Career information, advice and
guidance delivered by Skills
Development Scotland
in Glasgow
4 December 2015
A report by HM Inspectors
The external review process
HM Inspectors undertake an independent review of the quality of provision of careers
information, advice and guidance (CIAG) delivered by Skills Development Scotland
(SDS) on behalf of the Scottish Government under a service level agreement between
the Scottish Government and Education Scotland. External review teams include HM
Inspectors and associate assessors.
During external reviews, members of the review teams observe group activities and hold
discussions with customers, staff and stakeholders. They consider information on the
quality of careers information, advice and guidance. They meet with recipients of the
service and obtain feedback from groups, partners and staff who work for SDS.
The purpose of this report is to convey the main outcomes arising from the external
review, to acknowledge service’s strengths and to provide a clear agenda for future
action to improve and enhance quality.
This external review results in judgements of grades that express the external review
team’s overall evaluation of Outcome and Impact, Service Delivery and Leadership and
quality culture and a judgement on capacity to improve based on the evidence from all
key areas, in particular Outcomes, Impact and Leadership.
The report also uses the following terms to describe
numbers and proportions:
almost all
most
majority
less than half
few
over 90%
75-90%
50-74%
15-49%
up to 15%
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Contents
Page
1.
Introduction
The external review
1
1
2.
Policy context
2
3.
The service and its context
3
4.
Background information
5
5.
Outcomes of external review
Judgement of grades
7
7
Section A:
Section B:
Section C:
Section D:
6.
Grades
Areas of positive practice
Areas for development
Main points for action
7
7
8
9
Outcomes and Impact
How well are customers progressing and achieving relevant
high quality outcomes?
How well does the service meet the needs of stakeholders?
10
7.
Service Delivery
How good is delivery of key services?
12
12
8.
Leadership and quality culture
How good is strategic leadership?
16
16
9.
Capacity to improve based on evidence from Outcomes and
impact, Service delivery and Strategic leadership
18
10
10
10. What happens next?
19
11.
Further information
19
12.
How can you contact us?
20
Appendices
21
Glossary of terms
21
1.
Introduction
The external review
The external review by Education Scotland took place between 5 October 2015 and
9 October 2015. The review focused on career information, advice and guidance
(CIAG) services delivered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in the Glasgow area.
We examined activities that impact on the quality of customer experience. We
evaluated these against the three key principles of Outcomes and Impact, Service
Delivery and Leadership and Quality Culture using the 14 reference quality indicators
outlined in External quality arrangements for the review of Careers Information Advice
and Guidance services delivered by Skills Development Scotland, published in May
2015.
The external review team talked with customers, staff at all levels in the organisation,
external agencies and other users of the service.
1
2.
Policy Context
The role of Skills Development Scotland
SDS all-age career information, advice and guidance services aim to support young
people and adults to make a positive transition into continued education, training or the
world of work. SDS achieves this by supporting customers in their development of
career management skills (CMS) which lay the foundations for success in their future
careers.
The services provided by SDS in schools are driven by the ambitions of Curriculum for
Excellence. Accordingly there are significant interdependencies between the roles and
responsibilities of schools and wider partners, the design and delivery of school
curriculum and the services provided by SDS. Planning for successful service delivery
through School Partnership Agreements (SPAs) requires effective collaboration
between SDS and its partners.
In March 2011, the Scottish Government published a framework for the redesign and
improvement of CIAG services. As the largest provider of CIAG services in Scotland,
SDS has a lead role in implementing this change. This change has been implemented
through an integrated service involving face to face meetings, communication through
contact centre and an online CMS environment, My World of Work (MyWoW).
Currently, this service is delivered on-site in Scotland’s 364 secondary schools.
Services include a blend of one-to-one careers coaching support, facilitated group
sessions, drop in sessions, and supported access to MyWoW. The level of intensity of
support is determined by an assessment of pupil needs made in discussion with
schools. The greatest proportion of careers coach support is provided to those young
people deemed at ‘medium or maximum risk’ of not securing and sustaining a place in
education, training or work.
Underpinning service delivery is the commitment of SDS to work with partners in
schools, local authorities and Education Scotland to build capacity to deliver the
ambitions of Curriculum for Excellence - Building the Curriculum 4, in particular
development of CMS. This partnership approach supports schools to deliver this
component of Curriculum for Excellence, whilst creating a learning context for young
people that is compatible with and builds upon the service delivery commitments of
SDS. As a result, much of the work of SDS requires effective collaboration with a range
of partners at national and local levels.
