Careers information, advice and guidance delivered by Skills Development Scotland in Clackmannanshire 23 January 2015 A report by HM Inspectors Full report 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% This report is Crown Copyright. You may re-use this publication (not including agency logos) free of charge in any format for research, private study or internal circulation within an organisation. You must re-use it accurately and not use it in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown Copyright and you must give the title of the source document/publication. For any other use of this material please apply for a Click-Use Licence for core material at: www.hmso.gov.uk/copyright/licences/click-use-home.htm or by writing to: HMSO Licensing, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich, NR3 1BQ Fax: 01603 723000 E-mail: hmsolicensing@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk Contents 1. Page Introduction 1 The external review 1 2. Policy context The role of Skills Development Scotland Curriculum for Excellence Data sharing 2 2 2 2 3. The service area 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 8 Outcome and Impact How well are customers progressing and achieving relevant high quality outcomes? How well does the service meet the needs of stakeholders? 9 7. Service Delivery How good is delivery of key services? How good is management of key services? 12 12 14 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 19 10. What happens next? 20 11 Further information 20 12. How can you contact us? 21 9 10 Appendices 22 Glossary of terms 22 1. Introduction The external review The external review by Education Scotland took place during the week beginning 3 November 2014. The review focused on careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) services delivered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in Clackmannanshire. 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 19 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 March 2014. 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 careers 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 upon leaving school. 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 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 Clackmannanshire, Education Scotland took the following area context fully into account. SDS CIAG services in Clackmannanshire are delivered from the SDS Centre in Bank Street, Alloa and a range of partners’ premises throughout the area, including Community Access Points and libraries. Thirteen staff are employed in the SDS Centre to deliver CIAG services to customers and partners. Clackmannanshire has undergone significant change in the past decade, following the demise of traditional industries of mining, textiles and brewing. Financial investment in the area has supported a number of economic developments, including: a railway link between Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine; the construction of the Clackmannanshire Bridge; quality housing and retail developments; and newbuild campuses for three secondary schools and a new college campus in Alloa. The Imagine Alloa project has focused on developments to enhance the local area, through improved road signage, street lighting and the installation of public art works. From its central geographical location, Clackmannanshire has a very distinctive economy. In comparison to the UK, 55 industries employ more than twice as many employees and six industries employ more than ten times as many employees as the UK average. These industries are mainly connected to the production of alcoholic drinks. Glass-making, packaging and logistics in Clackmannanshire provide a large proportion of the UK bottle-industry capacity. Other main industries include clothing and upholstery, retailing and construction. The impact of the recession on the Clackmannanshire economy, as measured by Gross Value Added was faster and more extensive than in neighbouring areas and twice as deep as Scotland as a whole. In 2009, Clackmannanshire was gauged the fourth worst local authority area for jobs density in Scotland. The most recent data in 2012 showed a further decrease in jobs density, with 4104 jobs for every 10,000 working age people. This has resulted in the local authority area being placed third worst in Scotland for jobs density. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) in 2012, showed that 14 (22%) of Clackmannanshire’s 64 datazones were in the 15% most deprived datazones in Scotland. 16% of the population of Clackmannanshire were income deprived, compared to 13% across Scotland as a whole. Some areas in Alloa South and East are amongst the 5% most income deprived areas in Scotland. The unemployment rate, including youth unemployment in Clackmannanshire, shows improvement over the last three years. However, unemployment rates remain significantly higher than the national average. In November 2012, the unemployment and job vacancy ratio indicated six claimants to four job vacancies. Over the last two years a decrease in the number of claimants combined with an increase in the number of job vacancies is consistent with the wider economic recovery and is proportionately 3 better than for Forth Valley. However, the unemployment and job vacancy ratio remains higher than Forth Valley and Scotland as a whole. SDS delivers services to Alloa Academy, Alva Academy, Lornshill Academy, Clackmannanshire Secondary School Support Service and The New Struan School for Autism. Career Coaches deliver the SDS School Offer based on a jointly-negotiated School Partnership Agreement (SPA). Services are also delivered to the Alloa campus of Forth Valley College. Each of the schools and the college has a lead SDS Career Coach who works alongside a Personal Adviser and Work Coach to plan and deliver services. 