Careers information, advice and
guidance delivered by Skills
Development Scotland
in West Lothian
20 August 2014
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 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. There is also a judgement on the capacity to improve, based on the
evidence of all the 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
1.
Page
Introduction
1
The external review
The role of Skills Development Scotland
1
1
2.
The service and its context
3
3.
Background information
4
4.
Outcomes of external review
6
Section A:
Section B:
Section C:
Section D:
5.
Grades
Areas of positive practice
Areas for development
Main points for action
6
6
7
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
9
6.
Service Delivery
How good is delivery of key services?
How good is management of key services?
13
13
16
7.
Leadership and quality culture
How good is strategic leadership?
18
18
8.
Capacity to improve based on evidence from all key areas,
in particular Outcomes and Impact and Leadership
20
9.
What happens next?
21
10
Further information
21
11.
How can you contact us?
22
10
Appendices
23
Glossary of terms
23
1. Introduction
The external review
The external review by Education Scotland took place between 20 May 2014 and
27 May 2014. The review focused on careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG)
services delivered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in West Lothian.
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 West Lothian
team, external agencies and other users of the service.
The role of Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland’s all-age careers information, advice and guidance
services aim to equip young people and adults to make a positive transition into
continued education, training or the world of work upon leaving school. Young people
and adults do this by developing the career management skills (CMS) that 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 delivered by SDS’ professional guidance new technology
in the form of online services through 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 and supported access to an online CMS environment, My World of Work. The
level of intensity of support is determined by an assessment of pupil needs made in
discussion with schools. With the greatest proportion of careers coach support provided
to those young people deemed at ‘medium or maximum risk’ of not securing and
sustaining a place in education or training, or a job upon leaving school.
Underpinning service delivery is SDS’ commitment to working 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
1
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.
2
2.
The service area and its context
In carrying out the external review of services delivered in West Lothian, Education
Scotland took the following area context fully into account.
West Lothian has a population of 175,100 inhabitants, accounting for 3% of Scotland’s
total population. It has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the
country, with an average age of 38 years compared with the Scottish average of
40 years. West Lothian has the highest percentage of under fifteen year olds in
Scotland (19%) and the lowest percentage of over sixty fives (14%). West Lothian’s
population is split into 51% female citizens, with 49% male.
There are eleven secondary schools and two further education colleges in the area.
Schools range in size of population but have between 750–1200 pupils. A universal
service is offered to all pupils, with targeted support to those at risk of not making a
successful transition to the labour market. In 1996, West Lothian school pupil
educational attainment levels were below the national average and the area was the
lowest performer among the former Lothian councils. However, in recent years, West
Lothian has consistently outperformed or equalled the attainment of comparator
authorities. West Lothian has had an increase in young people entering positive
destinations over the last ten years, a key factor in improving the life chances and
employment prospects of young people.
The area has had a changing and growing economic profile over the last thirty years.
Employment levels and economic activity are similar to national levels in Scotland.
More than three-quarters (77%) of West Lothian’s working age population is
economically active. This places West Lothian in joint 17th position among the 32
Scottish local authorities and level with the Scottish average of 77%. Out of the 211
datazones in West Lothian, nineteen are in the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland.
Qualification levels among West Lothian’s population are lower than the Scottish
average and earnings are also lower. Overall, the economic activity has been growing
over the last decade, with a range of industries locating to the area, which has good
transport links to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
SDS CIAG services in West Lothian are organised and managed through a staffing
structure which consists of a Head of Region, an Area Manager and two Team Leaders.
Nineteen staff, comprising Career Coaches, Work Coaches and Personal Advisors,
deliver careers services across the area primarily from the main office in Livingston. A
Career Coach is assigned to each secondary school. SDS provision is managed from a
centrally located office in Livingston. SDS delivers outreach services in Bathgate
JobcentrePlus premises. During the summer period, SDS provides services in
community centres to support school leavers.
3
3.