SDS has a key role to play in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Opportunities for
all initiative, under which all 16-19 year olds will receive an offer of a place in learning or
training. SDS work in this area has been reinforced with the passage of legislation
allowing SDS and key partners, including Local Authorities, schools and Further
Education Institutions to share data on all the young people they work with. The
Post 16 Education (Scotland) Act 2013 and the statutory guidance mandate SDS and
key partners to share data in order to support young people in their post school
transitions.
2
3.
The service area and its context
In carrying out the external review of services delivered in Glasgow, Education Scotland
took the following area context fully into account.
CIAG services in Glasgow are delivered from four main centres. These are, The
Adelphi, Byres Road, George Square and Parkhead. Services are delivered from
63 delivery points across the city including schools, part-time centres such as Saracen
Street and outreach premises, including the Easterhouse Campus of Glasgow Kevin
College.
The Adelphi centre services the South Side of Glasgow, including Castlemilk, Gorbals,
Govan, Pollokshields, and Langside. The Byres Road centre services the West End of
the city, stretching from Anderston, close to the city centre out to Drumchapel on the
border with West Dunbartonshire. The George Square centre is adjacent to the City
chambers and covers the north of the city, including areas such as Possilpark,
Springburn and Robroyston. The Parkhead centre services the area from the
Merchant City through to the east end of Glasgow and the borders of North and South
Lanarkshire. It includes areas such as Parkhead, Shettleston, Bridgeton and
Dalmarnock. A new outreach centre has recently opened in Saracen Street to make
services more readily available for customers in the north of the city.
Glasgow has the largest economy in Scotland and the third highest Gross Domestic
Product per capital behind London and Edinburgh. It is now one of the 16 top cities for
financial services and the international financial services district is located on the
Broomielaw close to the city centre. The new South Glasgow Hospital and associated
medical laboratories are generating opportunities for employment in the areas of health
care, medical sciences and administration. Shipbuilding is set to continue in Glasgow
through recent contracting for the building of ships. Glasgow is the UK’s second largest
shopping destination with £2.55 billion spent per annum. Many Scottish creative media
companies are based in the Glasgow region.
Glasgow has a population of 596,550. Relative to Scotland as a whole, however, the
city has above average levels of deprivation. In 2012, 42% (289) of all the Scottish
Index of Multiple Deprivation datazones considered to be within the 15% most deprived
areas of Scotland were within the boundaries of Glasgow. Recent figures indicate that
Glasgow accounts for 18% of all workless benefit claimants in Scotland. Tackling youth
unemployment is one of the three key priorities outlined in the Glasgow Single Outcome
Agreement. Glasgow has a number of key challenges including a skills deficit,
literacy/numeracy and social skills (Source: Youth Employment Review, November
2014). The diversity of cultures in Glasgow is one of its strengths. However, this also
presents challenges in ensuring that services meet the needs of a wide range of clients
from countries where English is not their first language.
There are 31 mainstream secondary schools, 20 Additional Support Needs (ASN)
schools or units and three regional colleges across the city all of which have at least one
assigned member of the Glasgow CIAG team. Customers aged 16 and over are served
by SDS post-school career coaches who offer services from each of the four main
centres and from various outreach facilities. SDS staff work within Job Centre Plus
(JCP) locations to deliver Integrated Employment and Skills (IES) and to provide
careers guidance to adult customers. CIAG services in Glasgow are managed by a
3
comparatively new leadership team. Two area managers have been in post for one
year and one and a half years respectively. At the time of the review three team leaders
had been in post for under a year.
4
4.
Background information
Terminologies used in this report.