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 pupils 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 Access to MyWoW web service Telephone access to SDS contact centre Partnership action for continuing employment (PACE) Integrated employment and skills (IES) – joint work activities with Job Centre Plus o 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 Staff roles In Clackmannanshire, SDS uses a number of titles to describe the roles of the staff. These include Career Coach, Work Coach and Personal Advisor. Throughout this 5 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 very good Meeting the needs of stakeholders very good Delivery of key services excellent Management of service delivery excellent Strategic leadership excellent Capacity for improvement excellent Section B: Areas of positive practice The number of young people entering a positive destination in Clackmannanshire has increased continuously over the last three years. All SDS staff are enthusiastic about their work and share a strong commitment to developing and delivering services which best meet the needs of customers. Careers staff promote CIAG services well within local secondary schools and deliver a comprehensive and appropriate range of services to pupils. Positive and supportive relationships between staff are ensuring productive team working and effective communication and information sharing with partners. Managers and staff work well with local partners to ensure services are well-matched to identified needs of customers, communities and key stakeholders. 7 The range of services made available to customers and partners is well considered and takes good account of national priorities and local needs. There are good arrangements in place to support vulnerable customers and customers with different protected characteristics. When planning sessions outwith the SDS Centre, staff take care to ensure that accommodation is of an appropriate standard and provides sufficient, reliable access to information and communications technology (ICT). Staff provide forward-looking and responsive leadership within internal and external forums. Staff apply their professional knowledge well and use appropriate labour market information to support customers to achieve a positive destination. Managers provide staff with an appropriate balance of support, challenge and autonomy to tailor CIAG approaches to meet the needs of customers and partners. Staff share a collective ownership for the quality of the provision and work well as a team to initiate and make improvements to service delivery. Section C: Areas for development The Opportunities for All Group is not making use of available data-hub reports to assist and inform strategic planning of destinations for young people. In schools the delivery of CIAG services is sometimes affected adversely by unreliable access to ICT. Most school staff are not sufficiently aware of the drive and purpose of developing CMS as a national strategy. Almost all school pupils are not sufficiently aware of the Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) and the levels of different types of qualifications to support progression planning. Section D: Main points for action The Opportunities for All Group should make use of available data-hub reports to assist and inform strategic planning of destinations for young people. SDS should continue to work with lead partners, including schools, to increase school staff awareness of the drive and purpose of developing CMS as a national strategy. Schools and SDS should work together to incorporate CIAG within wider school activities, including the use of MyWoW within subject areas to support career planning and identify appropriate opportunities to embed this within Curriculum for Excellence. SDS should continue to support schools to apply the SCQF to promote and assist progression planning. 8 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 effective use of national and locally-set targets to plan service delivery. Managers and staff monitor progress regularly and benchmark performance against previous years and national and regional performance. In 2013-14, the area team met or exceeded all of its delivery targets and is on track to achieve similar performance levels for 2014-15. The number of young people entering a positive destination in Clackmannanshire has increased continuously over the last three years. In 2012-13, the school leaver destination return (SLDR) indicated positive destinations for 88% of school leavers. However, this is below the national performance rate of 91%. Across Clackmannanshire, the number of young people sustaining an initial positive destination has increased over the last three years. However, the number of young people still in a positive destination six months later has reduced in the last three years and is now around 7% below the national average. SDS careers staff who are linked to individual secondary schools, make effective use of SPAs to identify and agree actions for annual service delivery. In 2012-13, most actions were achieved within agreed timescales. SDS staff respond flexibly and responsively to the changing priorities and needs of schools in supporting pupils. However, this is not always fully captured within reviews of SPAs. A new SPA monitoring process is currently being piloted to address this. How well does the area team adhere to statutory principles and guidance? Managers and staff take good account of legislation and relevant Scottish