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 channels 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 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 Structured one-to-one coaching for any pupil identified and referred by
school guidance as requiring support
SDS School Targeted Service Offer consists of:
o
o
Structured one-to-one career coaching sessions
Handover to dedicated work coach
SDS Post-school 16-19 Service Offer consists of:
o
o
o
o
o
Access to the MyWoW web service
Structured one-to-one career coaching sessions
Dedicated work coach service for targeted young people
Telephone access to SDS contact centre
Open access to public centres
SDS All age Service Offer (adults) consists of:
o
o
o
o
o
Access to the MyWoW web service
Telephone access to SDS contact centre
Partnership action for continuing employment (PACE)
Integrated employment and skills (IES)
Open access to public centres
Further information on SDS services to individuals and employers can be found at
www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk. My World of Work website can be accessed at
www.myworldofwork.co.uk
4
Staff roles
In West Lothian, SDS use a number of titles to describe the roles of the 19 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.
5
4.
Outcomes of External Review
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:
Key theme
Grade
Customer progression and achievement of
relevant high quality outcomes
good
Meeting the needs of stakeholders
good
Delivery of key services
good
Management of service delivery
good
Strategic leadership
satisfactory
Capacity for improvement
satisfactory
Section B:




Outstanding and sector leading
Major strengths
Important strengths with some areas for improvement
Strengths just outweigh weaknesses
Important weaknesses
Major weaknesses
Areas of positive practice
Over the last three years, annual School Leaver Destination Results (SLDR) show
an overall improvement in the positive destinations of young people in West
Lothian, with 92% of school leavers last year leaving for a positive destination.
SDS Careers staff have been involved in a number of PACE interventions, and
feedback from customers and partners is positive.
Partners use a well-established system for the referral of post school customers
for advice and support to SDS. This Integrated Employment System (IES)
referrals system works very well, with almost all customers having a helpful
response within 24 hours.
Career Coaches and staff in schools work well together to provide a seamless
handover of support as young people prepare to leave school.
6







Relationships between customers, stakeholders and SDS Careers staff are
mutually respectful and lead to productive working relationships and good
outcomes for customers.
SDS Careers staff are well informed of the local context for their work and respond
well to the key priority groups.
Services to support customers with additional support needs are effective and
valued by partners and customers.
Labour market information is distributed effectively to customers through a weekly
publication called SNIPPETS. This publication is used to inform customers of
opportunities in employment and training.
The risk matrix information informs the Internal Hub discussions in schools and
ensures career services are targeted at those in greatest need of support.
Partners value the contribution of SDS careers staff in a range of local forums. For
example, the local authority looks upon the SDS careers team as a highly-valued
partner.
The evaluation of a major PACE intervention has helpfully highlighted a number of
areas for partners to consider in the improved coordination of their work in future
large scale interventions.
Section C:










Areas for development
SDS careers staff are not always given sufficient access to pupils by schools to
enable them to deliver CIAG services. As a result some pupils do not receive the
appropriate level of service available to them.
SDS staff have contributed positively to improved SLDR in West Lothian.
However, these improvements are not consistent across all secondary schools in
the area.
Whilst it is recognised that the development of CMS is still at an early stage of
implementation, SDS staff are not promoting CMS sufficiently to all partner
agencies.
Although SDS staff monitor the delivery of CIAG services in schools there is no
formal process for sharing performance information with schools to influence and
support improvements to the delivery of the School Partnership Agreement (SPA).
Local SDS careers staff do not routinely invite stakeholders and partners to
contribute to the evaluation of the impact of the careers services offered.
Some young people who participated in focus groups during the external review
were not sufficiently aware of the range of services available to them through
MyWoW to support them in making decisions and further developing their CMS.
In group work activities, more than a few staff did not use a sufficiently wide range
of methodologies to engage customers, support reflection, check understanding
and involve customers in the learning activity.
SDS careers staff have insufficient access to local statistical information on the
use and uptake of MyWoW by customers to help them to understand how well
their customers are using the web service.
SDS staff do not have sufficient access to accommodation, Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) and broadband connectivity in off-site delivery,
especially in schools.
Actions identified through self-evaluation activities are often not specific or
measurable, and many had no follow-up information available.
7

Central processes for gaining stakeholder feedback do not provide area staff with
timely information about the quality or the impact of local services. SDS careers
staff were not always aware of feedback or the results from the collection of
information nationally.
