This is the agreement between DWP and local authority to provide grant funding.

The MOU has been updated by the Addendum to Practitioner Training Grant MOU or Grant Addendum for short updates the language on Intellectual Property Rights, VAT rules and Ineligible expenditure and provides the revised funding period as part of the MOU between the local authority and DWP.

The signed Addendum to Practitioner Training Grant MOU must be signed and sent to DWP by the 31 March 2020.

Local authorities are not committing to spending the money, the extension to the grant period provides increased flexibility to retain and spend the grant until 31 March 2021. This extended period supports local authorities better plan their training demand against existing priorities.

The current DWP grant and Memorandum of Understanding will expire on the 31 March 2020.  For all local authorities that sign the Grant Addendum grant funding is extended for a further 12 months and can be spent up to 31 March 2021.

Any unspent grant money must be returned to DWP.  At the end of relevant grant period DWP will make contact to reconcile unspent monies and agree repayment.

Please email DWP at CAXTONHOUSE.RPC@DWP.GOV.UK

This is the agreement that is signed by both Knowledgepool and the local authorities that allows us to provide services under the RPC programme.

Yes, there have been minor amendments which are included within the Variation Agreement.  Local authorities will receive an email direct from Knowledgepool that explains these changes and the next steps.

Please email Knowledgepool at reducingparentalconflict@knowledgepool.com

You can book training, for delivery after 1 April 2020 as soon as you have signed the Variation Agreement with Knowledgepool.

Yes, training can be rebooked/ cancelled in line with current contractual rules (i.e. where the change is made with 28 days or more notice there are no financial penalties).

Local authorities are not committing to book training by signing the agreement.  Signing the agreement as soon as possible gives you the flexibility to plan, book and hold training until the 31 March 2021. 

The delivery and funding approach has not changed.  The extension allows a further 12 months of grant funding for local authorities, to purchase Reducing Parental Conflict Practitioner Training from Knowledgepool, up to March 31 2021. DWP has written to all local authorities to explain these changes and the next steps.

Any emails sent to DWP will be acknowledged within 24 hours and we aim to respond to your email within 5 working days. 

Any emails sent to Knowledgepool will be acknowledged with an initial response within 24 hours. Knowledgepool will review all responses and will confirm that the Variation Agreement is compliant within 5 working days.  Once confirmation has been received you can start booking training.

There are 4 half-day, classroom-based modules and a two-day trainer the trainer (TTT) event, along with e-learning within the RPC programme. 

Every delegate booked in a classroom session will also be automatically sent a login to access e-learning sessions following attendance. The e-learning programme can also be booked as a standalone product. Each e-learning session takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. 

• Module 1 - Parental conflict and its impact on child outcomes: Interpreting and using the evidence base
• Module 2 - Identifying and discussing parental conflict with parents, including the role of values, beliefs and influences
• Module 3 - Having challenging conversations on parental conflict: Support, refer or intervene
• Module 4 - Reducing parental conflict: The role of supervisors and managers
• Train the Trainer (this will enable the LAs own training team to deliver the modules going forward)
• E-learning (standalone or as a support to the classroom-based modules)

Don’t forget: If a delegate is booked onto any classroom-based event they will receive an e-learning licence as part of the cost (a max of 20 can be issued per event)
 

If an event is cancelled with 28 days or less notice, then a cancellation charge will apply. For the full breakdown of cancellation charges please refer to the Call Off Agreement or to the T&Cs tab within the Multiple Date Booking Form.

COA stands for Call off Agreement (sometimes known as COC, Call Off Contract).  This is the agreement that is signed by both Knowledgepool and the Local Authorities that allows us to provide services under the RPC programme.

 The Variation Agreement allows for the contract extension for a further 12 months.

The document is a standard agreement document used by DWP and for the purposes of RPC you only need to complete a few sections, the rest are marked ‘Not Used’.  The relevant sections are: 

Title page: input official LA name

Part 1, Section A: enter the official legal name of the LA (customer)

Section B, 1.1: is the commencement date (date contract is signed), 1.2 the end date must be 31st March 2020

Section 6.4: input the address and email for invoicing information

Section 7.1: input the estimated call off year 1 contract charges, i.e. the total sum that DWP has awarded the LA for their RPC training

Section 10.9: input the address and email details for the main contact for the programme within the LA

At the end of Part 1 (page 8): sign and date the agreement where it states, on behalf of the customer. The signature is an e-signature

Schedule 15: this is the scoping information submitted showing your initial intentions for classroom and e-learning modules. Note: none of this will be binding and you will be free to build the programme, in terms of the modules and courses they book however you like, within the budget awarded to them by DWP