Government directives which have an impact on CIAG services. They apply SDS national guidance well to plan service delivery, deploy staff and allocate resources. Managers arrange appropriate training for staff on key legislative requirements including child protection and equality and diversity. Staff take good account of recent legislative changes, including welfare reform and amendments to the retirement age, to advise and inform customers. All staff demonstrate a strong commitment to tackling inequality. Most staff proactively undertake additional responsibilities and training to assist the wider team in working with customers who have additional support needs. The Equality Champion provides useful updates on national policy to inform the area team of developments which have an impact on professional practice. All staff work productively to help customers overcome additional barriers to employment including low self-confidence and weak literacy skills. They make good use of partnership forums to engage partners in working together to reduce barriers to customers achieving and sustaining employment. For example, SDS staff on the Digital Literacies Partnership identified and initiated arrangements to address the low level of ICT skills of customers. 9 How well does the service meet the needs of stakeholders? How well do customers make progress and achieve individual outcomes? The SDS Centre in Alloa conveys a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere and is accessible to customers with restricted mobility. Staff work well together and with key partners to meet the needs of individuals and specific customer groups. Customers are very satisfied with the range and quality of services they receive from careers staff. Feedback from school pupils, centre users, and stakeholders shows high levels of satisfaction with the range and quality of services provided by careers staff. Careers staff promote CIAG services well within local secondary schools. Career Coaches deliver a comprehensive and appropriate range of services to pupils, including group-work, one-to-one coaching, drop-in sessions and access to the MyWoW web service. They use the SDS Career Management Skills Framework effectively to support pupils to develop their CMS. Pupils in the senior phase are prepared well by SDS staff for progression to further learning or employment. Some Career Coaches are working collaboratively with secondary schools to promote development of CMS to all pupils. Career Coaches update SPAs regularly to take account of new and emerging school and area priorities. They work well with schools to plan and contribute to local and national events which raise awareness of young people such as Learning Through Work week. SDS staff work well with school staff to monitor and review progress towards achievement of SPA targets and to evaluate the range of services delivered. Careers staff support adult customers well to develop CMS. They provide helpful, on-going engagement and almost all adult customers develop confidence and motivation as a result of the support they receive. SDS staff have established effective referral arrangements with Alloa Jobcentre Plus. They use these arrangements well to provide adult customers with appropriate advice, assistance and referral to other support agencies when required. Adult customers value highly the help and support they receive from SDS staff. How motivated, supported and enabled are staff? All careers staff in the Clackmannanshire SDS team are enthusiastic about their work and share a strong commitment to developing and delivering services which best meet the needs of customers. They have clear knowledge and understanding of SDS CIAG aims and objectives and make good use of SDS facilities and resources to support customers and partners. Managers support and empower staff well to devise approaches and arrangements to meet the needs of individuals, groups and communities. All staff respond effectively to the autonomy given to them by managers to plan, coordinate and deliver services. They confidently propose new ideas and proactively tailor approaches and materials to meet changing customer needs. This includes initiating and setting up a local CIAG Facebook page to enhance the promotion of CIAG services in the service area. Staff engage productively in regular opportunities to reflect on their practice and learn from each other. They work well together to share, adapt and adopt approaches and resources to meet different customer needs. Team meetings, professional reflection 10 and peer-to-peer discussions are used well by staff to reflect on and inform service delivery and individual practice. Across the area team, positive and supportive relationships between staff are ensuring productive team working and effective communication and information sharing with partners. All careers staff hold appropriate professional qualifications and engage regularly in continuous professional development (CPD) activities to update and enhance their skills. Some staff are undertaking additional professional qualifications to extend their knowledge of supporting customers with additional support needs including autism and dyslexia. How well do services meet the needs of relevant communities and other local and national stakeholders? SDS CIAG services take good account of the needs of the area and its communities. Managers and staff work well with local partners to ensure services are well-matched to identified needs of customers, communities and key stakeholders. Partners value the accessibility and contribution of SDS staff in coordinating services and activities. Careers staff arrange useful advice, support and