School Workforce Census Pilot The Solihull Experience

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School Workforce Census Pilot The Solihull
Experience
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Who are we..?

• Jim Davies
• Project Manager
• Lea Littleford
• HR E Business Improvement Officer

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What will I be covering..?

• About Solihull MBC
• How did Solihull approach the pilot..?
• Was the pilot a success..?
• What lessons did we learn..?
• Top 3 Tips..?

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About Solihull MBC..

• Approximately 8200 Staff working for the Council
• Schools
• 67 primary schools
• 11 secondary schools
• 5 special schools
• 3 services (Music, Home Teaching Inclusion and
  Access)
• Approximately 1900 teachers
• Approximately 2900 support staff
• Involved in the Pilot
• 4 secondary schools
• 11 primary schools

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About Solihull MBC..

• SMBC uses an Integrated Oracle HR and Payroll
  system
• Covers all non-agency staff in all schools
• Capita SIMS in all schools
• Holds curriculum information

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How did Solihull approach the pilot..?

• Identified stakeholders
• Set up project board and appointed project
  manager
• Defined initial project to run through to end of
  first return
• Prepared project plans (including communication
  plan)
• Consulted schools and sought volunteers
• Carried out detailed data mapping
• Identified gaps in data

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How did Solihull approach the pilot..?

• Broke the project up into several discreet
  streams
• BAU process changes
• Data cleanse exercise
• Data extract
• XML conversion
• Validation exercise
• Submission to COLLECT
• SIMS and COLLECT training for schools
• Updating SIMS with minimum data set
• Schools SIMS extract and upload to COLLECT

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Was the pilot a success..?

• YES, the pilot has been a success.
• Schools and LA return submitted
• Data accurate and complete
• Schools submitted skeleton return (with minimum
  data set)
• LA submitted full return with majority of data
• Exceptions being vacancies and census day absence

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What lessons did we learn..?

• Data mapping (including understanding DCSF
  requirements) essential
• Communication with schools was key (no surprise)
• Kept on schools agenda (bursars meetings),
  newsletters, intranet etc
• Detailed information re plans and required
  involvement for pilot schools
• Impossible to keep everyone happy!!!
• Good quality training
• Use of SIMS and COLLECT

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What lessons did we learn..?

• Approach data cleanse exercise differently
• Some schools embraced, others did not (always
  too busy!)
• Targeted approach would be more effective
• Do BAU process changes as soon as possible
• Must ensure the right data is being captured
• Schools SIMS systems up-to-date before census
  day
• Data extracts supplied to schools
• Validate data prior to submission to COLLECT
• Developed application to create XML from data
  extract
• XML validations incorporated into application

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Top 3 Tips..?

• Data mapping is essential
• Devote expertise and time to this task
• Targeted approach to data cleanse
• Validate return prior to submission to COLLECT