Quality Guidance in Educational Management of Adult Guidance

1. Quality in Guidance Educational Management of Adult Guidance Dun Laoghaire VEC Adult Guidance Service

2. Main themes • Policy Context • Quality Guidance: Benefits • Guidance Activities and Interview Model • NGF Quality Guidelines Framework Code of Principles Customer Charter • Service Assessment - Internal and External

3. Policy Context • EU Guidance Policy • OECD Recognition of how guidance services can help advance public policy objectives • Irish Guidance Policy • The National Guidance Forum (NGF)

4. Guidance facilitates people throughout their lives to manage their own educational, training, occupational, personal, social, and life choices so that they reach their full potential and contribute to the development of a better society. Guidance (NGF) Quality guidelines Allow the needs, demands and expectations of individuals to be met. Help us improve the quality of our service, through both ourselves as individuals and our organisations and agencies

5. Benefits of Quality Guidelines What are the Benefits? • A clear statement about what quality in guidance is; • More clarity about what is on offer; • Better services, value for money and accountability Who Benefits? The Client, Staff, Service Providers, Guidance-related provision in Ireland and Society

6. Benefits: ClarityThe client needs to know – • What guidance is - the difference between guidance, information and advice, counselling and referral. • Where to go, to whom to go, when to go and how to access a guidance, information, advice, counselling and referral service as appropriate. This can all be provided by a clear statement of service from the provider

7. Clear Statement of the Service What is the level of the Service Offered? How impartial is the Service? • State if guidance is main function or otherwise • Facilities and resources • Staff qualifications and competencies • Professional standpoint of provider • Is it part of an education/training unit providing information and advice? – If so, where client can get additional information to assist in providing independent advice • Referral to other appropriate service

8. Informing Advising Counselling Assessing Teaching and Learning Enabling Advocating Networking Providing Feedback Managing Mentoring Innovating Systems Change The Provider should: State range of services Scope of the service (Outreach, disabled access, provision for speakers of languages other than native language) Integrate Plans into organisation strategic plan Operate from a guidance model Important Quality Guidance Activities

9. Basic Guidance Interview Model (Routledge 1996)

10. NGF Quality Guidelines – FrameworkWhen developing its process an organisation should be:

11. NGF Quality Guidelines –Code of Principles • ‘They should underpin the guidance Service and form the basis on which quality is assessed’ NGF • Agreed by all parties involved in guidance process – at sector, organisation and local level • Adhered to when providing guidance related activities

12. Accessibility Appropriateness Confidentiality within the Law Equality of Opportunity Impartiality Individual Ownership and responsibility Integrated Quality Standards of Service Team Approach Transparency Complaints Handling Procedures NGF Quality Guidelines –Code of Principles

13. Staff/Client -support with respect and courtesy Best practice – provision of service Information – promote awareness of all services Equality – access for all Health and Safety Privacy and Confidentiality Consultation/feedback Promptness Complaints NGF Quality Guidelines –Customer Charter

14. Service Assessment • Internal Assessment could include: • Key elements of service and their evaluation • Review client feedback • Weakness highlighted and improvement measures in place (short and long term) • Review of improvement measures • External • Evidence that promotion is appropriate to target groups • Consider: impartiality, client-centredness and confidentiality of the service