The term ‘service area’ is used to describe the geographical area referred to in this
report. SDS uses a variety of approaches to deliver CIAG services. This is often
referred to as a blended service. SDS promotes a Universal Offer to support all
secondary school pupils. In addition, a Targeted Service Offer is aimed at young people
who are at risk of not entering or sustaining a positive destination. SDS offers access to
a range of services for post-school customers. The different offers are shown below:
SDS School Universal Offer consists of:
o Access to My World of Work (MyWoW) web service
o Group-work sessions on:
 Introduction to MyWoW
 Introduction to career management skills (CMS)
 Introduction to labour market information (LMI)
o Drop-in clinics for career management and employability
o Opportunity for any pupil to request a face to face session
SDS School Targeted Service Offer consists of:
o
Structured programme of one-to-one Career Coaching
o Handover to dedicated work coach
SDS Post-school 16-19 Service Offer consists of:
o
o
o
o
o
Access to MyWoW web service
Structured programme of one-to-one Career Coaching
Dedicated work coach service for targeted young people
Telephone access to SDS contact centre
Open access to public centres (47 locations throughout Scotland)
SDS All age Service Offer (adults) consists of:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Access to MyWoW web service
Access to one-to-one career coaching
Telephone access to SDS contact centre
Partnership action for continuing employment (PACE)
Integrated employment and skills (IES) – joint work activities with JCP.
Open access to public centres (47 locations throughout Scotland)
Further information on Skills Development Scotland’s services to individuals and
employers can be found at www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk. My World of Work
web service can be accessed at www.myworldofwork.co.uk
5
Staff roles
In Glasgow, SDS uses a number of titles to describe the roles of the staff. These
include Career Coach, Work Coach and Personal Advisor. Throughout this report, the
term careers staff is used to refer to all staff involved in delivering CIAG services.
One-to-one Career Coaching sessions
A major strand of SDS CIAG work is the delivery of one-to-one Career Coaching
sessions. However, the current arrangements for external review do not include
observation of one-to-one Career Coaching sessions and therefore this area of work is
not evaluated within this report.
6
5.
Outcomes of External Review
Judgement of Grades
Section A:
Grades
The review team awarded grades for each of the six key themes based on the following
criteria:
excellent:
very good:
good:
satisfactory:
weak:
unsatisfactory:
Outstanding and sector leading
Major strengths
Important strengths with some areas for improvement
Strengths just outweigh weaknesses
Important weaknesses
Major weaknesses
Key theme
Grade
Customer progression and achievement of
relevant high quality outcomes
Meeting the needs of stakeholders
very good
Delivery of key services
very good
Management of service delivery
very good
Strategic leadership
very good
Capacity for improvement
very good
Section B:





good
Areas of positive practice
SDS CIAG staff engage proactively with a wide range of partners and agencies to
plan approaches to deliver positive outcomes for customers.
Careers staff provide a well-considered and appropriate range of services to meet
the needs of communities, stakeholders and customers.
Careers staff engage well with an extensive range of partners to coordinate and
contribute to the co-delivery of services to improve outcomes for customers.
Careers staff engage well with all customers, particularly those who are most
vulnerable.
Career Coaches work collaboratively with school staff to plan and deliver services
that enable young people to make informed choices and almost all young people
value highly the support they receive from careers staff.
7






The local management team (LMT) and staff plan the delivery of CIAG services
well and respond flexibly to adjust provision to meet the needs of stakeholders.
CIAG staff support each other well and have established effective internal and
external teamworking with partners to support customers to achieve a sustainable
destination.
Across all centres partnership working is very strong at both strategic and
operational levels.
Staff have a sound understanding of national priorities including DYW and have
responded well by implementing strategies to meet these priorities.
Over the last 18 months the CIAG LMT has worked very effectively to provide a
more contextualised, responsive and flexible service. Partners are very positive
about the improved relationship with SDS CIAG staff.
Managers lead their teams well and encourage staff to influence and contribute to
improvements to service delivery.
Section C:







Areas for development
Partners have worked collaboratively to improve school leaver destinations over
the last three years, however the results are below the national average and the
number of young people sustaining a positive destination is currently the lowest in
Scotland.
In some schools CMS is not embedded within the wider curriculum.
Some schools are not yet aware of the full range of opportunities available to
young people.
The content and delivery of a few group-work sessions are not always sufficiently
engaging and do not always meet the needs of all customers.
Overall SPAs do not reflect fully the range of flexible and responsive services
delivered by SDS staff. However it is recognized that the recently introduced SPA
monitoring process will address this.
The full range of data from the data-hub is not accessed and used effectively by all
partners to review performance and plan for improvements.
Methods to gain customer feedback on the impact of group activities are not
always sufficiently engaging for customers.
8
Section D:
Main points for action

SDS should continue to work with partners to improve the destinations of
young people in Glasgow.

