Closure of LeaRNS

Skills for Care have recently been working closely with the Department of Health and The College of Social Work regarding the agreed change in the administration of the Education Support Grant.

The College of Social Work will be taking over the management and disbursement of the social work education support grant (SWEG) from the General Social Care Council (GSCC) in July 2012.

Funding for LeaRNS from the Department of Health was agreed until 31st March 2012. Skills for Care have been having discussions with The College of Social Work regarding LeaRNS and the payment of the Education Support Grant in order to secure funding for LeaRNS.

The College of Social Work have concluded that financially supporting LeaRNS would not viable for a number of reasons, including costs and prospective changes to the way in which SWEG is managed and disbursed as a result of its transfer from the GSCC to The College.

Having exhausted other possible funding streams including commercial options Skills for Care has reluctantly decided with regret that we have no other option but to close the LeaRNS project by 31st March 2012.

Skills for Care are grateful to all those who have supported the development of LeaRNS and will be working with all users of LeaRNS to ensure that they are supported and assisted to minimise the impact of the closure of the LeaRNS project.

As part of that commitment Skills for Care are currently in the process of developing a tool which will allow all users to export their information from LeaRNS. This will allow all users to ensure they have all their information in a format that reflects their needs.

As a user of LeaRNS, Skills for Care will ensure you have all the support that you require. That support will be available to users via our LeaRNS project Team and Helpdesk.

Some local authorities have been using the recording tool within LeaRNS for reporting to the NQSW project. The closure of LeaRNS does not in any way affect the continuance of the NQSW project. Skills for Care will be working closely with all local authorities who have recorded NQSW data within LeaRNS to ensure the safe return of their data to them.

Please find a frequently asked question document which may help in any queries you may have at https://www.learns.org.uk/help/Category.aspx?id=441 , alternatively please do not hesitate to contact Satpal Ghatrora (LeaRNS Adviser) on 0113 2410 956, Satpal.ghatrora@skillsforcare.org.uk or the LeaRNS Helpdesk on 0845 873 0134.