.uk/learningtogether/

Yours sincerely

ANNEX

LOCAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION UNIT DEFINITION OF REMOTE AND RURAL LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Rural (over 30% of population outwith settlements of 1,000 +)

Orkney
Shetland
Western Isles
Argyll and Bute
Scottish Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
Highland
Aberdeenshire

Mixed - Rural/Urban (between 7% & 29% of population outwith settlements of 1,000+)

Stirling
Midlothian
Moray
East Lothian
Angus
South Ayrshire
East Ayrshire
Perth and Kinross
North Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Fife

Urban

Clackmannan
East Renfrewshire
Inverclyde
West Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire
Falkirk
West Lothian
Dundee
Renfrewshire
Aberdeen
North Lanarkshire
Edinburgh
Glasgow