information for customers who are facing redundancy. Most customers who engage in Partnership Actions for Continuing Employment (PACE) activities benefit from these experiences to explore and find alternative employment or undertake learning opportunities. Careers staff contribute well to the Opportunities for All Group and work effectively with partners to plan transition arrangements and deliver positive initial destinations for school leavers. However, the Opportunities for All Group is not making use of available data-hub reports to assist and inform strategic planning of destinations for young people. This is limiting the effectiveness of the group to plan and schedule provision to increase the number of young people sustaining a positive destination. The introduction of the Clackmannanshire CIAG Facebook page has extended the reach and accessibility of the service offer. Proactive and creative SDS staff continuously adapt the webpage to make it more engaging and informative for customers. This facility is promoted actively by careers staff in schools and is accessed regularly by school pupils and parents. All careers staff promote MyWoW effectively to partners. There are good examples of Personal Advisers delivering high quality workshops to partners to raise awareness of the use of MyWoW within community settings, such as community access points. 11 7. Service Delivery How good is delivery of key services? How well do services meet the needs of all customers? A main characteristic of the area team is the commitment of all staff to deliver CIAG services which meet the specific needs of the people of Clackmannanshire. Staff make good use of their sound knowledge of local communities to deliver services which are inclusive and to reduce barriers to engagement for customers. They tailor services sensitively to meet individual needs and adjust the pace and timing of activities to make services accessible to all customers. These approaches support customers well to develop skills and self-confidence in making informed decisions about their career choices. SDS staff use blended approaches effectively to deliver CIAG services. They carefully combine activities and approaches to enable customers, partners and communities to access services in ways which best meet their specific needs. The range of CIAG services supports customers well to develop CMS and progress into and sustain positive destinations. Staff make good use of the SDS risk matrix to provide appropriate targeted support to customers who are most at risk of not achieving a positive destination. They review priority needs on a regular basis to ensure the service offer to individuals is current and appropriate. SDS staff provide an appropriate range of CIAG services to school pupils. Career Coaches in schools promote their services well and pupils and staff have a good understanding of the range of services available and how to access individual support. There are many examples of Career Coaches working collaboratively with schools to incorporate development of CMS as part of Curriculum for Excellence. Career Coaches and Work Coaches work well together to plan and deliver services which support the transition of vulnerable young people. How effective are relationships with customers? Across the service area, SDS staff form positive and productive relationships with customers and partners. Centre staff providing reception services are welcoming and friendly and quickly establish good relationships with new customers. Careers staff working in schools create helpful and positive relationships with young people, parents and school staff. Staff working within local communities take care and time to learn about the needs of specific customer groups and use this well to develop purposeful relationships with adult customers. These approaches are particularly beneficial to customers who require additional support to achieve a positive outcome. Positive relationships with the Community Planning Partnership (CPP), local authority and community organisations at strategic and operational levels are ensuring purposeful, joint approaches to supporting customers in Clackmannanshire. Local authority staff are praiseworthy of the services they receive from SDS to support young people and adults to progress into learning or employment. 12 How accessible, flexible and inclusive are services? Staff are knowledgeable about, and take good account of, the potential barriers to customer engagement. They proactively make arrangements to ease and widen access to CIAG services. Staff frequently deliver services from partner agencies to enable customers to access support within their local community. There are many examples of staff working with partners to raise aspirations of individuals and groups. These include coordinating group sessions to engage customers from workless households in exploring work options, and delivering motivational workshops to support looked-after young people to develop confidence in applying CMS. There are good arrangements in place to support vulnerable customers and those with different protected characteristics. Carers and parents of young people who have additional support needs receive good assistance from Career Coaches to identify progression pathways. Staff make good use of frequent and on-going communication with partners to promote and explain the range of CIAG services available to customers. They use national and locally produced resources including MyWoW and Facebook effectively to engage with customers and other stakeholders. How well are services delivered? Managers and staff plan provision well. The range of services made available to customers