Career information, advice and
guidance delivered by Skills
Development Scotland
in Shetland
31 July 2015
The external review process
HM Inspectors undertake an independent review of the quality of provision of career
information, advice and guidance 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 career 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 Outcomes and Impact, Service Delivery, Leadership and
Quality Culture and a judgement on Capacity to Improve based on the evidence from all
key areas, in particular Outcomes and 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
2.
Policy context
2
3.
The service and its context
3
4.
Background information
4
5.
Outcomes of external review
Judgement of grades
6
Section A:
Section B:
Section C:
Section D:
Grades
Areas of positive practice
Areas for development
Main points for action
6
6
7
8
6.
Outcomes and Impact
9
How well are customers progressing and achieving relevant,
high quality outcomes?
9
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 Leadership
18
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 during the week beginning
1 June 2015. The review focused on career information, advice and guidance (CIAG)
services delivered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in Shetland.
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 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 Shetland, Education Scotland
took the following area context fully into account.
The SDS CIAG services in Shetland are delivered from a base in Lerwick and on the
premises of external partner agencies throughout the area. Although in a remote
location, Shetland has a vibrant economy and almost full employment amongst
residents. National unemployed statistics published in 2013 indicated Shetland had an
unemployment rate of 0.9%, in comparison to the national level of 3.1%. The low
unemployment rate of Shetland is comparable to those of similar oil and gas
economies. In February 2015, Shetland’s unemployment rate had fallen further to 0.6%
and there were only 5 young people aged 16-19 claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA).
The local Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) report that the current
unemployment rate in Shetland is at the lowest level in three decades.
People in Shetland have benefited from work opportunities and high wages as a result
of developments within the oil and gas industry. Shetland Islands Council (SIC) is keen
that that the workforce continuously develops skills and qualifications to accommodate
changes to the range of industries which Shetland supports.
The availability of employment opportunities makes remaining in Shetland an attractive
destination for local school leavers. The most recent School Leaver Destination Return
(SLDR) indicates 41.7% of the 271 school leavers entered employment which is
significantly higher than the national average of 21.7%. However, 18.1% of school
leavers in Shetland progress to Further Education which is significantly below the
national average. This has been identified as an area for development by SIC, and the
two colleges in Shetland; Shetland College UHI and the marine centre, North Atlantic
Fisheries College (NAFC). SIC is in the process of carrying out a review of tertiary
education provision in Shetland. The two colleges and SIC training provider, Train
Shetland are working with SDS to promote local employment, training and education
opportunities.
SDS, SIC Education Services, the colleges and Train Shetland are working together to
offer Foundation Apprenticeships in engineering, and health and social care in 2015-16.
This initiative supports the recommendations outlined in Developing Scotland’s Young
Workforce (DYW) and has strengthened the partnership between SDS, SIC and the
local colleges, as well as building stronger relationships with employers and creating
good links between pupils and the colleges.
SDS delivers CIAG services to the two High schools (HS) and five Junior High schools
(JHS) on Shetland. These are Anderson HS and Brae HS, Aith JHS, Baltasound JHS,
Mid Yell JHS, Sandwick JHS and Whalsay JHS. SDS staff also deliver CIAG services
to Shetland College UHI, NAFC and Train Shetland.
3
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
4
Staff roles
In Shetland, SDS use 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. The Local
Management Team (LMT) refers to the Area Manager, and Team Leader.
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.
5
5.
Outcomes of External Review
Judgement of Grades
Section A:
Grades
The external 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
Customer progression and achievement of
relevant high quality outcomes
very good
Meeting the needs of stakeholders
very good
Delivery of key services
good
Management of service delivery
good
Strategic leadership
good
Capacity for improvement
good
Section B:





Grade
Areas of positive practice
Overall the number of school leavers in positive destinations is very high and has
steadily risen over the past three years.
SLDR and follow-up results have consistently performed above national average
over the last three years.
All customers and partners report that services are accessible and they are positive
about the range of services which are available to meet their needs.
