Control of document

Adult Community Curriculum Quality and Development Group

Policy aims and intentions

Outlines the purpose, goals, and principles of providing information, advice, and guidance to learners and other stakeholders accessing ACL’s services.

Responsibility Group

ACL Senior Leadership Team

Policy Writer

Vice Principal Quality and Compliance

Date of acceptance

October 2015

Last review date

October 2023

Next review date

October 2024

Audience

All ACL service teams

Stored location

All policies to be stored on ComEd Pool/Policies and Strategies.

All policies intended for learners to be available on the VLE within ACL Policies (Learners)

All policies intended for tutors and staff to be available on the staff portal.

The Policy

Adult Community Learning Essex offers a confidential, high quality impartial, information, advice and guidance services for adults who wish to seek advice on their career, learning, work, and life goals.  The quality of the IAG service is assured through compliance with the Matrix standards and a process of continuous improvement.

Adult Community Learning Essex is committed to providing a clear, impartial information and advice service to adults.  The IAG service is confidential, and client focussed in accordance with the Matrix Framework.

Information offers up to date information on learning and career opportunities to support learners with their personal goals without going into significant detail.  Advice is where more in-depth information that is tailored and focused on their individual need.  Guidance is where the IAG assists clients to comprehensively explore learning or career options, and this may include referral to the National Careers Service.

Diversity and Equality

Equality of Opportunity underpins all aspects of the IAG service including accessibility in terms of promotion of the service, location, and the removal of physical and cultural barriers.

The Service is committed to providing a high-quality Information, Advice and Guidance service to the community.  This service is made available on enquiry and throughout the learner journey.

Any guidance given to learners must be non-discriminatory and staff should ensure that enquirers are not discouraged from taking non-traditional courses.

Special attention should be given to the continuing support required by learners who are in a minority and may be in an isolated position.

Impartiality

Information and advice given is impartial and focuses on the client’s individual needs.

Confidentiality

Personal information held and processed by the service is subject to GDPR legislation.  Any information held as a result of individual sessions is confidential and is stored securely with only authorised staff having access.  Personal information will not be passed onto any third parties without the individual’s prior permission.

Referral/Signposting

Where the service is unable to meet the needs of a client, they will be referred or signposted to an appropriate provider or source of information.

Method of implementation

• Information and advice events including enrolment sessions, apprenticeship events, and initial assessments.
• Pre entry / foundation IAG, delivered by front line staff, is centred on helping individuals within the community to identify the most appropriate provider to progress their career, learning, work, and life goals, and refer if needed. IAG provision here includes support with enrolment and collecting fees.
• Embedded IAG – On-programme support is centred around the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and its review cycle which starts with initial assessment and concludes with exit and progression support followed by destination tracking.
• Initial assessment that supports accurately identifies learner’s starting points and prior experience, including maths, English and digital skills.
• Regular reviews of learning plans to establish the progress learners are making towards their goals, provide developmental feedback and ensure that learners remain involved in goal setting and that they “own” these.
• Learners will be supported to achieve their personal goals including soft outcomes, such as developing confidence, improving wellbeing, increased social cohesion.
• Digital Drop In centres staffed by IAG qualified facilitators to provide impartial IAG and support learners to explore their learning and employment options.
• Progression pathways that inform on the steps needed to achieve learner goals.
• Training, so that staff know who to elicit information from assessments and interviews, interpret these results and develop meaningful learning plans that meet individual needs.
• Reaching out and delivering IAG to disadvantaged or minority groups in the wider community.
• Targeted support for those who are unemployed and looking to get back into work.
• Working with partners to deliver impartial IAG, developing signposting and referral services so that learners receive the timely support they need to achieve their goals.

Monitoring and evaluating the policy

The Curriculum, Quality and Development Group will monitor and evaluate this policy on a continuous basis, confer with and advise staff on its implementation, and report to the Senior Leadership Team.

Monitoring and evaluating the policy

• Impact on Quality of Initial Assessment and development of knowledge and skills
• Quality of initial assessment, target setting, and the progress being made by learners towards achieving their learning and career goals.
• Staff make good use of information gathering to provide differentiation within session planning that meets individual needs.
• Development of English, maths, and digital skills
• Development of “wider” employability skills including behaviours and attitudes, team working etc.
• High levels of retention, attendance, and achievement.
• Impact on Progression
• Learners progress to destinations relevant to their career or learning aims.
• Learners progress into employment or progress within their current role.
• Learners progress into further learning
• Quality Frameworks
• maintaining the MATRIX Standard Accreditation and using it as a tool to continuously improve.
• Good Ofsted judgement for overall effectiveness
• Training and development activities
• Impact from training delivered within teacher training, customer services, and learner/employer engagement roles.
• Learner Feedback
• End of course learner evaluation forms

Associated Policies

• Diversity & Equality
• Staff Development
• GDPR

If you require this document in any other format, please email jaimie.huckfield@essex.gov.uk stating the document name in full and the format you need.