Schools should continue to work with SDS to incorporate CMS within wider
school activities.

SDS should continue to work with schools to raise awareness of the full
range of current and future opportunities available to young people.

SDS should continue to review materials and delivery approaches used in
group-work sessions to ensure they meet the needs of all customers.

Partners should ensure the full range of data from the data-hub is accessed
and used effectively to review performance and plan for improvements.

SDS should ensure methods to gain customer feedback on the impact of
group activities are engaging for customers.
9
6.
Outcomes and Impact
How well are customers progressing and achieving relevant, high quality
outcomes?
How effective is the area team at achieving and maintaining high levels of service
delivery?
The area team makes good use of nationally set targets to plan CIAG services. Targets
are set annually and the LMT reviews progress towards them on a monthly basis. In
2014-15 most of the nationally set targets were met. Progress towards achievement of
remaining targets reflects changes in the unemployment profile across the city and
therefore is variable within individual centres. For example, one centre exceeded
targets for engagement with adult customers. Good progress is being made towards
the achievement of targets for the current year.
SDS staff and partners have worked collaboratively to improve the number of young
people entering a positive destination on leaving school in Glasgow. Over the past
three years School Leaver Destination Return has improved by two percentage points to
89.7%. Sixteen of the 31 schools are performing above or equal to the national
average. However, overall the number of school leavers entering a positive destination
is below the national average of 92.3%. The number of young people still in a positive
destination six months after leaving school is 5.2% below the national average of 91.5%
and is currently the lowest in Scotland.
SDS CIAG staff engage proactively with a wide range of partners and agencies to plan
approaches to deliver positive outcomes for customers. The LMT works well with
partner organisations including local secondary schools across the city to ensure
resources are targeted at customers who need them most. They make good use of
SPAs to monitor progress and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to drive
improvements.
How well does the service meet the needs of stakeholders?
How well do customers make progress and achieve individual outcomes?
Careers staff deliver CIAG services from a wide range of locations across Glasgow. All
SDS centres are welcoming, modern and appropriately resourced. Centre facilities can
be accessed easily by customers with restricted mobility. Careers staff use a range of
flexible approaches to meet the needs of individual customers. For example Work
Coaches and Personal Advisors deliver services in partner premises including local Job
Centres to enable customers to access services within their communities.
In all secondary schools SDS Career Coaches are highly visible and easily accessible to
young people and school staff. School staff value highly the input of Career Coaches in
supporting young people to make informed choices. In some schools Career Coaches
and schools staff work well together and collaboratively to support young people to
develop their CMS as part of a Personal and Social Education (PSE) programme. In a
few schools Career Coaches incorporate and deliver CMS activities to enhance and
support the delivery of employability qualifications. These arrangements support
school-age customers well to make informed choices about future employment
10
opportunities or further learning. However, in a few schools collaborative arrangements
to support young people to develop CMS are not well developed. In the majority of
schools, careers staff work productively with school managers to ensure that
progression pathways are promoted to young people, parents and carers. However,
some schools are not yet aware of the full range of opportunities available to young
people.
Careers staff support customers well to develop CMS. Almost all customers are able to
identify the progress they have made in developing and applying these skills. These
include building CVs, developing interview skills, and gaining confidence in preparing
letters and applications. There are many examples of young people drawing on CMS
activities to recognise their individual strengths and make subject and career choices.
These arrangements support customers well to make a successful transition to
employment, further learning or training opportunities. All customers report high levels
of satisfaction with the level of CIAG services they receive from careers staff. They
value individual support and can describe how this has helped them to make positive
choices.
How well do services meet the needs of relevant communities and other local and
national stakeholders?
Across Glasgow careers staff provide a well-considered and appropriate range of
services to meet the needs of communities, stakeholders and customers. These
services take good account of the needs of a diverse range of customers and partners.
The area team has developed a wide range of productive partnerships across the city
and supports partners well to make use of their combined skills and expertise to deliver
the best outcomes for customers. Careers staff engage well with an extensive range of
partners to coordinate and contribute to the co-delivery of services. There are many
examples of these arrangements helping young people and adults to develop
confidence and skills to enter and re-engage in the world of work.
