Adviza Partnership

Further education and skills inspection report

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Adviza Partnership National Careers Service

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of information, advice and guidance Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

 Senior leaders have ensured that the quality of service provided by Adviza Partnership has improved significantly over the last two years.  Advisers use their extensive knowledge of local employment opportunities, courses and support agencies to improve customers’ chances of finding employment and/or training.  Advisers have well-developed interpersonal skills that they use very effectively to motivate customers to improve their careers or find work and/or training.  Customers improve their confidence to find work and develop a good understanding of how to manage their career.  Customers attend sessions punctually and most are keen to improve their careers and employment prospects; however, a small minority fail to attend sessions.  Managers and leaders apply the good practices they have developed in other parts of the company to improve the service that is provided through the National Careers Service.

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Summary of key findings

 Trustees use their skills very effectively to support and challenge leaders to improve the service.  Managers identify very successfully the groups of people that require information, advice and guidance (IAG) and ensure that advisers have the skills needed to support them in their quest for employment and/or career development.  Managers do not have a clear understanding of the impact of their work on customers’ progression to employment and career development.  In a small number of sessions, advisers do not identify clearly enough the barriers customers face or the steps they need to take to secure employment and/or training; on a small number of occasions, the resources they provide are limited and inappropriate.

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Information about the provider

 Adviza Partnership has held the National Careers Service contract for Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Swindon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire since September 2014. This covers 11 local authorities and five local enterprise partnerships. The head office is in Bracknell. Adviza is a not-for-profit company overseen by a non-executive board of trustees.  Adviza is the prime contractor and it subcontracts approximately 30% of its work to eight other providers. Advisers meet with approximately 19,000 customers each year in around 85 sites including JobCentre Plus offices, libraries, colleges and community venues. The area covered by Adviza has high levels of employment mostly but has significant skills shortages in such sectors as sales and customer service, administration, computing, science, technology, engineering and construction.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve quality data to identify the impact of Adviza’s work on the different groups of customers who obtain employment and/or enrol on a training programme. Use this data to evaluate, and continue to improve, the service to customers.  Work closely with other agencies to understand better the progression to employment and training of people in the regions covered by Adviza.  Ensure all advisers:  develop the skills to identify the barriers customers face  provide electronic or paper-based resources that best suit the needs of each customer  clearly determine the steps that customers need to take to progress into employment and/or training.  Analyse the reasons for customers’ non-attendance more fully and work closely with partners to improve attendance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Senior managers and trustees have worked together particularly effectively to implement sustainable improvements in the organisation’s National Careers Service provision. Over the past year, leaders and managers at all levels have transformed the provision, which now reflects the organisation’s mission better and is far more beneficial to the customers they serve. Leaders and managers have overcome many significant challenges by identifying and improving poor performance. They now have a clear understanding of the quality of the company’s work and provide a good service to customers.  Managers and staff share the organisation’s values fully. The chief executive has developed and communicated a clear vision successfully. This permeates the organisation, including in the advisers’ attitudes and in their commitment to meeting managers’ high expectations.  Managers monitor the performance of all provision closely, including at their eight

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

subcontractors. They review subcontractors’ progress frequently against carefully considered targets and take swift action where quality and the number of customers who obtain employment and/or training fall short. Communication between managers at Adviza and its subcontractors is effective. Subcontractors are fully aware of the high expectations of Adviza’s managers.  Advisers make good use of the high-quality local labour market information produced by Adviza to advise and guide customers. Managers also make good use of information developed in other parts of Adviza’s business to benefit National Careers Service customers. Some advisers, for example, use a database of employers that was created for the advice and guidance work done by Adviza in schools. Other advisers assess customers’ skills and confidence using techniques developed for working with adults in custody.  Managers know their advisers well and evaluate their work effectively. Managers monitor