and partners is well considered and takes good account of national priorities and local needs. Staff make good use of local partnerships and forums to collaborate and agree joint initiatives and approaches to engage and support customers. They willingly customise and adapt services to meet identified needs of specific individuals and groups, including, community volunteers, council staff working in community access points, young parents and ex-offenders. All staff apply their professional knowledge well and use appropriate labour market information to support customers to achieve a positive destination. Staff draw on their up-to-date knowledge of opportunities available in the area to negotiate individualised career plans with customers. They make good use of this process to help customers to develop skills, confidence and independence in making informed decisions. Career Coaches work well with individual schools to widen pupil and parental knowledge of the progression pathways available. For example, the Learning Through Work week helped inform young people about the structure and content of modern apprenticeships. The SDS Centre in Alloa provides customers and staff with good access to SDS resources. However, the Centre is unable to accommodate large groups and staff frequently use partners’ premises including schools and community centres to deliver group work. When planning sessions outwith the Centre, staff take care to ensure that accommodation is of a sufficient standard, is appropriate to the size and needs of the group and provides sufficient, reliable access to ICT. During group sessions staff work quickly to establish a rapport with customers and use interactive approaches well to engage and sustain the interest customers. These arrangements contribute positively and importantly to the quality of the services delivered by staff. In schools, the delivery of CIAG services is sometimes adversely affected by unreliable access to ICT. This disadvantages young people who have no access to ICT in the 13 home and depend on accessing the internet within school. Relevant agencies are taking action to address this. How well do staff reflect on service delivery to improve services? Across the area team, staff demonstrate a willingness to ensure that the services they deliver are meeting the needs of the people of Clackmannanshire. As a result, all staff engage well in activities to reflect on their individual and team contribution to developing, delivering and improving provision and services. They participate actively in team meetings to discuss and reflect on the impact of their services on customers and are open and constructive when giving and receiving feedback. Careers staff draw well on professional and supportive feedback from colleagues and CPD to reflect on practice and extend their knowledge and skills. Staff value being empowered to develop and enhance professional practice and make good use of team working opportunities to share ideas and adopt new approaches. Staff contribute productively to the Business Excellence Self Assessment and Journey to Excellence Review processes. They elicit informal, daily feedback from customers and draw on the findings to affirm what is working well and identify what could work better. Staff use formal feedback well to initiate team discussions and inform future actions for improvement. Career Coaches work well with schools to review SPA and plan future activities. There are many examples of staff adapting and improving services as a direct result of feedback from customers and partners. How well do stakeholders and customers participate in the development and planning of services? Collectively, team members take an active role in developing and planning services across Clackmannanshire. Managers and individual team members participate on a wide range of local and area forums. They draw well on their interaction and collaboration with partners to develop services which support identified local needs and priorities. Staff make good use of feedback from customers to influence approaches to providing Opportunities for All and to inform Single Outcome Agreements (SOA). Career Coaches work well with schools to adapt SPAs to reflect school needs and priorities. SDS staff are increasingly engaging school staff in discussions to plan services which take account of national developments including Developing the Young Workforce (DYW). The local authority and secondary schools recognise and value the potential role of SDS staff to build the capacity of schools staff and other partners to respond to DYW. They cite the potential of SPAs to guide and direct activities to ensure progression pathways are impartially and equitably explained and promoted to teaching staff, pupils and parents. How good is management of key services? How well does the organisation work with partners to improve outcomes for customers? SDS staff have established very effective links with a wide range of partners across Clackmannanshire to improve outcomes for customers. They collaborate well with partner organisations to provide a cohesive and seamless service. SDS staff and 14 partners use partnership meetings well to align community services to the context of the geographical area. There are good examples of SDS staff and partners working collaboratively to maximise resources to meet community needs. The Clackmannanshire Skills Map and Adult Compass booklets are assisting partner agencies to work more closely with each other. They are encouraging better inter-agency referral to support the diverse, and often complex, needs of customers to enter and sustain employment. SDS staff and partners work well together to