Careers staff make good use of their knowledge of and links with partner agencies to
coordinate Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) activities and
negotiate bespoke arrangements with employers. A member of CIAG staff chairs the
local PACE group and the area team works responsively and effectively with a wide
range of partners and agencies to respond to identified needs. CIAG staff provide
customers at risk of redundancy with an appropriate range of support and advice.
Customers value the support they receive to gain access to alternative employment or
training.
11
7.
Service Delivery
How good is delivery of key services?
How well do services meet the needs of all customers?
All CIAG staff are highly committed to improving outcomes for customers across
Glasgow. They make good use of their detailed knowledge of Glasgow’s context and
the specific needs of local communities to plan and deliver services. Careers staff
engage well with all customers, particularly those who are most vulnerable. They take
good account of individual and group needs to plan and deliver services which are
inclusive and reduce barriers to engagement. Staff use their knowledge of different
cultures to support customers from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds to access CIAG
services.
Career Coaches work collaboratively with school staff. They make good use of the
needs matrix to plan targeted support for young people who are most at risk to help
them to achieve a positive destination on leaving school. MyWoW is used well by
careers staff to support the development of CMS. Career Coaches make good use of
MyWoW to introduce young people to a range of on-line resources to support them to
make informed decisions.
Almost all young people value highly the support they receive from careers staff and are
able to describe how engagement with a Career Coach has helped them to make
choices about next steps on leaving school. Most young people can identify how the
development of CMS has helped them to identify progression pathways which meet
their individual needs and circumstances.
Careers staff work well in partnership with staff in local colleges to identify and target
delivery of services to meet the needs of learners on full-time non-advanced
programmes. They have recently re-established links with the Careers Advisers Further
Education group to ensure college staff are kept up-to-date with the SDS service offer
and their approach to developing CMS. Almost all adult customers are very satisfied
with the services they receive from CIAG staff. They report they have been supported
well by careers staff to develop CMS and make informed choices about their future
employment and study options.
CIAG staff have access to nationally-produced materials to deliver CIAG services and
group-work activities. These materials were reviewed over the summer months by
CIAG staff and the new materials are currently being rolled out. Some staff proactively
adapt these materials to meet the needs of specific customer groups. However, the
content and delivery of a few group-work sessions are not always sufficiently engaging
and do not always meet the needs of all customers.
How effective are relationships with customers?
Careers staff are well-regarded by customers and key partners for the quality of
services and support they provide. They establish proactive and productive
relationships with customers and encourage them to develop confidence and
independence in making choices about their career options. This helps customers to
raise their aspirations and aids progression to work or further learning. Across the
12
service area, customer and stakeholder feedback regarding the quality of relationships
with staff is positive.
SDS Career Coaches are very visible within secondary schools. School managers
describe the range of services made available by Career Coaches as an integral part of
pastoral and on-going support of young people. Close working between Career and
Work Coaches is helping to ensure that young people, who are most in need, receive
on-going, coordinated support on leaving school.
How accessible, flexible and inclusive are services?
CIAG staff across Glasgow work well with a broad range of partners across the city to
identify the needs of customers. They take good account of the barriers which inhibit
access to CIAG services and take steps to help customers to overcome them. This
includes providing services for customers within their local communities and using social
media and web-based materials to increase accessibility.
The LMT and staff take appropriate action to raise awareness and aspirations of
customers, parents and local communities. They make good use of posters, resource
materials, school assemblies, and workshops to promote the types of support available
to young people, parents and school staff. Career Coaches offer and provide useful
support to help parents and young people broaden their understanding of the range of
work and study opportunities available. In some schools Career Coaches arrange
helpful one-to one meetings with parents of young people from minority ethnic groups
and those recently arrived in Scotland. These activities support parents and young
people well to develop appropriate aspirations.
CIAG staff support each other well and have established effective internal and external
team-working with partners to support customers to achieve a positive sustainable
destination. The LMT makes good use of monthly, multi-agency planning meetings to
coordinate support and referral arrangements. Career Coaches support young people
with Additional Support Needs (ASN) well to engage with CIAG services and to develop
their CMS. They use an appropriate range of activities and materials to support
vulnerable young people to make choices about next steps.
How well are services delivered?
The LMT and staff plan the delivery of CIAG services well. They take good account of
national priorities and local needs and respond flexibly to adjust provision to meet the
needs of stakeholders. Labour market information is used well by staff to inform the
local work plan.