Schedule 16: input the Data Protection Officer name and email details. In the table below you also need to insert the same date as when the agreement was signed

To book classroom-based events, the multiple event booking form must be used, and we cannot accept them any other way. The form asks for the following information:

• Start date
• Course title (each module is a half-day, separate modules must be listed on separate rows)
• Duration (number of hours or days whichever is applicable)
• Start time
• End time
• Venue address
• Venue contact name
• Venue contact email address
• Venue contact telephone number
• Material Address (if this is going to be different to the venue address)
• Purchase Order (PO) or Cost Centre number

It is important that all the information is included on the form, especially the PO/Cost Centre number. Please add one event per line on the form. The train the trainer (TTT) has to be booked over two consecutive days - there is no need to add separate lines for the second day, please ensure that the duration is shown as 2 days.

Knowledgepool cannot add any events to CourseBooker (our internal booking software) until we have a valid PO number. Where you have scheduled two modules to run the same day (AM and PM start times) you will only be charged the 1-day delivery rate.

With regard to the training materials, if you think there will be difficulties getting  materials delivered to the training venue, please provide an alternative address. For example, you can request these products are sent directly to you.

The booking form is checked to ensure all information has been included. If not, we will return the form to you. If the booking form does include all required information we add the events to Course Booker.

A unique event reference number is added to the booking form, the booking form is then emailed back to the main booking contact. An event on Course Booker will have a status of ‘At Risk’ until a trainer has been allocated, once a trainer has been identified the status is changed to ‘Will Run’.

Automated confirmations are then emailed to the main booking contact at the LA and to the trainer. LAs can then advertise their event internally and generate a delegate list which needs to be emailed to Knowledgepool.

Each event can have a maximum of 20 delegates. The following information is needed on the delegate list form:

• First Name
• Surname
• Phone Number 
• Email Address
• Delegate Organisation 

The next section on the form asks for the delegates’ line managers’ information (name/contact/email).  If this information is missing it will have implications for the level 3 evaluation after the event.

The following section requires the following booker's information:

• First Name
• Surname
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Booker Organisation

The rest of the information required on the form identifies which event the delegates are booked on and who the original booker contact is (Knowledgepool will complete this section of the form).

Please only send the final list of delegates on the correct template. Ensure that you add 'Delegate List for Upload' to the subject header of the email; in the body of the email please include the event reference, the module title and the date of the event.

Once the delegate list is added to CourseBooker, each delegate will get a confirmation email saying they have been booked on a course and then 35 days prior to the event date, joining instructions are emailed. If a delegate is unable to attend an event the e-mail address of the person at the LA who has booked them on to the event will have been provided on the correspondence.  

The booker of the event is responsible for advising Knowledgepool about any delegate changes and is required to provide a reason for this cancellation or transfer – this is recorded on CourseBooker. If not provided, no cancellation reason will be recorded.
 

Due to the volume of bookings, it is not possible for KP to confirm trainer availability upfront.

The learning portal is currently used for booking standalone e-learning licences only. Classroom-based events must be booked using the multiple date booking form. However, module outlines and objectives can be found on the portal if required. 

LAs can use their own booking systems to advertise and monitor who attends what but they will still need to follow the Knowledgepool booking process to confirm events and delegate attendance.

The RPC e-Learning is held on an external system with one of Knowledgpool’s sister companies (Brightwave) and cannot be hosted on any other platform.

Once a licence is allocated, the user receives a link to access all 4 modules. Each module takes on average 45 minutes to complete. A licence is valid for six months from the date of issue.

The original scoping information was an indication of what each LA thought they would do and was set at the beginning of the contract. Now more information is known, some LAs are redefining their needs and sending in booking forms for events.

The requirement identified during the scoping stage is not definitive and you can have any mix of classroom events and e-learning licences available within the funds grated to your LA by DWP.

Yes, but we recommend planning as far in advance as possible. This will enable us to schedule trainers and manage demand, it will also allow you to see everything that is available and give you a chance to organise your time effectively.

Yes, as long at least 14 days’ notice is provided to ensure that the trainer has time to prepare and Knowledgepool can send out the right materials for the modules being delivered.

We can but it is vital that the venue information is sent over to avoid delays and to minimise risks.

Confirmations are sent out to trainers, the main booking person and to delegates once the event is added to CourseBooker, with joining instructions sent to delegates 35 days prior to the event date. It is at this point that the venue information must be correct.

It is possible to send course material to an alternative address and this information can be added to the booking form.

A name and address is required and it will be that person’s responsibility to ensure that the materials are taken to the venue on the day ready for the trainer to use.

It is not possible to split the e-learning into separate modules, the licence is for all four.

