Data management

The Data Management Team at SR Education collectively has 40 years experience in the Post-16 Education and Training sector. More than 32 years of that experience is in data analysis and reporting. Our expertise involves driving quality improvement and funding returns and associated management of external relationships with the Skills Finding Agency (SFA) and Ofsted.

One of our data experts is Chris Bradley, who has been responsible for curriculum delivery and management, quality management and performance/contract management in a £30m turnover college as a member of the Senior Management Team. He moved on to performance data and contract management of a £40 million work-based learning contract, also as a Senior post holder. Chris is currently the Data and Contracts Manager at SR Education and is responsible for data and funding management, including our contract with the Barclays Premier League.

Helen Wellings has 17 years experience in data capture, reporting and analysis linked to quality improvement and performance monitoring. She has worked in a large college and a significant work-based learning provider that covered all areas of the UK. Helen recently moved into the new role of Quality Manager within the new Quality Assurance department.

John Sikora has more than 25 years of experience in the education and training sector. A sport specialist, his career has included 12 years as School Manager in a Further Education College and 10 years as Head of Sport and PE at secondary school level. He is an Adviser with the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), an Associate Inspector with Ofsted and External Moderator with two national awarding body organisations.

The above team has established an excellent reputation in the sector for effective data and contract management linked to quality improvement, maximisation of success rates and associated funding streams.

The team also keeps fully up to speed with changing external influences, not least the Skills Funding Agency and funding, data capture and audit requirements as a result of still being fully involved in contract delivery.

The data and contract management service aims to control all aspects of the data capture, processing, SFA funding returns, contract monitoring and reporting and preparation for audit on behalf of the contract holder, to allow focus on quality of training and meeting employer needs. In summary the services offered are:

• Pre-preparation of learner sign-up and documents required to satisfy SFA financial audit
• Data capture from the sign-up paperwork to the learner records database
• Preparation of the electronic data returns to the SFA
• Reconciliation of SFA monthly and achievement funding against data returns to ensure accuracy and performance against contract profile
• Internal data quality self-assessment checks
• Preparation of internal data reports for monitoring of success rates and to inform the self-assessment process and reporting
• Checking any external performance reports produced by the SFA or Ofsted
• Internal learner audits and exception reporting in the event of any potential financial audit issues
• Support in the production of the "Financial Management and Controls Evaluation" document as part of the SFA financial audit process
• Data support for any Ofsted inspection
• Advice to the contract holder of any important external changes imposed by the SFA and how to run the contract most efficiently as a result
• Support for the contract holder at any SFA contract meetings
• Support for the contract holder in profiling of future provision and completion of SFA additional data monitoring returns as required