The LMT takes good account of the individual expertise of staff when planning service
delivery. There are many examples of staff applying specialist knowledge to meet the
needs of specific customer groups, including those with additional barriers to learning
and looked-after young people. For example, a team member with particular expertise
in ASN has contributed to the development and piloting of materials to support the
development of CMS for customers who have additional barriers.
In the majority of schools, careers staff engage effectively with school staff to ensure
that CMS is embedded within wider school activities including PSE programmes. A few
13
schools have plans in place to engage curriculum teams in embedding CMS within the
delivery of subjects. However, in some schools CMS is not embedded within the wider
curriculum. There are some examples of group-work activities being well-linked to other
school activities. However, in many instances the delivery of group-work is not linked to
a wider programme of learning within schools. This reduces significantly the
effectiveness of group-work activities for young people.
Career Coaches promote and deliver an appropriate range of CIAG services to school
pupils. These include introducing MyWoW, delivering CMS group-work sessions and
providing one-to-one coaching support. Most group-work sessions are delivered in
well-resourced environments. However, in some group-work sessions inappropriate
accommodation and lack of access to reliable (information and communications
technology) ICT reduces significantly the effect of group-work sessions. Career
Coaches use ICT well to engage young people in developing their CMS. However, in a
few group-work sessions the pace of activities is not matched sufficiently to the needs of
customers. Most staff adapt nationally-developed materials proactively to reflect the
needs of pupils more appropriately. However, in a few group-work sessions, national
materials are not adapted and do not engage pupils sufficiently. .
How well do staff reflect on service delivery to improve services?
The LMT engages staff in all centres effectively in reviewing the quality of service
delivery to inform improvements. They use a range of informal and formal methods to
support the use of the Business Excellence Approach to identify and plan improvements
to CIAG services. Staff engage well in team-time and pan-Glasgow meetings to
contribute their ideas and provide feedback to the LMT. These arrangements support
staff well to influence changes in practice to better meet the needs of customers. Staff
representation on the Regional Continuous Improvement Group is contributing positively
to the sharing of effective practice within area teams and the wider region. The use of
reflective practice is leading to a range of improvements. These include a more
structured approach to the use of team-time and opportunities for staff to contribute to
and set agenda items.
Arrangements are in place to ensure that a wide range of customer feedback is
available to teams to support evaluation of their services. Across all centres staff make
good use of feedback from stakeholders to plan for improvement and further develop
productive partnerships. There are many examples of centre staff networking with other
CIAG teams across the region and drawing on these activities to improve and enhance
services. This has resulted in a range of improvements including better tracking and
case management of customers aged 15-19 years in partnership with Jobs and
Business Glasgow.
How well does the organisation work with partners to improve outcomes for
customers?
Across all centres partnership working is very strong at both strategic and operational
levels. Staff respond well to local and national initiatives to provide opportunities for
customers to progress to positive destinations. The LMT has established productive
and purposeful relationships with a wide range of partners across the city. These
relationships have led to increased partnership working and effective referral
14
arrangements between and across partners. This includes, for example, joint
arrangements between SDS CIAG and Jobs and Business Glasgow (JBG) staff to
deliver services from shared premises in a newly opened centre in Saracen Street.
Careers staff collaborate well with a range of partners including JCP and JBG to offer a
range of services that enable adults to gain employability skills through helpful
workshops and activities.
There are good examples of Career Coaches responding proactively and effectively to
the needs of young people from different cultural backgrounds. This includes working
with specific community organisations to reach out to, and engage with, young people
from minority groups and to challenge gender stereotyping.
SPAs are in place for all secondary schools in Glasgow. Career Coaches work well with
school managers to develop and agree the content of SPAs. There are some examples
of careers and schools staff drawing productively on these processes to plan
approaches to deliver group sessions to young people. These include arrangements for
careers and schools staff to jointly deliver group sessions to enhance the learning
experience. However, overall SPAs do not reflect fully the range of flexible and
responsive services delivered by SDS staff. It is recognised that the recently introduced
SPA monitoring process will address this. A few schools are involved in the new
universal offer for younger pupils and planning is well underway to extend this offer
across all schools by June 2016.
How effective is the organisation’s knowledge and information management in
supporting service delivery?
