The future of careers advice, targeted youth support and update on Connexions.
To consider a presentation of the Head of Service - Early Intervention & Prevention.
Minutes:
Lorraine Butcher attended to present a Connexions update along with information on careers advice developments. Providing the context Lorraine Butcher explained that due to significant budget reductions and legal advice, the Council had made the decision not to extend the contract for Connexions for the further period of 2 years requested by the Company that it had once held in partnership with Warrington and Cheshire West and Chester Local Authorities. This had been ratified in November 2011 and had led to the start of complex discussions in which staff working on the Cheshire East contract would transfer back to the Council under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) by April 2012. Lorraine Butcher reported that a new model for youth support would offer the Council a number of benefits including the ability to provide a more targeted approach to the needs of young people while also offering better value for money.
In terms of future career advice options, Lorraine Butcher noted that the current policy context was only just becoming clear. There had been the promise of statutory guidance and that this was expected to state that there would be a statutory duty on schools to become more accountable for the successful progression of pupils to further education, higher education and employment. In summary, whilst there was much debate and discussion ongoing, there would be an expectation on schools to pick up a universal careers offer to all students and that local authorities would continue to have a tracking and targeting approach.
There was agreement among Members that in their experience careers advice was relatively limited. Therefore the chance to reform this was welcome and that the Council should take this opportunity seriously albeit acknowledging that the statutory duties on provision resided with schools.
The point was made that schools might have lost some of their ability to provide careers advice since Connexions had taken over the service. It was queried therefore whether the Council would be providing schools with help and support to take on careers advice responsibilities. Lorraine Butcher confirmed that the Council were engaging with schools and that a service would be offered which schools could choose to buy into.
It was questioned who would be responsible for monitoring the quality and independence of careers advice. Loraine Butcher reported that it was expected that the Council would retain a responsibility to track and monitor and that NEET and EET profiles would prove a useful tool in doing this.
Attention was drawn to a Member led group which was responsible for youth support following the Council’s withdrawal from Connexions. It was suggested that this group report to the Committee in the near future.
RESOLVED –
a) That the presentation be received.
b) That the Member group responsible for youth support report to the Committee in the near future.