The contract allows for a maximum of 20 delegates per classroom-based event, if a delegate is attending module 1, the e-learning is sent out the day after the event, if they are attending modules 2, 3, 4 or TTT, the licence is sent out 10 days prior to the event date.

Licences are issued to an individual using their email address, only 1 licence can be issued against an email address. If 20 licences have already been issued for an event, no further licences can be sent out.

If 3 delegates drop out and are replaced, you will have to purchase a licence for each of the replacement delegates.

It is not possible for us to send out materials for the modules in advance. Module outlines and objectives are provided on the learning portal and in the Learner Journey document. This should help you to determine who should have access to which modules.

There are 4 modules under the RPC programme; these modules can be completed in any order by delegates. There is also an e-learning option which can be used alongside/instead of classroom-based sessions.
Knowledgepool recommends that delegates:

• Complete module 1 e-learning if they haven’t attended the classroom-based module 1 before attending module 2
• Complete module 1 & 2 e-learning if they haven’t attended these modules classroom-based before attending module 3
• Complete modules 1 - 3 of the e-learning if they are attending just module 4 classroom-based
• Complete all modules, ideally classroom-based, before attending train the trainer

Knowledgepool cannot book events unless there is a valid PO or cost centre. Due to the volume of bookings received, Knowledgepool will only confirm bookings and allocate trainers for events that are booked using the official booking form and following the agreed booking process.

To book standalone e-learning licences, you must complete and return a delegate booking form, the information required is – first name, second name, email and a PO (in the final column) and if possible the line manager’s email which will form part of the evaluation process.

When the form is emailed to Knowledgepool we ask you to state that you are booking standalone e-learning licences and include the number being purchased.

Please specify the date you would like the licence to start; learners will have access to the e-learning for 6 months.

Knowledgepool requires the following invoicing details and preferences in order to set up an LA on our internal system. This information is requested in the welcome email that is sent out once we have the signed COA back.

Invoicing details of your local authority required:

• Physical Address
• Legal Entity
• Contact name and email address to send invoice to
• Phone number
• Weekly or monthly invoices?
• Consolidated invoices (containing all events in the period selected above) or non-consolidated invoices (i.e. one invoice per event)?

In order to give users access to the learning portal, Knowledgepool also need the email domain(s) attached to the local authority e.g.@devon.gov.uk.

Once we have this information the LA name will appear in the drop-down list under organisation on the learning portal.

DWP decided the RPC programme would be developed as ‘closed courses’, where LAs set their own dates, rather than as ‘open courses’, where Knowledgepool could advertise and offer dates via the portal. As a result, the dates booked by the LA are put direct on CourseBooker.

The learning portal contains descriptions of the RPC courses and the LA staff can book their own standalone e-learning if they create an account and they provide a valid PO.

Once delegates are added to CourseBooker as a potential attendee, confirmations and joining instructions are sent out as well as an e-learning login (if being provided 10 days prior to the event). If we do not have the individual email addresses neither of these actions can take place.

It is part of the booking process that a unique email address is provided for each delegate.

If delegates are booked to attend a classroom based Module 1, the e-learning login is sent out the following day. For Modules 2, 3, 4 and Train The Trainer, the login is sent 10 days in advance so that the delegates can complete those modules that are not being attended.  Knowledgepool recommend that delegates:

• Complete module 1 e-Learning if they haven’t attended module 1 classroom-based before attending module 2
• Complete module 1 & 2 e-Learning if they haven’t attended these modules classroom-based before attending module 3
• Complete modules 1 – 3 e-Learning if they are attending just module 4 classroom-based
• Complete all modules, ideally classroom-based, before attending train the trainer

If an LA is unhappy about the level of service that has been provided Knowledgepool have a service feedback process in place with strict service level agreements in place to respond.  The issue can be raised either by email or phone and an acknowledgement will be sent via email within 24 hours. Knowledgepool will investigate the issue, take appropriate action if needed and email the LA with details of resolution within 10 working days. Click here for the Service Feedback Process document. Please email reducingparentalconflict@knowledgepool.com, in the subject header please include the word Feedback.

Knowledgepool have a dedicated email address for all questions and actions relating to the RPC programme - reducingparentalconflict@knowledgepool.com. Due to the large volume of emails that are received, we are asking that the following labels are used in the subject header of the email so that we can identify the content of the email quickly -

• Delegate List for Upload;
• Cancellation;
• Event Booking - face to face;
• Booking - eLearning;
• eLearning Login Issue;
• Address Change - Venue;
• Address Change - Materials.

If your email does not relate to any of the above, please be as clear as possible in the subject header. There is no need to copy in other Knowledgepool employees as our internal process will ensure that the correct person responds and/or takes the appropriate action.