Services are enhanced through the recent addition of the MyWoW pod at the
Mareel centre, use of social media and media exposure through regular working
with BBC Radio Shetland.
Innovative group work has been delivered in a primary 7 class on a pilot basis to
support development of pupils’ awareness of CMS at an earlier stage.
6






Staff across the service area, are enthusiastic and establish proactive and
productive relationships with a diverse range of customers.
The Area Team has worked collaboratively with key partners and employers to
increase the availability of Modern Apprenticeships to address the requirements of
DYW.
The Area Team works well with partners to ensure inter-agency referrals are
effective in achieving positive outcomes for customers.
Managers are committed to the vision and aims of SDS. They take good account of
local, regional, and national priorities to deploy staff to meet the needs of key
partners and contribute to the development of CIAG services.
Managers are very supportive of staff and their development needs. They have a
comprehensive plan to drive forward staff development and succession planning for
the Area Team. This is progressing well.
Staff make good use of regular contact with partners to coordinate provision across
a range of multi-agency partners in providing an appropriate service for customers,
minimising duplication of services and maximising skills, expertise and resources.
Section C:








Areas for development
SDS staff do not consistently take account of the pace of session activities and level
of language and challenge when planning group sessions.
A few partners do not always provide sufficiently detailed customer information to
support effective referral.
Actions for improvement identified by the Area Team do not focus sufficiently on
improving the delivery of services to all customers.
Schools and SDS staff are not making effective use of the School Partnership
Agreement (SPA) to ensure the planning of services leads to continued positive
destinations for school leavers and a more consistent embedding of CMS
development.
The formal arrangements for SDS and schools staff to review the impact of SPAs
regularly and systematically to plan for improvement is not fully embedded.
SDS staff do not consistently use opportunities to explain and fully promote the
services available to partner agencies.
Plans for developing the work of the team do not take sufficient account of the
capacity of staff to learn, embed and consolidate their new skills.
Planning for improvement processes is not yet fully embedded.
7
Section D:
Main points for action

SDS staff should continue to build on opportunities to enable partners to
understand better the full SDS service offer.

School and SDS staff should continue to work collaboratively to embed and
reinforce the development of career management skills within the curriculum.

Managers should take appropriate action to enable staff to embed and
consolidate their new skills.

The Area Team should systematically deploy and embed planning for
improvement processes.
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 takes good account of local and national targets to plan delivery of
services. Overall, the number of school leavers in positive destinations is very high.
SLDR and follow-up results show destination rates are consistently above the national
average and have risen steadily over the last three years. The most recent SLDR in
2013/14 identified an increase in positive destinations from 93.4% to 96.3% which is the
highest level achieved in Shetland.
In 2013/14, the Area Team met almost all of their numeric targets, including the target
for 20+ customers receiving individual engagements. The Area Team recognises that
volume measures used in 2014/15 were of limited value and have revised performance
measures for 2015/16 to provide a greater focus on outcomes and impact.
Feedback from the School Leaver Survey in the Shetland Islands, indicates school
pupils are benefiting from CIAG Services and achieving outcomes. For example, 88%
of respondents reported that CIAG services had helped them achieve at least one
employment, training or education benefit, including planning for the future. Many
respondents reported that the service had helped them achieve at least one personal
benefit including greater awareness of career opportunities. However, this information
cannot be disaggregated to provide further information pertaining only to the Shetland
Islands.
Mechanisms are in place to track progress against planned activities identified in the
local Work Plan and Partner Development and Integration Local Engagement Plan.
Progress against activities is reviewed regularly by the Area Team and staff use red,
amber and green traffic-light system to identify and track progress.
How well does the service meet the needs of stakeholders?
How well do customers make progress and achieve individual outcomes?
SDS staff deliver services in a range of partner premises. All customers and partners
report that CIAG services are accessible and that the range of services available meets
their needs. They are positive about the extent to which SDS staff willingly adapt
services and delivery approaches to meet their specific requirements. All Head
Teachers report SDS staff provide visible and accessible services within schools.