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the quality of advice sessions carefully and provide clear and useful feedback to advisers. They frequently observe the quality of advisers’ sessions with customers and check the quality of the documents advisers produce for customers. The majority of managers’ judgements about the quality of the IAG provided by advisers are insightful. However, a minority of managers do not provide sufficient clarity in their judgements.  Leaders provide good training for advisers that has improved the interactions advisers have with the wide range of customers they support. Training focuses specifically on how advisers support customers to remove barriers to gaining employment.  Through the provider’s values and training, advisers gain a good understanding of how to promote equality and diversity. Inspectors saw good examples of advisers working effectively with customers from different backgrounds to improve their understanding of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the demands of employment in modern Britain. However, senior leaders have an insufficiently clear grasp of how effectively advisers apply their knowledge and understanding of equality or diversity in advice and guidance sessions.  Leaders and managers have a good knowledge of their provision. They have improved the effectiveness of their workforce diligently through astute analysis of, and effective strategies to improve, weak aspects of provision. Managers focus purposefully on the priority areas for improvement.  Managers use a good range of data and information to understand the effectiveness of some aspects of provision, such as the quality of IAG and whether they are reaching the customers most in need of the service. However, managers do not analyse sufficiently the impact of their work on employment and training outcomes for different groups of customers such as military families relocating or vulnerable groups, both of which are

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The governance of the provider

 Governance is strong. The board of trustees includes senior figures from education, local government and industry. They are approachable and provide good support for senior managers but also hold them to account effectively through detailed scrutiny of the organisation’s business.  Trustees are assigned to appropriate parts of the business where they use their expertise effectively. For example, trustees with experience of human resources and organisational change have supported managers to take appropriate action against staff whose performance was poor. Others have used their business skills to challenge and help managers to implement new areas of business and attain high quality.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All staff have a good understanding of the importance of safeguarding and know what they need to do to protect customers. All staff are vetted to check their suitability to work with young people and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding training is thorough and mandatory both when staff join the organisation and at frequent intervals while they are employees.  Advisers have a good understanding of the wide range of safeguarding concerns they may come across. For example, they know how to identify adults who may be at risk of being radicalised. Advisers refer customers to the designated safeguarding manager appropriately. The designated manager records accurately all referrals that advisers make and follows up diligently the outcomes of referrals. Advisers also have a good knowledge of other agencies to which they can refer customers if specialist advice is required.

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Safeguarding

Customers receive the help they need because of timely decisions that staff implement, for example in cases of domestic violence and self-harm.

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Quality of information, advice and guidance Good

 Advisers use their interpersonal skills very effectively to develop a good rapport with customers. This contributes very effectively to customers becoming more positive and optimistic about how to improve their careers or prospects of employment. Advisers work sensitively with customers to reduce their concerns that personal characteristics, such as their age or disability, preclude them from employment.  Advisers listen carefully and use effective questioning techniques to identify customers’ current situations and barriers to employment. Most explore thoroughly the challenges hindering customers from making progress. However, in a small number of sessions advisers do not explore customers’ barriers in sufficient depth, sometimes because of the short period of time allocated for the session.  Advisers adapt the advice sessions very skilfully to meet the particular needs of customers. They mostly adapt their advice and information to make sure that customers

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Quality of information, advice and guidance Good

for whom English is an additional language, and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, understand the range of the service and how best to develop job-searching skills. For example, one adviser created a very simple hand-written diagram that summarised the key points of a discussion for a customer with very limited literacy and computing skills. As a result, the customer became motivated and confident enough to take steps to find work.  Most advisers skilfully and sensitively explore customers’ skills in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. They explain clearly how further development of these skills will improve customers’ chances of gaining employment and of reaching their long-term goals. For example, a customer who wanted to improve her chances of studying at a university was given information about a course on essay-writing skills. However, a small minority of advisers do not simplify their language and the written

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Quality of information, advice and guidance Good

materials they provide sufficiently when customers have low levels of English.  Advisers make effective use of their knowledge of the local labour market, training opportunities and voluntary work to provide customers with up-to-date information. For example, a customer considering outdoor work was told about a voluntary gardening project that may provide valuable experience and contacts with people in the industry. Advisers make good use of websites about local employment opportunities and they have good access to current labour market information through Adviza’s intranet. They attend employment fairs, such as one at an international airport, where they gain information about local employment opportunities that they promote enthusiastically in advice sessions.  A large majority of advisers are particularly effective in helping customers improve their self-esteem and confidence to seek employment, and to become less dependent on

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Quality of information, advice and guidance Good

others helping them find employment. Advisers work successfully with customers on improving their curricula vitae (CVs). Customers recognise the value of a curriculum vitae (CV) that is relevant to their career aspirations and they value the impartial feedback they receive about the quality and relevance of their CVs. This increases their motivation, confidence and knowledge very effectively.  Advisers are particularly good at recognising when customers need additional, specialist support. They make good use of Adviza’s comprehensive directory of support services to guide customers to other agencies, for example for supporting mental health problems, debt management, housing, and funding and support networks for lone parents.  The majority of advisers help customers understand the steps they need to take to get a job. They ensure that customers know why they are being advised to take certain steps

