First Rung Ltd: Quality Procedures Manual

POLICY STATEMENT No 30

Information and Advice and Guidance Policy

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

First Rung is committed to providing excellent information and advice to its learners. This policy stems from our mission“to provide high quality training, support and opportunities” to all its service users.

We consider our information and advice services to be essential in achieving our strategic objectives” to ensure that effective quality systems are integral into all parts of the business in order to meet the needs of learners, employees and the local community”.

First Rung recognises the pivotal role of clear and accurate information, advice and guidance in achieving these objectives and has scrutinise its IAG processes in the light of the criteria provided by the matrix standard and to achieve accreditation for its Information, Advice and Guidance service.

DEFINITIONS

Pre-entry

We provide information and advice to potential learners about the full range of First Rung’s learning programmes, eligibility criteria for each programme, qualifications available on each programme and support available to learners during their learning atFirst Rung . In doing this, we work with key referral agencies and youth organisations to ensure we reach potential learners in the right way.

On programme

We provide learners with information about the requirements of the programme, ground rules, policies and procedures, their individual learning plan and support arrangements. We provide support for learning as well as pastoral support. We provide additional confidentialsupport for those learners who need it via our Learner Support and Progression Advisors. We help learners overcome barriers to achievement by helping them access external support agencies when necessary.

On exit

We provide support to learners to complete their programme objectives and confidential, impartial information, advice and guidance in order for them and to progress to employment or further education or training through one to one and small group support sessions.

In designing our information and advice services we are guided by the matrix standard, the Principles for Coherent Information, Advice and Guidance Delivery and the government’s Information, Advice and Guidance for Adults National Policy Framework and Action Plan.

Eligibility

Our information, advice and guidance services are available to potential and actual learners.

THE AIM OF THE SUPPORT

The aims of our information and advice are:

  • To provide impartial, high quality information and advice to learners and potential learners to support effective decisions about the choice of learning programme and achievement of their learning objectives or to signpost them to alternative options elsewhere as appropriate.
  • To ensure that potential learners are given the information and advice which enables them to decide correctly whether a First Rung course is appropriate for their circumstances
  • To ensure that the people who enrol on a course at First Rung choose the right course, leading to a qualification which is right for their potential and career aspirations
  • To ensure that our learners receive sufficient and appropriate information and advice during induction to prepare a learning plan which will lead to successful achievement of their course objectives
  • To ensure that our learners are supported during their course in a way which enables them to complete the course and achieve their qualifications
  • To ensure that at the end of their programme learners are supported to find employment, remain in employment, obtain promotion or enrol on a course of further education or training

To achieve our aims, we will

  • Operate within the matrix standardframework
  • Ensure that the principles established by the National IAG Board are inherent in the policies and practices for delivery of the IAG services
  • Promote the help and support available to all our users
  • Ensure our staff have the skills, knowledge and competences to provide information and advice to users
  • Make sufficient resources available to ensure all potential and actual learners have the information and advice they need
  • Build and maintain effective networks and partnerships to support this function.

IMPLEMENTATION

Promotion:

The Development Manager is responsible for ensuring that First Rung’s marketing literature and its website contain up-to-date, accurate and easy-to-follow information about the IAG Service we offer to users.

Management:

The Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring that the Learner Handbooks clearly explain the information, advice and support arrangements for learners at induction, during the course and on exit and that the information is always up to date.

The Centre / ProgrammeManager is responsible for signposting the Learner Support and Progression Advisor to each learner and for ensuring that this information is passed on to the learners. The Centre / Programme Manager is responsible for ensuring that sufficient resources are available to learners and potential learners to support their decisions about further training and/or employment.

The Centre Manager is responsible for ensuring that the front line staff always have access to current information about course descriptions, target audience, vacancies, entry requirements, application process, progression routes and accreditation information as appropriate to their roles.

The Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring that staff engaged in providing information and advice to learners and employers are suitably qualified and maintain their competence via CPD.

Delivery:

Staff who carry out induction to programmes are responsible for making sure that the learners understand the details and requirements of their learning programme, the location and access to resources providing information, advice and guidance and the arrangements for support, information and advice, to include relevant staff, limitations of service and confidentiality.

Learner Support and Progression Advisors are responsible for providing learners with support and advice and guidance to successfully complete their programme and to progress to employment or further education and training where appropriate.The support may include referral to external agencies for specialist help.

Limitations:

We are specialists in our own provision and in-house support. Whenever it is appropriate, we will refer learners and potential learners to relevant services and options externally.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Key Performance Indicators of the effectiveness of the IAG services are the rates of retention, achievement, progression and user satisfaction. These are monitored using our annual Quality Cycle of monitoring and evaluation arrangements and include:

  • Collection of user feedback
  • Internal documentation audits
  • Yearly observations of staff carrying out initial interviews with potential learners
  • Yearly observations of staff carrying out progress reviews with learners
  • Yearly observations of staff carrying out exit/progression reviews with learners
  • Twice yearly analysis of data for retention, achievement, progression and user satisfaction with information, advice and support
  • Twice yearly evaluation of the effectiveness of IAG and learner support by SMG, based on the examination of the evidence from statistics, staff observations and stakeholder feedback. Each evaluation results is an action plan which feeds into our annual Self Assessment Report (SAR) and resulting Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). The QIP is updated quarterly by SMG.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

  • Marketing literature, website information and learner handbook will be presented clearly and simply and illustrated with appropriate images to aid understanding
  • Information by phone and face-to-face will be available to accommodate different learning styles
  • At any stage learners can be accompanied to meetings and interviews by a friend, family member or another representative

Reviewed: 27..15

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