Section D:
Main points for action
SDS should:

work with secondary schools to ensure that all school pupils in the area
have access to appropriate services, including universal and targeted
provision and that schools make effective use of the resources and services
offered by SDS;

continue to work with and support schools to increase the number of pupils
attaining positive outcomes;

increase customers’ awareness and understanding of partners and
customers of the purpose and benefits of developing CMS;

work with partners and schools to improve access to appropriate equipment
and resources to support effective delivery of services;

make effective use of reflection and self-evaluation activities to prepare
appropriate actions and targets to drive forward innovation and
improvement;

ensure SDS careers staff at the local level evaluate stakeholder feedback and
service delivery reports to inform actions and to enhance delivery and
impact of the service;

support staff to improve skills and approaches to deliver group work
sessions; and

promote more fully the range of services available through MyWoW to
support customers in making decisions and further developing their CMS.
8
5.
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?
School Leaver Destination Results in the last three years show an overall improvement
in the positive destinations of young people in West Lothian. There has been a
decrease in 15-19 year-old unemployed customers in the last five years, from 520 in
May 2010 to 366 in May 2014. These figures show a diminishing trend of unemployed
young people claiming benefit. SDS staff have contributed to improved SLDR in West
Lothian. However, these improvements are not consistent across all secondary schools
in the area.
SDS Careers staff are not always given sufficient access to pupils by schools to enable
them to deliver CIAG services. As a result some pupils do not receive the appropriate
level of service.
In the year to March 2014, the team delivered individual support to 74% of the pupils
who were regarded as needing focused support. In addition, group activities have been
provided to 65% of those customers identified as targeted for group engagements. The
area team has experienced a number of difficulties in accessing the pupils within their
schools, and these are being addressed. Registrations with MyWoW are progressing at
a higher rate than the national norm, with the West Lothian registrations sitting
approximately 30% higher than the national average. The team has increased the level
of work with 16–19 year old customers. This has resulted in SDS careers staff
delivering 59% more coaching and employability sessions than planned.
Key partners are focused on achieving positive destinations for all young people.
However, most partners are not sufficiently aware of the National CMS Framework to
enable young people to develop and gain CMS. As a result, not all partners are
supporting and enabling young people sufficiently to access SDS CIAG services to
develop these skills.
The area team has been involved in a number of PACE interventions, and feedback
from customers and partners is positive. For example, a significant intervention with
employees from a large, local business was valued by and helpful for those customers
at risk of unemployment. The customers valued the careers input, and felt SDS careers
staff support had played a significant part in the increased likelihood of continued
employment.
How well does the area team adhere to statutory principles and guidance?
SDS provides centrally produced information and support on compliance with legislation
and statutory guidance. The West Lothian SDS CIAG team uses this support and
guidance well to direct their activities. Key documents around equalities are published
on the SDS website. SDS careers staff use standard operating procedures to support
consistent delivery which takes account of current legislation.
9
The West Lothian area team includes an equalities champion whose role is
well-defined, providing accessible support to the team. Information on equality
developments and good practice is shared within the team. The main SDS delivery
sites are accessible and appropriate for all customers, including those with disabilities.
The main PACE intervention in the last year has involved a high number of employees
whose first language was not English. SDS careers staff are sensitive to the need for
bilingual information and support and ensure appropriate and accessible advice is
provided.
There is insufficient information regarding the proportion of local users overall who have
protected characteristics and who access CIAG services. It is therefore difficult to
confirm that that there is appropriate and equitable access for all customers. It is
therefore challenging for the team to ensure that disadvantaged individuals are being
offered appropriate support.
How well does the service meet the needs of stakeholders?
How well do customers make progress and achieve individual outcomes?