support customers make transition to employment. Where the transition is outwith the Clackmannanshire area, staff collaborate effectively with colleagues in relevant SDS Centres to facilitate an effective handover. SDS staff respond well to government priorities and understand the requirements and constraints of other agencies. They contribute enthusiastically to new opportunities for sharing and applying their skills for the benefit of others. This includes sharing knowledge of emerging customer needs with partners to inform future planning. How effective is the organisation’s knowledge and information management in supporting service delivery? Staff adhere to statutory requirements and make good use of national guidelines to plan activities. They use SDS standard operating procedures (SOP) appropriately as a basis for planning delivery of CIAG services. They regularly and effectively adapt presentations and resources to better meet the needs and specific interests of customers. National and local management information is used effectively by SDS managers and staff to evaluate the impact of CIAG services and to inform future planning and targeting of resources. Staff use nationally collated statistical information at a local authority level to analyse effectiveness of delivery and inform actions for improvement. SDS staff have established helpful arrangements with partners to share appropriate information on individual customers. They use this information responsibly and responsively to assist customers to overcome barriers to achieving a positive outcome. Improved arrangements for collating information electronically in Clackmannanshire are resulting in partners making more regular and effective use of the data-hub to share information about the needs and destinations of young people. 15 8. Leadership and quality culture How good is strategic leadership? How appropriate and influential are the organisation’s visions, values and aims? Managers are committed to the vision and aims of SDS and lead their team well to develop and deliver CIAG services which reflect SDS priorities. They take good account of the national strategy and Scottish Government directives including Careers Information, Advice and Guidance in Scotland: A framework for services redesign and improvement; Curriculum for Excellence; Opportunities for All and more recently Developing the Young Workforce. Managers support staff well to interpret these directives and policies within the context of the local area. As a result, staff are knowledgeable about current directives and use this well to develop approaches to meet the needs of people in Clackmannanshire. The area manager and team leader take good account of the area’s economic and social profile to influence how services are designed and delivered to partners and customers across Clackmannanshire. They are highly aware of the challenges and opportunities within the area and use this well to drive forward and support developments. Managers share a clear understanding of the specific challenges within local communities including, joblessness, low jobs density, social mobility, transport issues and child poverty. At strategic and operational forums, they use their extensive knowledge of the local area and industries effectively and positively to inform and influence decision making. As a result, managers are well respected and valued for their contribution by all key partners. How effective is leadership for partnership working and service delivery? SDS managers deploy staff appropriately to meet the needs of key partners. They work well with the local authority, the CPP and community projects and organisations to contribute to joint initiatives and area priorities. Managers and staff provide forward-looking and responsive leadership within internal and external forums and are valued by partners for their supportive and inclusive approaches. They respond productively to new and emerging developments, including DYW, to further improve engagement with CIAG services. Community partners value the SDS Alloa team for continuously highlighting and driving forward arrangements to support customers most in need of support. This includes coordinating provision to assist young people in Throughcare and Aftercare and establishing effective referral arrangements for customers who require literacy support to enter the job market. Staff make good use of their regular communication and involvement with a wide range of partner organisations to coordinate inter-agency collaboration. This is helping partners to minimise duplication of services and maximise use of skills, expertise and resources. 16 How well do leaders develop and lead people? Managers provide staff with an appropriate balance of support, challenge and autonomy. They empower staff to use their creativity, skills and judgement to tailor CIAG approaches to meet the needs of customers and partners. They support staff well to meet the needs of specific groups, particularly those who are most at risk of not achieving a positive outcome. Managers deploy staff effectively to deliver a range of services and provide them with good opportunities to extend and develop their skills further. The Observation Framework and Aspire are used effectively to engage staff in discussing their role and responsibilities and to identify ideas for improvements. The Team Leader encourages staff to draw on their strengths and provides them with useful, purposeful feedback on their performance and contribution to the wider team and organisational priorities. As a result team members feel valued and understand how their strengths and skills contribute to the work of the whole team. Weekly