Implementation of OLASS: An Assessment of its impact one year on (Phase 3 report)

Kerry Martin, Richard White, Karen Halsey

21 December 2006

Research report available to download from the DCSF website

Research brief available to download from the DCSF website

This is the third and final report from the evaluation of the new Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS). The evaluation examined the impact of OLASS on: assessment of learners monitoring procedures information, advice and guidance (IAG) on the offender learning/criminal justice workforce on provision for offenders (in both custody and community) on provision for offenders (in both custody and community) The following key issues were highlighted: In nearly all areas (with the exception of provision in the community), OLASS was considered to have brought about 'some' or 'much improvement' by over half of interviewees. In addition, when given the chance to freely nominate the main impact of OLASS, the majority of interviewees (41 out of 51) described the main impact in positive terms, lending further evidence to its effects. At the same time, for five out of the six areas, around a third of interviewees registered a 'no change' or 'less effective' rating (of these, most reported a 'no change', rather than a decline in standards). Interviewees proposed several ways in which OLASS could benefit from further development or improvement. Most often mentioned (by around 60 per cent of interviewees) were developments to the provision available to offenders, especially a greater focus on employability, vocational courses and establishing links with local employers.

Other reports from this project

• Phase 1 report
• Phase 2 report