SDS careers staff have a presence in all secondary schools in the West Lothian area
and support a range of special schools and units. Staff work with private training
providers, college and JobcentrePlus customers. SDS careers staff deliver a
differentiated service with a focus on customers in need of most support. They use a
blended approach of individual, group and web-based support which meets the needs
of most of their customers. They work well to provide services in readily-accessible
locations, including delivery in partners’ premises. The summer School Leavers Survey
in 2013 indicated that 69% of the school pupils surveyed by SDS agree that it is easy to
access the services provided. This increased to 87% in the Winter School Leavers
Survey in 2013. Of those surveyed in summer 2013, 62% of pupils were satisfied with
the CIAG support they receive in school. In the Winter School Leavers Survey in 2013,
this increased to 81%.
In addition to the SDS risk matrix, the local authority has developed a further risk matrix
to help identify those pupils in need of most support. These mechanisms, often
supported by further information used by schools staff, help underpin the discussions
within the Internal Hub group in the schools. This approach determines the support
needs of pupils, and identifies which agency is best placed to deliver that support.
Internal Hub groups, which consist of school guidance staff, SDS careers staff and local
authority staff, are charged with supporting learners who are most at risk of not
achieving a positive destination. The Internal Hub groups work well in almost all
schools, to identify pupils whose broad profile indicates they need focused support, and
those who during the school year become in need of additional support. Regular
discussions between groups of staff are used well to identify the individuals who will
benefit most from more intense SDS support.
SDS staff have well-established referral arrangements with local offices of the
Department for Work and Pensions to provide SDS CIAG services to post-school
customers. The IES referrals system works very well, with almost all customers
receiving a helpful response within 24 hours of referral. Most post-school customers,
who receive SDS CIAG support, are confident that the support they receive helps them
10
to make well-considered career decisions. SDS careers staff refer suitable candidates
to college employability programmes and these customers make good progress.
Whilst it is recognised that the development of CMS is still at an early stage, SDS staff
are not promoting CMS sufficiently to all partner agencies. Recent initiatives are being
introduced to raise awareness of CMS, but these have not yet had sufficient impact.
How motivated, supported and enabled are staff?
SDS careers staff are committed to delivering services well, and almost all have a
strong awareness of the service’s aims and objectives. Strong and mutually supportive
team working is evident, and staff feel empowered to be flexible and adaptive in the
delivery of services. There are mechanisms in place to ensure effective peer support
and team delivery help share good practice. Staff meet weekly to plan work and
caseloads, and these meetings are often used to share customer information and reflect
on practice.
All work coaches and career coaches hold appropriate professional qualifications, and
plans are in place to review the qualifications of personal advisors to support succession
planning. SDS careers staff have started to use the SDS Observation Framework to
reflect on practice, and the early stages have been completed by all staff. Seven of the
19 staff involved have also completed the final peer review and manager observation
stages, with the other staff moving to this stage in the near future.
How well do services meet the needs of relevant communities and other local and
national stakeholders?
There is an Opportunities for All Steering Group that has developed an action plan
which guides the priorities for delivery. The group also helps to facilitate the sharing of
information between agencies and identification of local issues. SDS careers staff
recognise the national priorities for planning and delivery of careers support, and focus
their time well on people at risk of not attaining a positive destination. Staff work well
with partners and coordinate their work effectively with the local authority. Partners and
stakeholders have a high regard for the professional and responsive services delivered
by the SDS staff, and recognise the constructive and flexible ways that SDS careers
staff work to assist and support customers.
There are formal SPAs in place for all secondary schools in the area. However, these
agreements are based on a standard template and are not sufficiently tailored to meet
local needs. Although SDS staff monitor the delivery of CIAG services in schools, there
is no formal process for sharing performance information with schools to influence and
support improvements relating to the delivery of the SPA. The review of the partnership
work does not focus sufficiently on the delivery of key targets. In a few cases, where
issues were identified, there are no actions in place for improvement. Each school has
an Internal Hub group whose role is to meet regularly and review the lead agency
assigned to work with young people who may need additional support. Although there
are some variations in how regularly these meet, they work well overall to ensure
support is targeted effectively.
SDS careers staff share information with other agencies and groups effectively. A few
initiatives have been introduced to improve partnership working. However, they do not
11
routinely invite stakeholders and partners to contribute to the evaluation of the careers
services offered. This results in missed opportunities for drawing on feedback to
improve the quality of approaches and services.
12
6.
Service Delivery
How good is delivery of key services?