The LMT makes effective use of a range of national, regional and local data to inform
strategic and operational planning at area and local levels. Standard Operating
Procedures are used well to inform the delivery of services. Staff draw productively on
their on-going communication with partners to gain and share intelligence. Managers
ensure staff are kept up-to-date with local developments and share information regularly
and effectively within teams and across the region. These arrangements help staff and
teams to identify current and projected customer needs and to plan approaches to meet
identified needs.
Career Coaches use relevant information well to identify and target the delivery of
services for young people. Careers and school staff work well together to regularly
review and update the needs matrix. Pupil profiles are reviewed and revised on a
regular basis. This helps to ensure that the needs of young people are monitored,
identified and responded to as appropriate. However, the full range of data from the
data-hub is not accessed and used effectively by all partners to review performance and
plan for improvements. This is limiting the ability of SDS and partners to work together
to forward plan the delivery of CIAG services.
The LMT proactively encourage staff to gain qualitative feedback from customers and
partners to provide greater insight into the quality of provision. This is being used
productively and is resulting in improvements being made to the planning and
scheduling of group-work activities.
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8.
Leadership and quality culture
How good is strategic leadership?
How effective is leadership for partnership working and service delivery?
All careers staff are committed to the vision of SDS for the delivery of CIAG services in
Glasgow. They have a sound understanding of national priorities including Developing
the Young Workforce (DYW) and have responded well by implementing strategies to
meet these priorities. Over the last 18 months, the LMT has worked very effectively to
provide a more contextualised, responsive and flexible service that is better aligned to
the needs of the area and local communities. The new management team has
established open and trusting relationships with key strategic partners. Partners are
very positive about the improved relationship with SDS CIAG staff and some describe
the shift in culture and relationship as transformational.
Careers staff are highly motivated to improve the opportunities for their customers and
work very well with partners to introduce and implement improvements. All members of
the LMT have responsibility for liaising with specific delivery partners. This provides a
clear point of contact for partners and staff. The LMT arranges regular presentations to
staff by partner agencies. This has increased staff awareness of opportunities for
customers. Over the last year, attendance by CIAG managers at Head Teacher forums
and team leaders at Depute Head Teacher forums, has strengthened strategic
collaboration between SDS and schools. Careers staff working in partnership with
schools, have responded well to the increasing cultural diversity within the city’s school
population to ensure that all young people have access to appropriate services.
There is a clear and shared understanding by the LMT of organisational priorities. This
has led to a range of initiatives including the development of action plans for colleges
and arrangements for engaging more systematically with local authority employability
support teams.
How well do leaders develop and lead people?
Across Glasgow CIAG managers lead their teams well. They support staff effectively to
develop their skills and knowledge through engagement with national developments and
the ASPIRE process. Managers actively encourage staff to engage in team activities,
including team-time, to influence and contribute to improvements to service delivery.
These activities are used well by staff to share and adopt effective practice. CIAG
managers communicate priorities and points from LMT and Extended Regional
Management Team meetings effectively and regularly to staff. They encourage team
leaders to be flexible in their deployment of staff to maintain high quality service
delivery. Careers staff are willing to work outwith their role and area to support
customers.
Managers are involved actively in expanding their knowledge and skills. There are
many examples of members of the LMT taking opportunities to deliver presentations to
peers and staff on areas of their work and providing opportunities to staff to widen their
understanding of the wider work of SDS CIAG. For example, they encourage staff to
contribute to team meeting agendas and share areas of interest, concern and effective
practice. Team leaders meet staff individually on a regular basis to discuss aspects of
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their work and identify any support requirements. Strong teamwork is a major feature
across all centres and is helping to support the delivery of an effective range of services.
Staff are well-supported and empowered to differentiate the service offer to meet the
needs of partners and customers
All members of the LMT are accessible to staff and encourage open dialogue about
practice and service delivery. They provide regular feedback to staff on their
performance and encourage staff to reflect honestly on their contribution. Area
managers and team leaders have introduced systems for gaining feedback from staff
regarding how well they are managed. They make good use of this process to inform
approaches for improving service delivery. Staff value the support they receive from
their line managers and the Regional Management Team. They feel consulted and
involved in the work of the organisation.
How well do leaders secure improvement of quality and impact of services?
CIAG area managers and team leaders take good account of the Glasgow context to
plan and deliver services. There are clear linkages between strategic planning across
Glasgow and operational planning at local centre level. Area teams are supported well
to contribute to meeting Glasgow’s priorities.