All customers and partners are satisfied with the quality of services they receive. A
majority of young people in S4, S5 and S6 reported they would be able to use what they
had learned in group sessions to prepare for employment or further learning. They are
confident about using MyWoW to plan and make decisions about their future career.
Young people at the Bridges Project spoke positively about the support they have
received from SDS staff to progress to employment and further learning. They develop
confidence and CMS through participating in a wide range of activities. These include
9
producing a Curriculum Vitae (CV), compiling letters of introduction, making applications
and practising interview skills. Staff at the Bridges Project, SDS staff and partners work
well together to plan and provide experiences for young people which build
incrementally on the development of these skills.
The Area Team routinely surveys partners and customers and takes good account of
customer satisfaction levels captured through point of exit surveys.
The national and Area Teams have taken actions to extend and enhance the range of
services available to customers and partners in Shetland. These include the recent
addition of a MyWoW pod at the Mareel centre, regular promotion of services through
BBC Radio Shetland and increased use of social media by SDS staff.
The Area Team is making increasing and effective use of individual career development
plans (CDP), to support customers to work towards achieving individual goals. Career
coaches proactively encourage school pupils to share their CDP with teachers to
support them in their development of CMS.
How well do services meet the needs of relevant communities and other local and
national stakeholders?
The Area Team applies responsive and flexible approaches to deliver CIAG services
which meet the needs of communities and stakeholders. SDS staff have established
positive relationships with customers and external partners. These relationships are
based on mutual trust, respect and cooperation. The Area Team works proactively with
a wide range of partners across Shetland and is represented well on a range of
operational and strategic partnership groups. This includes the Commission established
by the Shetland Partnership Board to tackle inequalities in Scotland. The Head of
Region has recently been invited to join the Shetland Partnership Board. The Team
Leader chairs the Employability Working Group.
The PACE Partnership is chaired by the SDS Team Leader. The partnership works
well and makes good use of local knowledge to plan PACE activities in advance of
official notification of redundancy. This helps partners to plan support arrangements
which enable customers to access services quickly and easily. As a result of these
arrangements, the contribution of the Area Team to coordinating PACE is valued highly
by partners.
The installation of a MyWoW pod at the Mareel Centre is the result of effective
collaboration between SDS staff, Shetland Arts and the Glasgow Science Centre. This
initiative is easing access to CIAG resources and services to customers in Lerwick and
the surrounding areas.
All stakeholders express satisfaction with the level and quality of services they receive
from SDS staff. They consider SDS staff demonstrate positive and effective
approaches to team-working, inter-agency communication and collaboration. However,
a few partners are not aware of the full range of services on offer from SDS.
There are some examples of SDS staff coordinating joint activities to enhance and
improve services. These include collaborative learning events with staff from the
Bridges Project and joint training with staff from Job Centre Plus. Staff from the Bridges
10
Project and Sandwick JHS report SDS staff work well to adapt delivery approaches in
response to informal feedback from customers. However, this is not consistent across
all schools. In a few schools there are missed opportunities for engaging school staff in
evaluating provision to improve the quality of service delivery.
11
7.
Service Delivery
How good is delivery of key services?
How well do services meet the needs of all customers?
The Area Team offers and delivers an effective range of CIAG services to enable
customers to access advice and support which meets their individual needs. Staff
adapt centrally-produced resources regularly to meet the needs of different customer
groups. A member of the Area Team contributed to the development of national CIAG
resources and staff adapt materials and approaches to meet varying needs.
SDS staff promote and deliver an appropriate range of CIAG services to school pupils.
Career Coaches work collaboratively with schools to develop CMS as part of Curriculum
for Excellence. Career Coaches promote services well within schools and are highly
visible and known to pupils. However, this is not consistent across all schools. The
importance and recognition of the development of CMS is not always reinforced by
school partners which reduces the profile and overall impact of these skills.