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Quality of information, advice and guidance Good

and check that customers understand what they need to do to make progress towards their agreed goals. However, advisers do not routinely involve the customers sufficiently in making decisions about what actions they need to take and do not record in detail their agreed actions. As a result, many of these customers are not confident enough to take action and often return for further support, having made little progress between appointments.  In too many sessions, advisers do not offer resources in a form that best suits customers, particularly those who would benefit from paper-based rather than electronic resources. They do not promote systematically the resources available on the National Careers Service website to help customers broaden their horizons in making decisions about their futures.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Customers value the impartial, unbiased and confidential service they receive to develop their career plans. They appreciate being treated with dignity and respect, which helps them participate confidently in their sessions. Despite the significant barriers many customers face, they are markedly more positive following sessions because they receive strong encouragement and support from advisers.  The majority of customers review their skills thoroughly to identify and record the experience and expertise they have gained from their previous employment and from their personal life. This helps them to recognise and value their existing skills and experiences and understand how they can be used to support their career aspirations.  Customers improve their understanding of their rights and responsibilities, and of legislation relating to employment. This enables them to understand the types of jobs for

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

which they can apply. For some, this broadens their options while for others it ensures their aspirations are realistic and achievable. For example, ex-offenders understand their responsibilities for disclosing information about their offence to a prospective employer or course provider and customers with disabilities understand the legislation that can protect them from discrimination.  The majority of customers make good progress during their sessions. They acquire relevant knowledge as well as the skills to produce CVs tailored to different sectors and job roles. They feel inspired and motivated to work independently towards their agreed targets and to explore their options for employment and learning.  Customers feel safe and are kept safe. Advisers reinforce the confidentiality of the service at the start of each session and ensure that customers understand the mechanisms in place for reporting disclosures made by customers. Customers discuss how they keep safe

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

when using computers and social media.  Most customers are punctual to IAG sessions. However, too many do not attend previously arranged sessions, particularly in Jobcentre Plus offices, despite advisers texting and phoning to remind them about the appointment. This has a negative impact on their personal development and progress towards training and/or employment.

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Outcomes for customers Good

 After two years of failing to deliver the outcomes for customers expected by their contract with the Education and Skills Funding Agency, managers have now increased significantly the proportion of customers who are satisfied with the service and who take greater responsibility for managing their careers. However, the proportion securing jobs is slightly below the target set for the year.  In 2016/17, subcontractors have met their targets for customer satisfaction, improving customers’ ability to manage their own careers and helping customers obtain employment and/or training.  The provider allocates its resources skilfully to achieve employment and training outcomes in groups or regions with the greatest demand. For example, it has allocated more time to advisers in a region where there are higher levels of unemployment and where the provider has high levels of success in helping customers find jobs. The provider supports

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Outcomes for customers Good

customers successfully to secure jobs in the sectors most in need of new employees.  The provider has increased the proportion of customers who attend their appointments but has yet to achieve its ambitious target of a 90% attendance rate. Managers have made improvements by introducing clear guidance for advisers on how to improve attendance. Most of the advisers work effectively with staff from Jobcentre Plus to plan the most effective way of supporting customers, including maximising their attendance.  Customers quickly develop the knowledge and skills they need to improve their chances of employment because of the good IAG they receive from advisers. Customers from other countries adapt their CVs appropriately to meet the expectation of British employers. Customers who, at the start of a session, do not know how to start their search for a job leave the session feeling more confident in how to do this. One customer

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Outcomes for customers Good

said, ‘The advice was spot on, but the thing that really helped was that they made me feel much more confident.’  Customers are very satisfied with the service they receive from advisers. While support with writing or improving CVs are the most commonly complimented features of the service, customers also frequently comment positively about the ability of advisers to understand their situation and the encouragement advisers provide.

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Provider details

Type of provider National Careers Service

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Provider details

At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors: Activate Learning Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire Community Rehabilitation Company Limited Campbell Page Limited EMBS Community College Learn Direct Limited Reading Borough Council New Directions Thames Valley Community Rehabilitation Company Limited Wiltshire College

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the assistant delivery director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of customers and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed IAG sessions. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Steven Tucker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Marinette Bazin Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Learner View Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too. To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Employer View Employer View is a website where employers can tell Ofsted what they think about their employees’ college or provider. They can also see what other employers think about them too. To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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