team meetings are used purposefully and productively by managers to support and direct the team in reflecting on their delivery. Meetings are led well and provide good opportunities for staff to add additional relevant agenda items. Team Time is used effectively by staff to further explore and resolve issues identified in team meetings. How effective is leadership for innovation and change? Managers lead and support staff well to explore new opportunities for improving the delivery of services and working with partners. Across the team, staff share a commitment to continuously review and improve arrangements for customers. They engage enthusiastically in new activities and support each other well to overcome barriers to secure improvements. There are examples of the Alloa team leading initiatives in response to identified community needs. Staff at all levels contribute willingly to new challenges and opportunities. Managers support staff well to undertake additional lead roles to assist the wider team in responding to new developments. Almost all staff take responsibility for leading on a specific issue, such as equalities, health and safety and reflective practice to build the capacity of the team to take forward new ideas. Staff value these roles to learn from and with each other and to support the work of the wider team. How well do leaders secure improvement of quality and impact of services? Managers continuously and effectively engage staff in reviewing the impact of services. Together, they share a collective ownership for the quality of the provision and work well as a team to initiate and make improvements to service delivery. The area team makes good use of quality processes and action plans to support a culture of continuous improvement. Staff take good account of formal and informal customer and partner feedback to determine areas for improvement and enhancement. There are many examples of staff drawing on reflective practice to improve the quality and impact of services. Career Coaches make good use of the rescheduling of SPAs to better align CIAG activities with school planning processes. Staff review targets regularly and monitor progress against achievement of yearly targets. This includes 17 adapting nationally-produced materials to reflect further the principles and themes of Curriculum for Excellence. However, most school staff are not sufficiently aware of the drive and purpose of developing CMS as a national strategy and the opportunities to embed this within Curriculum for Excellence. This results in missed opportunities for incorporating CIAG within wider school activities, including the use of MyWoW within subject areas to support career planning. Almost all school pupils are insufficiently aware of the SCQF levels of different types of qualifications to support progression planning. 18 9. Capacity to improve based on evidence from Outcomes and impact, Service delivery and Strategic leadership All staff are enthusiastic about their work and share a strong commitment to developing and delivering services which best meet the needs of customers. They have clear knowledge and understanding of SDS CIAG aims and objectives and make good use of SDS facilities and resources to support customers and partners. Across the team, positive and supportive relationships between staff are ensuring productive team working and effective communication and information sharing with partners. Managers and staff work well with local partners to ensure services are well-matched to identified needs of customers, communities and key stakeholders. The range of services made available to customers and partners is well-considered and takes good account of national priorities and local needs. Managers and staff provide forward-looking and responsive leadership within internal and external forums and are valued by partners for their supportive and inclusive approaches. Managers provide staff with an appropriate balance of support, challenge and autonomy. They empower staff to use their creativity, skills and judgement to tailor CIAG approaches to meet the needs of customers and partners. They support staff well to meet the needs of specific groups, particularly those who are most at risk of not achieving a positive outcome. Managers continuously engage staff in reviewing the impact of services. Together, they share a collective ownership for the quality of the provision and work well as team to initiate and make improvements to service delivery. 19 10. What happens next? Following publication of this report, SDS is 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. 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/ 20 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 01506 600381. If you want to give us feedback or make a complaint about our work, please contact us by telephone on 0141 282 5000, 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. Text phone users can contact us on 01506 600236. This is a service for deaf users. Please do not use this number for voice calls as the line will not connect you to a member of staff. Crown Copyright 2015 Education Scotland 21 Appendix 1 Glossary of terms CIAG CPD CMS CPP DYW ICT MyWoW PACE SCQF SDS SLDR SOA SOP SPA Careers Information, Advice and Guidance Continuous professional development Career Management Skills Community Planning Partnership Developing the Young Workforce Information and Communications Technology My World of Work Partnership Actions for Continuing Employment Scottish Credit Qualification Framework Skills Development Scotland School leaver destination return Single outcome agreement Standard Operating Procedure School Partnership Agreement 22