Group work is currently being extended within secondary schools to raise young
people’s awareness of CMS in the broad general education phase. An innovative pilot
with pupils in primary 7 is raising awareness of CMS at an earlier stage. Pupils are
engaging and responding enthusiastically to this experience.
SDS staff participate conscientiously in pupil review meetings. They make good use of
these meetings to plan and support transitions for school leavers. Effective handover
arrangements between school Career Coaches and Work Coaches are in place to
ensure young people who do not have a clear progression plan are supported.
How effective are relationships with customers?
Staff across the service area are enthusiastic and establish proactive and productive
relationships with a diverse range of customers. Centre staff provide a welcoming
environment and establish good relationships with new customers. Customers describe
SDS staff as supportive, helpful and approachable. They regard the Area Team to be
accessible and well-informed about their individual needs and the Shetland context.
School staff speak highly of the proactive approach adopted by Career Coaches and
their work with pupils.
How accessible, flexible and inclusive are services?
The Area Team has a high level of awareness of the potential barriers to customers to
access CIAG services. Staff take good account of these barriers to plan delivery of
services across the islands and from partner agencies to ease access for customers.
Staff make good use of Labour Market Information (LMI) when promoting the range of
services available to customer groups and community partners.
The recently-opened MyWoW pod in the Mareel Centre is welcoming and is promoted
well to existing and potential customers. SDS staff are working with BBC Radio
Shetland, Youth of Today programme to widen the aspirations of young people and
challenge assumptions and stereotypes in terms of career choices and options. This
12
has been received well by young people and partners and has resulted in the
commissioning of further programmes.
SDS staff work well with schools to make good use of the risk matrix and validation
process and ensure the service offer is appropriately targeted and meets individuals’
needs. Pupils are clear on how to access CIAG services and support during school
holiday periods and study leave.
Career Coaches are highly visible in schools and local communities. Information
sessions are delivered regularly to inform and engage parents and raise their
awareness of MyWoW. This has resulted in many parents accessing MyWoW at home
to support their child in decision-making and, in some cases, to develop their own CMS.
Most staff adapt and differentiate materials and approaches to meet the needs of pupils
with additional support needs. This enables customers with additional barriers to
learning to participate more fully in group sessions.
How well are services delivered?
Staff work well together to ensure CIAG services are planned well to align with local and
national priorities. Managers and staff take good account of local priorities and work
well with local partnerships and forums to agree initiatives and strategies which address
current and future needs of customers.
All staff apply their professional knowledge well and have good understanding of the
local labour market. The Area Team is well-informed about current and projected local
labour market needs and how they may impact on opportunities for customers. They
apply this knowledge effectively to inform and influence partners in planning services,
supporting customers and raising aspirations. For example, SDS staff are taking a key
role in coordinating the introduction of Foundation Apprenticeships to address future
workforce needs in the oil and gas industry.
The SDS centre in Lerwick provides customers and staff with good access to services
and resources. Local people have a high level of awareness of where the SDS centre is
located. However, entry to the centre is available through a number of entrances and
not all entrances are equally accessible to customers who have mobility issues without
pre-arrangements being made. Out with the centre, staff take care to ensure group
sessions are delivered in an appropriate environment with reliable access to information
and communications technology (ICT). When delivering group sessions, staff establish
a welcoming and friendly environment for customers. In most group sessions delivery
approaches and resources applied by SDS staff are matched well to customer needs.
Most SDS staff clarify the aims and objectives clearly to customers at the start of group
sessions. However, these are not always conveyed effectively to customers. Most staff
do not always take opportunities to consolidate customers’ understanding of CMS and
do not reinforce sufficiently the longer term value of developing CMS.
Career Coaches use a range of effective methodologies to engage customers and
support them to develop confidence and independence. They frequently apply
innovative and creative approaches to plan delivery arrangements and tailor
nationally-devised resources. However, staff do not always take sufficient account of
language skills, pace of session activities and level of challenge when planning group
13
sessions. This results in some sessions being insufficiently engaging for customers.
