Organisation and Policy: Influencing Public Policy: Connexions: Frameworks for Personal Advisers
[ Up ] [ More on YALP ]
Professional Framework for Personal Advisers
NIACE's answers to the Connexions Service Questionnaire
1. a) Do you agree there should be a National Occupational Standards for the new profession?
Yes.
It would be premature to introduce NOS until PAs have been able to familiarise themselves in practice with the tasks and some occupational and functional mapping can be done alongside. If the profession is to entail the development of roles holistically, then the NOS should draw on those existing in associated professions/services – e.g. careers advice, youth work.
1. b) Are there relevant existing National Occupational Standards which could be used and tailored?
Yes.
Those being developed for youth work and those used in the careers education and guidance profession cover several of the roles, responsibilities and tasks of the PAs. It would be sensible therefore to draw and adapt standards being developed by NTOs such as PAULO, FENTO and ENTO. For example PAULO, the NTO for community-based learning and development could offer NOS from this sector. It will be important to ensure that the structure and content of training are drawn from and influenced by equivalent programmes across the national framework for qualifications.
2.
a) Should there be a National Centre or Professional College?
No
b) Should there be a ‘virtual’ college/centre?
Yes
c) Should there be a physical college/centre?
No
d) Should there be a combination of both?
No
e) Do you see a role for allied professional becoming stakeholders in the centre?
Yes
Experience of creating national centres for training specialist professional staff is not uniformly good. It would be more advisable to use universities and higher education institutions at regional/sub-regional levels, drawing on their experience and track record in training associated professionals. Networking, in its different forms, would ensure exchange of ideas and good practice. These centres would be accredited providers of PA training.
3. a) How can most efficient use be made of ICT?
 | For storing and downloading good quality support materials for use in training – e.g. case studies. |
| Scope for some distance learning. But, as the essence of PA work is communication and interpersonal skills this would be no substitute for high quality face to face training. |
| Use of web sites and conferencing facilities for sharing information (staff and young people). |
3. b) What scope is there to link with existing websites to facilitate professional development?
There should certainly be links with those of NTOs and professional training agencies in associated professions – e.g. careers education and guidance, youth and community work, social and probation work, community health.
4. What are the implications for professionals working in closely related fields, such as the provision of information, advice and guidance for adults?
There are clearly cross-overs and scope for joint training with those in guidance, youth work, social and probation services, education, on issues of common concern – e.g. working with families, assessment, brokerage, information exchange, confidentiality and disclosure.
It will be important that there are opportunities for joint training in some of the units to foster inter-agency work. Otherwise there is a danger that the Connexions service will not reverse the tendency for young people to fall between the cracks of agencies providing support and development. The proposals do not provide grounds for reassurance that the fragmentation that characterises transitions for young people will be tackled
5. Additional comments on the Professional Framework for personal advisers
We are not persuaded that the functions, roles and responsibilities of the PA as outlined in the specification justify the assertion that this is a real profession. Profession implies the need for those practising it to acquire a discrete stock of specialist knowledge, skills and understanding and for a professional body to take on a gate-keeping function to ensure that only those with the requisite knowledge, skills and understanding can enter. The specification for the personal advisers suggests that they will be drawn from a range of backgrounds already bringing to the job a range of relevant skills and knowledge derived from experience in associated professions such as careers advice and youth work.
Therefore the skills and knowledge required of PAs will not be new to many of those who will be taking on the role. Many have been working with partners from other agencies, have been handling and processing information, and planning and monitoring their interventions with young people to assess their impact. It is not clear what will be distinctive about the way these tasks and skills are to be discharged within the PA role.
The key difference may well be the organisational setting in which the PA will be working – a new service seeking to establish itself with young people and their families, with service providers and other stakeholders. The new service is likely to be a reconstruction of older services with established cultures. The professional framework needs to take much more explicit account of the issues likely to arise from such institutional transformations and their impact on professional attitudes and behaviours.
Type of Organisation:
Other
Name:
Bryan Merton
Organisation:
NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education)
This report is not confidential.
