Recording ESF data in the ILR
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Recording ESF data in the ILR
For full details of the funding rules and requirements for the 2014 to 2020 ESF Programme, refer to the 2014 to 2020 ESF Programme funding rules and ESF funding rates and formula .
The guidance below provides additional information to support data returns for the 2014 to 2020 ESF Programme.
For the ESF 2014 to 2020 Programme, all records for all learners who have received ESF funding as part of the current programme must continue to be returned up until collection R14 following the contract end. This includes all Learner, Learning Delivery, and Destination and Progression records for learners who completed their learning aims in a previous teaching year. This is particularly important for the ZESF0001 aim, which must always be included in the learner’s record. Failure to return all aims for the learner (including closed aims) may result in a loss of funding that has already been claimed.
The Contract reference number in the Learning Delivery entity is used to identify all aims that belong to the same ESF contract. This field must be completed for all ESF funded provision. This number may also be referred to as the contract allocation number and will begin with ‘ESF- ‘.
Learner data
ESF funded learners may be contacted as part of a sample survey to inform the effectiveness of the Programme. The contact preferences expressed for these learners will not apply is this circumstance. A telephone number should be supplied for all ESF funded learners to enable them to be contacted.
Learning delivery data
Every ESF funded learner must have a ZESF0001 aim recorded. This aim is used to indicate a learners start and assessment, and must continue to be returned up until collection R14 following the contract end.
The appropriate learning aim reference from the LARS database must be recorded for each learning aim undertaken. The Learning Aims can be found using the Find a Learning Aim online service. The Learning Aims search function on the online service allows you to search for regulated and non-regulated learning aims that are available for ESF activity. The learning aims must be valid under the ESF category in the LARS database in order to be recorded as ESF funded learning (Funding model 70) in the ILR. See below for further details about recording non-regulated activity for ESF funded learning.
For ESOL learning aims, any required additional delivery hours should be recorded in the Additional delivery hours field.
Recording non-regulated learning activity
Non-regulated activity should be recorded using the class codes in the ‘Learning Aim Class Codes’ document (located in Section 17 Related Links to Documents and Information section).
Non-regulated learning in a single sector subject area at a known level should be recorded using a class code from Category A. If the learning is across several sector subject areas, then one of the codes for mixed sector subject areas from Category L should be used.
If the learning activity in sector subject area 14.1 (Foundations for Learning and Life) or 14.2 (Preparation for Work) has no defined indicative level, it should be recorded using a Category L class code. Otherwise, a code from Category A should be used.
Non-regulated English, maths or ESOL provision should be recorded using codes from Category B.
Work experience or work placement should be recorded using one of the codes from Category I.
Where learners undertake a second learning activity in the same sector the initial aim should be withdrawn to the learning start date, and a larger (more GLH) aim used to cover both length of delivery. However, this should not be used as a substitute for a robust initial assessment process.
Learner destination data and progression payments
You must record Destination and Progression data for all ESF funded learners and learners used as match for ESF. For learners used as match, the actual destination of the learner, where it is known, should be collected at the point the learner leaves learning. It is important that this data is reported accurately and completely.
Destination and Progression data is used to fund programme deliverables. Some ESF contracts will include progression funding, the criteria for this funding will depend on the contract.
The following ILR fields will be used to check if progression funding should be released:
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Contract reference number
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Learning aim reference
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Learning actual end date
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Outcome type
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Outcome code
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Outcome start date
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Outcome end date (if known: where the end date is not known, the Outcome collection date is used)
Progression funding will only be generated where the progression start date is within 28 days of the learning actual end date of the latest closed learning aim. With the exception of Community Grants, where the 28 day calculation is based on the learning actual end date of the ZESF0001 aim.
Refer to the ESF funding rules and ESF funding rates and formula documents for further details about ESF Progressions and funding methodologies.
Returning ESF data and destination data
The ILR R01 and R02 returns of 2022 to 2023 contain all current and prior ESF records (including both open and closed aims) including all Destination and Progression records.
This data must then be returned in the R13 and R14 returns of 2021 to 2022.
A Destination and Progression record must be returned for all closed ESF programmes within two months of the latest Learning actual end date.
When recording follow up Destination and Progression records, if the destination is the same (i.e. the learner is still in the same employment), the record’s collection date must be updated. Otherwise, a new destination record must be returned.
ESF funded learners who leave the programme (all aims are closed) with a latest Learning actual end date prior to 1 August 2022 must have a Destination and Progression record returned in the previous year’s ILR prior to the close of R14.
Any data not submitted in R14 relating to delivery prior to 1 August 2022, which is included within the 2022 to 2023 collection only, will not generate any payment.
Providers need to ensure the ILR validation reports are checked after the submission of each batch file as the data is not eligible for payment until it has passed validation.