SDS staff employ a coaching approach which enables and supports customers to gain
confidence in developing CMS.
Levels of customer and stakeholder satisfaction with CIAG services are high overall and
compare favourably with regional and national results. Almost all pupils in the senior
phase have increased confidence and independence in developing and applying their
CMS. They have a high level of awareness of the skills they have developed and apply
these skills outwith school.
How well do staff reflect on service delivery to improve services?
All area staff are highly committed to delivering the CIAG services across Shetland.
They engage enthusiastically in informal professional dialogue to share effective
practice and collectively demonstrate creativity and innovative approaches to deliver
services. They participate actively in team meetings to discuss and reflect on the
impact of their services and are open to supportive feedback from colleagues to extend
their knowledge and skills. Staff contribute well to the Business Excellence Assessment
and the Journey to Excellence review.
A range of formal and structured mechanisms are used well by the Area Team to review
the delivery of services and effect improvements for customers. These include the
self-assessment improvement planning, team time, reflective practice sessions, the
observation framework and one-to-one sessions between staff and their line manager.
However, actions for improvement identified by the Area Team do not focus sufficiently
on improving the delivery of services to all customers.
The Area Team has positive and productive links with local, external partners and
engages proactively with colleagues across the North Region and nationally. Staff
make good use of these links to gain wider skills and increase expertise to support the
work of the team.
How good is management of key services?
How well does the organisation work with partners to improve outcomes for
customers?
The Area Team has established a wide range of strategic partnerships across Shetland
to improve outcomes for customers. Staff recognise these partnerships have a key role
in achieving the local authority strategic plan, The Shetland Learning Partnership which
addresses the future needs of the islands’ communities. This includes responding to
the low level of school leavers who progress to further learning. Staff contribute
productively to a wide range of national and local projects to improve partner and
customer understanding of the service offer and to support partner events and projects.
The team responds well to the national priorities outlined in the SIP and contextualises
approaches to take account of the Shetland context. Staff respond well to new and
emerging national developments including DYW. This includes working collaboratively
with key partners and employers to extend the availability of Modern Apprenticeships
across Shetland to young people. The MyWoW pod in the Mareel Centre is helping to
overcome the challenges of rural access.
14
The Area Team has established SPA with all of the secondary schools in Shetland.
However, Schools and SDS staff are not making effective use of the School Partnership
Agreement (SPA) to ensure the planning of services leads to continued positive
destinations for school leavers and a more consistent embedding of CMS development.
The formal arrangements for SDS and schools staff to regularly and systematically
review the impact of SPAs to jointly plan for improvement is not fully embedded.
The Area Team works well with partners to ensure inter-agency referral arrangements
support customers to achieve a positive outcome. However, SDS staff do not
consistently use opportunities to explain and fully promote the services available to
partner agencies.
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, regional and
local data to inform local planning and strategy. LMI data is used well by staff to
support planning for future provision. Staff use SDS Standard Operating Procedures
(SOP) effectively to guide approaches to planning the delivery of services. SDS staff
apply statutory requirements appropriately. They proactively make arrangements to
address issues around equality and diversity and additional support needs. An
equalities impact assessment is undertaken nationally which informs processes at a
local level. This includes guidance on issues of child protection.
Staff share data and information regularly and effectively with partners to inform future
planning and targeting of resources. They share data to target services to support the
needs of customers across a range of agencies. However, a few partners do not
always provide sufficiently detailed customer information to support effective referral.
The Area Team uses a range of performance data to measure the impact of its
performance on customers and over time. Staff draw on this information to influence
longer-term planning. The team benchmarks itself against national and regional
performance information and uses this to identify areas for improvement and to adopt
and share effective practice.
15
8.
Leadership and Quality Culture
How good is strategic leadership?
How effective is leadership for partnership working and service delivery
Managers are committed to the vision and aims of SDS. They take good account of
local, regional and national priorities to deploy staff to continuously develop CIAG
services to meet the needs of key partners. The Area Manager and Team Leader are
highly motivated, committed and enthusiastic and respond well to new and emerging
developments, including DYW. They take good account of the Shetland context to plan
and customise provision and services to meet the needs of customers and partners and
increase engagement with SDS CIAG services.
