Contents

  1. Assessment information and methodology
  2. About the organisation
  3. The Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)
  4. The difference the IAG makes to recipients and the overall impact
  5. What is working particularly well
  6. Development suggestions
  7. Conditions of Accreditation

6. Development suggestions

Development suggestions are offered in the spirit of continuous improvement and a way for an Assessor to add value e.g. where the service is of a high quality, development areas are offered to help the service be even better than it already is, or to give insight into practices seen elsewhere. There is no correlation between the number of strengths and development suggestions. Where development areas are greater in number this is not intended to indicate that the information, advice and guidance service is in any way lacking. These will form the basis for discussion at the Continuous Improvement Checks (CIC) conducted twelve and twenty-four months from the date of this Assessment, along with any other notable developments.

The numbers in brackets refer to the element and criteria of the matrix Standard:

  • BBE has developed as a centre of excellence within the council for a wide range of employability support to some of the most disadvantaged Bexley residents. The service is nonetheless dependent on a range of externally funded programmes, mostly subcontracted and some of relatively short duration. With the organisation’s position as a vital part of the council’s economic development strategies, it may wish to consider other, more sustainable or long term funding streams, to ensure that its service is not jeopardised by short term funding considerations. (2.8, 7.1, 7.2)
  • Client testimonies provided very robust evidence of the benefits of a BBE journey in terms of personal development outcomes, even for those who do not progress to work by the end of their programme. The funded programmes are inevitably targeted on job outcomes and this is how the service will always ultimately measure its impact. However, more could perhaps be done to celebrate the distance travelled by those who do not obtain a sustainable job outcome, or who will only obtain one some time in the future, which is over half of all clients even when all targets are met. BBE might like to consider promotion of these stories through case studies or other means to ensure the full value of the BBE journey is captured and celebrated. (5.1, 5.2)
  • Staff, as identified in ‘What is working particularly well’ above, deliver an IAG service that is very much concentrated on the individual and their needs. This can mean that some are less comfortable with the quite demanding targets for job outcomes from funders. As one partner said, “They sometimes need to have difficult conversations with the client”. BBE will wish to ensure that all staff are equipped to manage the differing programme targets, and reinforce the fact that work outcomes are very positive for the clients. This should hopefully lead to all staff viewing personal development and job outcomes as part of a holistic service rather than any sort of clash of priorities. (2.3)
  • While all clients praised the overall welcoming nature of BBE, including from reception staff, some neurodiverse and other clients mentioned that the busy reception area can feel overwhelming. There was no suggestion of clients not engaging with the service due to this, and individual rooms are available for meetings between clients and advisers once they have passed through the reception process. BBE will however wish to be aware of this feedback from a small number of clients when planning initial contact, to ensure that all clients can feel comfortable from the very beginning of their BBE experience. (2.8)
  • Clients praised the service received and staff availability for support. However, a small number of clients did mention that they had experienced occasional very short notice cancellations of appointments. Inevitably staff will sometimes be sick or otherwise unavailable at short notice, and management confirmed they will always try to cover appointments. Given that some clients have caring responsibilities and transport or other difficulties, a short notice cancellation is particularly stressful, and BBE will wish to reinforce strategies avoid these where at all possible. (2.6, 2.8)

Standard Report V5

Version Dated: 31 May 2023

The Growth Company Limited 2023

The matrix Standard is delivered by The Growth Company on behalf of the Department for Education.

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