How well do services meet the needs of all customers?
The blended approach used by SDS careers staff supports most customers to access a
range of services which meets their individual needs and develops a range of skills to
enhance their progression into positive destinations. Most schools staff work with SDS
careers staff to make good use of the support and resources available to them and
inform young people about their subject choices and career options. The generic
guidance outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is used well by SDS
careers staff to provide a basis for planning their delivery of services. School-based
careers interviews take full account of the individual needs of young people and most
young people recognise the usefulness and quality of the advice and guidance. SDS
staff encourage young people to take responsibility for the development of their own
career management skills.
SDS staff plan delivery approaches well to take account of the individual needs of the
customer. They promote activities well within schools and most pupils are aware of the
range of services on offer. Career coaches and work coaches in schools work
collaboratively to provide a seamless handover of support as young people prepare to
leave school. Some schools have identified opportunities for intervention at an earlier
stage, for example, to support pupils in making subject choices.
SDS staff ensure that the PACE provision provides access for customers to careers
services in the event of redundancy or threat of redundancy. SDS careers staff provide
responsive and flexible approaches to meet the needs of PACE customers, including
delivering Saturday morning sessions for employees at risk of redundancy.
However, not all customers are sufficiently aware of the wide range of services available
through MyWoW. The information on this web service is not always shared effectively
with customers of all ages to ensure they can develop their CMS.
How effective are relationships with customers?
SDS careers staff are highly regarded by partners and stakeholders. Relationships
between customers, stakeholders and SDS careers staff are mutually respectful and
lead to productive working relationships and good outcomes for customers. SDS
careers staff provide effective information and support for young people, and encourage
their self-reliance. Overall, feedback from stakeholders and customers is positive.
There are a few good examples of SDS careers staff working collectively with schools to
inform, advise and support parents and pupils. For example, in Broxburn Academy,
services are delivered to help parents understand MyWoW. This helps parents to
encourage and support young people. However, some young people who participated
in focus groups during the external review were not sufficiently aware of the range of
services available to them through MyWoW to support them in making decisions and
further developing their CMS.
13
How accessible, flexible and inclusive are services?
SDS careers staff are well-informed of the local context for their work, and respond well
to the key priority groups. They have established effective referral arrangements with
partner agencies to deliver a range of services to the wider community. SDS careers
staff use a risk matrix approach effectively for initial identification of customer needs.
However, there is a significant level of overlap and duplication between the SDS Risk
Matrix and the Local Authority Risk Matrix. Risk matrix information is used well by SDS
staff to inform Internal Hub discussions in schools and to ensure career services are
targeted at those in greatest need of support. In addition to the Internal Hub meetings,
the Transition Working Group meetings are effective in ensuring the coordination of
work amongst key partners. Appropriate interventions are identified and planned as a
result of these meetings.
Services to support customers with additional support needs are effective and highly
valued by partners and customers. The differentiated service and adaption of delivery
methods, is innovative and creative and addresses the individual needs effectively.
SDS careers staff work effectively with parents at review meetings and ensure the
quality of the positive destination for these customers is enhanced.
SDS careers staff make good use of workshops, careers fairs, careers evenings and
posters to promote the range of services. However, there are limited promotional
resources available to support staff in this work. In some schools, SDS careers staff do
not always have appropriate access to pupils who would benefit from their support. For
example, not all schools had drop-in sessions readily available.
How well are services delivered?
SDS careers staff plan services effectively and take good account of partner and local
needs. They respond flexibly to the needs of stakeholders and adjust delivery methods
to meet identified needs. All SDS careers staff have good awareness of pathways and
opportunities available to support positive destinations for customers. They apply their
professional knowledge appropriately and use relevant LMI to support customers in
working towards positive destinations. Partners praised the provision of LMI which is
distributed effectively to customers through a weekly publication. This publication is
also used to inform customers of opportunities in employment and training.
SDS careers staff use group work sessions to support the delivery of the Universal Offer
and to develop and promote the range of CIAG services available. During group work
sessions, staff quickly establish positive relationships with groups of customers.
