IAG Standards National Good Practice Event National Audit Feedback

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IAG StandardsNational Good Practice
EventNational Audit Feedback

• Jenny Cryer
• Business Development Manager
• igen Ltd

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Process

• Registration and self assessment
• Initial meeting with a Consultant
• Consultancy Visit
• Report
• Action Plan

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What the audit looks at
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Our Consultancy Team

• 30 Experienced Consultants spread throughout
  England
• All have a strong background in
• IAG
• 14-19
• The development of Diplomas
• The use of quality standards to develop practice

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Progress by October 09

• 200 Consortia throughout England audited
• 50 further consortia matched to Consultants and
  in the process of being audited
• 5000 grant to support the process given by the
  DCSF to Consortia in phase 1

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Audits Completed by Region
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1. Young people are informed about how
information, advice and guidance services can
help them and how to access the services they
need
2. Young people receive the information, advice
and guidance on personal wellbeing and financial
capability issues that they need

• Awareness of Connexions amongst young people
  interviewed in the audits was high. They were
  less clear about how this related to help they
  might need with Diplomas. In some consortia,
  opportunities to signpost Connexions services are
  being missed in centrally produced publications.

• This standard was not well evidenced in the
  audits. Auditors were particularly concerned
  about how students on alternative provision
  accessed this help.

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3. Young people have the information they need to
make well-informed and realistic decisions about
learning and careers
4. Young people have the advice and guidance that
they need to make well-informed and realistic
decisions about learning and career options

• References to Diplomas in the 14-19 Prospectus
  websites was not good in many areas. The
  standard of Careers/ Connexions libraries
  visited were variable. Information in some
  setting was good, but in schools not yet
  delivering Diplomas, information was much more
  patchy.

• Young people valued the opportunity to have IAG.
  There were some issues around the access to
  careers guidance for students before they
  accessed the Diploma. In some areas this was
  good.

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5. Information, advice and guidance services
promote equality of opportunity, celebrate
diversity and challenge stereotypes
6. Young people (reflecting the make-up of their
communities) are engaged in the design, delivery
and evaluation of information, advice and
guidance provision

• Good efforts had been made to encourage non
  stereotypical applications to Diplomas, but in
  general this does not appear to have impacted on
  choices made.

• Young people are involved in Connexions
  development in many areas, but this does not
  appear to have been developed to include
  Diplomas. Young people interviewed were very
  keen to become involved in developing and
  promoting Diplomas.

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7. Parents and carers know how information,
advice and guidance services can help their
children and know how these services are accessed
8. Information, advice and guidance providers
understand their roles and responsibilities

• It is clear that for Diplomas to be successful,
  the engagement of parents is key. There was
  some concern expressed by auditors around the
  accuracy of information provided for parents at
  options events, and the need to include balanced
  information about all of the curriculum offer.
  Information for parents relating to the Diploma
  given on 14-19 websites is generally poor and
  this represents a wasted opportunity.

• The audits found high levels of commitment from
  all staff. However, it was clear that not
  everyone understands everyone elses role, and
  this may be preventing collaboration from being
  as effective as it could be. The major area for
  development in virtually all audits was the
  understanding of the role of the tutor, and the
  need to provide CPD and support for them in
  delivering Diploma IAG and signposting students
  to other sources of IAG.

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9. Programmes of career and personal development
for young people are planned and provided
collaboratively
10. Staff providing information, advice and
guidance services are appropriately qualified,
work to relevant professional standards and
receive continuing professional development

• The audits found fairly isolated examples of
  good practice in developing a consortium
  entitlement to careers education around the
  Diplomas, and to devising common modules that are
  delivered throughout the Partnership. Where a
  learner entitlement is in place this appears to
  be an excellent vehicle to promote consistency of
  approach to the delivery of IAG.

• IAG staff are well trained in terms of IAG but do
  not always understand the Diploma offer. At
  consortium level, there does not always appear to
  be a coherent approach to ensuring that all staff
  are trained and understand the Diploma offer.
  The key area for development in terms of training
  is the tutors. 78 of audits found a need for
  tutor training.

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11. Information, advice and guidance services are
regularly and systematically monitored, reviewed
and evaluated and actions are taken to improve
services in response to the findings
12. Processes for commissioning impartial
information, advice and guidance services are
effective and result in services that will meet
the needs of young people and their parents/carers

• In some areas there appears to be a systematic
  process for monitoring and reviewing progress,
  and for gathering feedback. However, in many
  areas, those pupils interviewed who are currently
  on the diplomas did not appear to have been asked
  for their views on the IAG they received. In some
  areas, systems were in place at institution
  level, but did not appear to be in place at
  consortium level. The use of CEIAG quality
  standards appears to have declined in some areas.

• In most areas, 14-19 delivery consortia did not
  appear to have been involved in the commissioning
  process either in terms of producing the service
  specification, or in the evaluation process.
  Some concerns were expressed about the impact
  that the full rage of Diplomas would have on the
  IAG services offered to younger pupils within
  current arrangements.

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General Feedback

• Many Local Authorities welcome the opportunity to
  have an independent assessment confirm areas for
  development that they may be aware of, but that
  may have been difficult to address internally

• The audits have revealed significant areas of
  good practice and genuine commitment to IAG

• Support from the audit has been welcomed. In
  many places this support does not appear
  easy to access locally

• IAG around Diplomas needs to be developed, in
  particular web based information

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General Feedback

• In many cases individual practice is good,
  systematic collaborative approaches to IAG are
  not yet in place in many consortia

• Tutors are key, and need CPD around both IAG
  skills and their knowledge of 14-19 pathways

• The buy in of schools is key to enable staff to
  access training

• IAG needs to be central to the development of the
  Personal Tutor role

• Need for support for those developing CEIAG
  programmes in local areas

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General feedback

• Need for IAG support for 14-19 Leads within
  Authorities

• There is some concern over access by younger
  students to the IAG they need pre Diploma choice,
  which may be exacerbated when more lines of
  learning and pathways are in place

• The importance of Universal Service IAG in
  supporting 14-19, need to be recognised in
  commissioning and resourcing

• Need for direction on using local standards

• The importance of quality assurance for 14-19
  Prospectus

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Contact

• Jenny Cryer
• igen Ltd
• Telephone [phone]
• Email iagconsultancy_at_igengroup.co.uk
• www.14-19iagconsultancy.co.uk