The Head of Region, Area Manager and Team Leader participate actively in a wide
range of collaborative projects to promote and enhance the delivery of CIAG services.
The Head of Region represents SDS on the Shetland Partnership group and works
increasingly with partners to ensure CIAG services planned and captured within
Shetland’s Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) for 2012-15.
Managers are very supportive of staff and their development needs. They are making
good progress in driving forward staff development to support effective succession
planning for the Area Team.
Community partners value the role the Area Team takes to support and coordinate
change in Shetland. Staff make good use of regular contact with a wide range of
partners to provide an appropriate service for customers, minimise duplication of
services and maximise utilisation of skills, expertise and resources.
How well do leaders develop and lead people?
Managers have established positive and respectful relationships with staff and partners.
They have developed an appropriate and useful strategy to support staff to develop
further skills and wider understanding of the CIAG service delivery. Managers empower
staff to take collective ownership to meet the needs of specific groups. They have a
strong commitment to developing services and host regular formal and informal
meetings to share effective practice and help staff to develop new skills.
Across the service area, staff share a commitment and willingness to take forward new
developments and extend the work of the team. However, plans for developing the
work of the team do not take sufficient account of the capacity of staff to learn, embed
and consolidate their new skills.
How well do leaders secure improvement of quality and impact of services?
Managers engage staff regularly in reviewing the impact of their services. SDS targets
are reviewed by the Area Team and progress is monitored against achievement of
yearly targets. The Area Team works well together and is committed to a culture of
continuous improvement. Staff meet formally and informally to identify areas for
improvement. There are many examples of staff identifying areas for improvement
which are leading to a number of improvements and enhancements to service delivery.
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However, planning for improvement processes is not yet fully embedded within the
service area.
Staff involve customers regularly in evaluating their experiences, listen carefully to their
views and take good account of their feedback. However, arrangements for staff to
utilise feedback from customers and partners formally and systematically to improve the
quality of services delivered are not yet fully embedded.
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9.
Capacity to Improve based on evidence from Outcomes and
Impact, Service Delivery and Leadership
All staff are enthusiastic and committed to developing and delivering services which
meet the needs of customers. They have a shared vision and take collective ownership
for the delivery of these services. They have good knowledge of SDS aims and
objectives and are flexible in reaching out to the community to support partners and
customers. They are knowledgeable of the Shetland context and partners and
customers value this. Across the team respectful and supportive relationships between
staff is creating a strong culture and ethos of creativity and innovation.
The range of services available to customers and partners is well considered and takes
good account of local and national priorities. The Area Team are valued partners in
driving forward the agenda of change in Shetland. Staff make good use of regular
contact with partners to coordinate provision across a range of multi-agency partners in
providing an appropriate service for customers, minimising duplication of services and
maximising skills, expertise and resources.
Managers have a well-considered development plan in place for developing staff and
this is beginning to impact positively on the quality of the service offer. They regularly
engage staff and customers in reviewing the impact of their service.
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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.
Barbara Nelson
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 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
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Appendix 1
Glossary of terms
CDP
CIAG
CMS
DWP
DYW
HS
ICT
IES
JHS
JSA
LMI
LMT
MyWoW
NAFC
PACE
SDS
SIC
SLDR
SOA
SOP
SPA
UHI
Career development plans
Career Information, Advice and Guidance
Career Management Skills
Department of Work and Pensions
Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce
High School
Information and Communications Technology
Integrated Employment Skills
Junior High School
Job Seekers Allowance
Labour Market Information
Local Management Team
My World of Work
North Atlantic Fisheries College
Partnership action for continuing employment
Skills Development Scotland
Shetland Islands Council
School Leaver Destination Return
Single Outcome Agreement
Standard Operating Procedure
School Partnership Agreement
University of Highland and Islands
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