However, within group work activities, some staff do not use a sufficiently wide range of
methodologies to engage customers, support reflection, check understanding and
involve customers in the learning activity.
Most customers gain independence and confidence in their knowledge and
development of CMS as a result of their positive interaction with SDS careers staff.
Some staff adapt corporate presentations well to reflect individual and local needs and
to improve the quality of outcomes for customers.
Most school staff have limited knowledge and understanding of the CMS framework, or
the wider approach to developing career management skills. As a consequence, there
14
are few links with wider school activities and the planned development of the CMS skills
of young people.
There is variation amongst schools in the area to provide an accessible and
well-promoted service for customers. Approximately half of SPA review reports for the
last school year identified issues pertaining to pupil access and attendance at
one-to-one engagements and school clinics, and access to appropriate ICT for group
work.
The main careers office in Livingston provides a welcoming and inviting environment for
customers. SDS careers staff are friendly, approachable and very welcoming. They
take time to make customers feel at ease and make good use of the resources available
to them. As a result, customers feel comfortable and supported to access the services
available to them.
SDS careers staff are positive about the recent introduction of formal customer
feedback mechanisms to reflect on and improve services delivered locally. A wide
range of information is collected on MyWoW at a national level, including customer
feedback. However, this feedback is not always made available to staff at local level
quickly enough to enable staff to effect ongoing improvements.
Most adult customers are very pleased with the quality of service they receive from SDS
staff. This includes customers seeking employment after long periods of
unemployment. Most customers are supported effectively by SDS careers staff, to
update their CMS and apply current up-to-date approaches to job seeking activities.
How well do staff reflect on service delivery to improve services?
All SDS careers staff engage well in reflecting on the quality of careers services through
the Business Excellence Assessment (BEA) process. They make good use of this
mechanism to support professional dialogue and self-reflection. However, the BEA
reporting documents do not have clear or specific actions for all areas of development,
which limits the ability of SDS careers staff to monitor progress. Staff are engaging in a
recently-introduced national three-stage observation process, Observation Framework
which supports personal reflection and informs continuous improvement. Almost half of
SDS staff have completed all three stages of this process.
SDS careers staff meet regularly to discuss service delivery and reflect on their practice.
They make good use of arrangements to work with colleagues and are supportive of
each other in the sharing practice and resources to enhance and improve service
delivery.
A wide range of partner forums extends the opportunity of SDS careers staff to reflect
and inform their provision and adapt delivery of service to meet local and individual
needs. However, in all schools, there is no formal process in place for sharing
performance information relating to the delivery of the SPA or the development of
improvement actions to address any delivery issues identified such as the planned
group work sessions are not being met.
How well do stakeholders and customers participate in the development and
planning of services?
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SDS managers are contributing effectively to the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) and
the policy direction for Opportunities for All within the local area. SDS managers draw
on this to inform local planning. SDS managers and SDS careers staff have established
productive relationships with a wide range of partners for the coordination and delivery
of their work. They coordinate and plan activity well, through local and area forums,
which contribute to improving outcomes for all customers.
SDS careers staff and schools staff work well collectively through Internal Hubs to make
good use of data gathered from the Risk Matrix and the 16+ data hub, to identify young
people at risk and plan appropriate intervention and support. SDS careers staff access
a range of external agencies and partners to supplement the support given.
However, stakeholder feedback is not systematically used to inform evaluation of SDS
service delivery locally with key partners, such as schools. As a result, there is
insufficient useful feedback collected on the impact of the support provided by SDS
careers staff.
How good is management of key services?
How well does the organisation work with partners to improve outcomes for
customers?
SDS careers staff develop positive and productive stakeholder partnerships. They are
involved in a wide range of local area forums and working groups to plan provision and
coordinate activity. The External Hub, which has oversight of all West Lothian activity,
is effective in drawing together the work of these forums to ensure delivery improves
outcomes for customers. SDS careers staff utilise the skills and resources of external
partners effectively to build on partners strengths and minimise duplication.
SDS careers staff have led the creation of a local Youth Employment Activity Plan
(YEAP) for the area. The plan comprehensively identifies a wide range of external
agencies which offer support intervention at all stages of the strategic skills pipeline.