The LMT and staff review performance regularly and effectively. They work well with
partners to identify and respond to areas for improvement and monitor the effectiveness
of actions taken. Careers staff engage regularly with partners to review and evaluate
services and plan and design future arrangements. They take good account of formal
and informal feedback to review and adapt approaches to service delivery to better
meet customer needs. However, methods to gain customer feedback on the impact of
group activities are not always sufficiently engaging for customers. This can reduce the
value and impact of these arrangements.
Staff contribute well to the Business Excellence Approach to identify strategies for
improvement and key priorities for the area. All CIAG staff engage in regular reflection
on practice, both informal and formal. This supports action-planning for improvement at
local level well and contributes to changes in practice or service delivery to better meet
the needs of customers.
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9.
Capacity to improve based on evidence from Outcomes and
impact, Service delivery and Strategic leadership
All CIAG staff are highly committed to improving outcomes for customers across
Glasgow. They make good use of their detailed knowledge of Glasgow’s context and
the specific needs of local communities to plan and deliver services. Careers staff
engage well with all customers, particularly those who are most vulnerable. They take
good account of individual and group needs to plan and deliver services which are
inclusive and reduce barriers to engagement. Staff use their knowledge of different
cultures to support customers from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds to access CIAG
services.
Staff have a sound understanding of national priorities including DYW and have
responded well by implementing strategies to meet these priorities. Over the last
18 months, the LMT has worked very effectively to provide a more contextualised,
responsive and flexible service that is better aligned to the needs of the area and local
communities. The new management team has established open and trusting
relationships with key strategic partners. Partners are very positive about the improved
relationship with SDS CIAG staff and some describe the shift in culture and relationship
as transformational.
SDS Career Coaches are highly visible within schools and school staff value their input
to support young people make informed choices. In some schools Career Coaches and
schools staff work well together and collaboratively to support young people to develop
their CMS as part of a PSE programme. A few schools have plans in place to engage
curriculum teams in embedding CMS within the delivery of subjects. School managers
describe the range of services made available by Career Coaches as an integral part of
pastoral and on-going support of young people.
Across Glasgow, careers staff provide a well-considered and appropriate range of
services to meet the needs of communities, stakeholders and customers. These
services take good account of the needs of a diverse range of customers and partners.
Staff provide customers at risk of redundancy with an appropriate range of support and
advice and customers value the support they receive to gain access to alternative
employment or training.
The LMT and staff review performance regularly and effectively. They work well with
partners to identify and respond to areas for improvement and monitor the effectiveness
of actions taken. Careers staff engage regularly with partners to review and evaluate
services and plan and design future arrangements. They take good account of formal
and informal feedback to review and adapt approaches to service delivery to better
meet customer needs.
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10. What happens next?
Following publication of this report, SDS and partners are expected to produce an action
plan to address the main points for action and/or areas for development in the report
and other quality assurance and enhancement activities.
A follow up visit will be carried out involving SDS and partners 18 months after the initial
review to determine if satisfactory progress has been made towards the main points for
action.
Karen Corbett
HM Inspector
11. Further information
The review and judgements relate to the service area as a whole. For further
information about Education Scotland, the external review methodologies, or other
information about reviews, see www.educationscotland.gov.uk
For further information about Skills Development Scotland, see
http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/
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12. How can you contact us?
This report has been produced as a web-only publication and is available on our
website at
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/othersectors/careerss
ervices/index.asp
If you would like to receive this report in a different format, for example, in a translation
please contact the administration team on 0131 244 5684.
If you want to give us feedback or make a complaint about our work, please contact us
by telephone on 0131 244 4330, or email: complaints@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk or
write to us addressing your letter to The Complaints Manager, Denholm House,
Almondvale Business Park, Livingston, EH54 6GA.
Crown Copyright 2015
Education Scotland
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Appendix 1
Glossary of terms
ASN
CIAG
CMS
DYW
ICT
IES
JCP
LMI
LMT
MyWoW
PACE
PSE
SDS
SIMD
SPA
Additional Support Needs
Career Information, Advice and Guidance
Career Management Skills
Developing the Young Workforce
Information and Communications Technology
Integrated Employment and Skills
Job Centre Plus
Labour Market Information
Local Management Team
My World of Work
Partnership Action for Continuing Employment
Personal & Social Education
Skills Development Scotland
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
School Partnership Agreement
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