SDS staff make good use of the YEAP to ensure customers are referred appropriately
to meet their individual needs.
Partnership work between SDS careers staff and the local college has helped some
college staff to gain a wider understanding of the potential of MyWoW to support
college student learning and transitions. There is a growing appreciation by college
staff of the potential to use MyWoW more extensively with learners at the college. SDS
staff work well with secondary schools to plan and agree SPAs. In a few schools, SDS
careers staff are making good progress in supporting schools to incorporate CMS and
MyWoW within S3 school profiling. In the majority of schools, SDS careers staff are
integral to the work of the school and effective partnership working is evident.
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How effective is the organisation’s knowledge and information management in
supporting service delivery?
SDS managers and SDS careers staff make good use of a wide range of formal and
informal information to deploy resources appropriately and to meet local needs. Almost
all staff use the standard careers recording software timeously to record activity which is
used to measure performance and activity. This informs the planning process and the
prioritisation of caseloads effectively.
All partners submit their data to the 16+ data hub. This information is used well by
partners to ensure they meet their obligations under the Scottish Government’s
Opportunities for All strategy. This data is shared with relevant partners to inform
planning and activity. All staff are aware of the SOPs available and use these to guide
approaches and practice in their service delivery. Staff regularly adapt these to ensure
a differentiated service is delivered to meet individual and group needs.
SDS careers staff have insufficient access to local statistical information on the use and
uptake of MyWOW by customers to help them to understand how well their customers
are using the web service. As a consequence, SDS careers staff do not analyse data to
help inform local improvements to increase uptake and use of the web service as part of
the Universal Offer.
SDS careers staff rely on access to and use of ICT equipment in schools and partners’
premises to deliver CIAG services. ICT connectivity in the main SDS centre in
Livingston is good and supports effective delivery of careers services. SDS staff do not
have sufficient access to accommodation, ICT and broadband connectivity in off-site
delivery, especially in schools. This inhibits the ability of SDS staff to input and access
appropriate data and to draw on data to action improvements.
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7.
Leadership and quality culture
How good is strategic leadership?
How appropriate and influential are the organisation’s visions, values and aims?
The local management team understands well the vision and aims of SDS and the
changing environment in which they operate. Leaders work hard to coordinate their
services. They take good account of national directives and use these to inform
services and the roles of staff in meeting priority customer needs. Staff recognise the
changes to the service delivery and most are working well to adapt to new processes
and arrangements.
SDS careers staff have clearly defined roles and work well together to coordinate
services and support to meet the needs of customers. Almost all staff are involved in
planning services at a local level and are committed to their implementation. Overall,
they have a good appreciation of the local SOA and how it guides partnership activity in
delivery of the service.
SDS careers staff recognise that their Area Manager and Team Leaders listen to their
views and take account of their opinions when designing and implementing their work
plans. They are empowered to make changes to meet localised need. They appreciate
the scheduled regular team briefings and the on-going communication arrangements to
keep abreast of current issues and share professional views.
How effective is leadership for partnership working and service delivery?
SDS careers staff are committed and conscientious and work hard to meet the needs of
customers and establish positive relationships with partners. They take an important
and central role in the coordination and implementation of services to support young
people and adults. SDS careers staff work well with the local authority and other
partners to promote and explain the services available to the wider community. This
includes the useful publication of the strategic planning document, West Lothian
Working Together.
The service area is well represented on Community Planning Partnership forums,
including the Board and sub-groups of the Local Economic Strategy Group,
Opportunities for All group and other short-life working groups. Partners value the
contribution of SDS careers staff on these forums. The local authority regards the
careers team as a highly valued partner.
Well-managed and effective partnerships have resulted in improvements to the
coordination of services over recent years and in the high percentage of customers
achieving positive destinations. The range of important partnership forums is well
coordinated and informs service delivery well. These include, the Transitions Working
Group, External and Internal Hubs, Through Care and After Care groups. However, a
few schools do not make sufficient use of the resources and services offered by SDS
careers staff and their use is not yet consistent across all schools. There is strong focus
by SDS careers staff on SLDR. However, there is insufficient focus on the development
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of CMS, which is not promoted effectively by SDS careers staff to service users or
delivery partners.
How well do leaders develop and lead people?
Team leaders support each other well and provide staff with useful advice and support.
Weekly team meetings are used well to inform and involve staff in keeping up-to-date
with current developments. ASPIRE is used effectively by managers to help staff to set
objectives and reflect on their professional skills.
Staff engage in a range of informal and formal activities to share professional
experience to improve delivery of the service. Some SDS careers staff make good use
of their participation in the Observation Framework to support improvements and the
sharing of effective practice. Staff sometimes encounter challenges, such as access to
young people, the quality of accommodation and the standard of resources, which
impede the effectiveness of the service delivery. Although managers have taken some
action to address these issues, they remain mostly unresolved.
How effective is leadership for innovation and change?
Managers are flexible and responsive in relation to the delivery of services. Staff are
encouraged to look at different approaches and solutions. Schools value SDS careers
staff being open to new ideas and looking at different ways to deliver the services to
pupils. However, there is limited reflection to identify priorities for improvement and to
plan for actions which lead to improvement.
How well do leaders secure improvement of quality and impact of services?
Within the most recent self-assessment report, some strengths and areas for
improvement were identified for action. These include a concern that staff are unaware
of the results of actions stemming from staff surveys and stakeholder feedback.
However, not all areas of the service identified areas for development or had clear
actions identified. Where actions were identified, they were often not specific or
measurable. Many of the actions had no follow-up information available, and many
others were on-going.
SDS commissioned a useful evaluation of the PACE intervention with a large, local
business to help learn lessons to improve this service in the longer term. The
evaluation was detailed, and has helpfully highlighted a number of areas for partners to
consider in the improved coordination of their work in future large scale interventions.
Staff rely on national systems for gaining stakeholder feedback. However, these
arrangements do not provide area staff with prompt information about the quality or the
impact of local services. SDS careers staff are not always aware of feedback or the
results of interventions in a timely way from the collection of information nationally.
Staff do not yet have access to nationally produced data on MyWoW to fully inform
reflection and future planning for improvement.
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8.
Capacity to improve based on evidence from all key areas, in
particular Outcomes and Impact and Leadership
The service area has satisfactory capacity for improvement. Managers and staff are
aware of the national priorities which inform and underpin their work. Team leadership
is good, and staff work well together to plan and coordinate their service delivery.
However, the service delivery across schools is inconsistent. Relationships with key
partners are good. A strong emphasis on positive and sustained destinations is a
shared priority with key partners, and overall destinations are an improving trend and
close to the national norm. Whilst is it recognised that the development of CMS is still
at an early stage, SDS staff are not sufficiently promoting the purpose and benefits of
CMS to all customers and partner agencies.
SDS careers staff are not always given sufficient access to pupils by schools to enable
them to deliver CIAG services. As a result, the Universal Service in schools has not
been fully delivered to those identified as in need of the services, either through
groupwork or individual interventions. SDS careers staff delivered individual support to
74% of the pupils who were regarded as needing focused support. In addition, group
activities have been provided to 65% of those customers identified as targeted for group
engagements. Although this information has been available through the year, the
actions taken to address this issue have not been fully effective. However, issues such
as the full delivery of the SPAs have not been given a sufficiently high priority by careers
and school staff. The area team’s arrangements for the monitoring and review of the
impact of their work are not fully effective.
Continuing professional development arrangements are good, and staff are engaged in
reflection of their professional practice and delivery.
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9.
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.
Dr John Laird
HM Inspector
10. 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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11. 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/westlothiancs.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 2014
Education Scotland
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Appendix 1
Glossary of terms
BEA
CIAG
CMS
ICT
IES
LMI
MyWoW
PACE
SDS
SLDR
SOA
SOP
SPA
YEAP
Business Excellence Assessment
Careers Information, Advice and Guidance
Career Management Skills
Information and Communications Technology
Integrated Employment System
Labour Market Information
My World of Work
Partnership action for continuing employment
Skills Development Scotland
School Leaver Destination Results
Single Outcome Agreement
Standard Operating Procedure
School Partnership Agreement
Youth Employment Activity Plan
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