Statutory Duty
As clear as mud! Queries from the updated statutory duty for CEIAG Sept 22
Tuesday 13th September 2022
Sadly, I don't get much time to blog any longer but I did feel it is important to clarify the answers to a few questions that have landed into my inbox and messages over the couple of weeks since the updated statutory guidance was published.
The major query seems to be around providing careers interviews for years 7 and 12. like this one from a Career Guidance Professional that had received a number of emails themselves and were starting to doubt their own sanity and wanted a second opinion on their response.
Hi Janet, hope you are keeping well. I wanted to pick your brains please... we've had an influx of queries from schools panicking about the updated statutory guidance, because they think that they need to provide all Year 7s with 121s. I've been explaining that it's no difference to the Year 8s, that it's just access to. .
So reading between the lines, poor hard pressed careers leaders or SLT with little or no understanding of careers are starting to panic and think they have to provide sit down 1-2-1 guidance for all the year 7s.
My response was a sad shake of the head and the acknowledgement that most Careers Leads, either middle or senior leadership, have very little time to get their head around new guidance and far too many have not had a chance to do the CL training.
My reply, echoed the response that the Careers Guidance Professional had provided to their colleagues and sent to me for my opinion.
The approach we're taking is the independent guidance runs from Year 7+ so, if a yr7 (or above) requested guidance schools need to provide access to this.
However, it doesn't mean blanket interviews for yr7!
Key for us, is that if a yp is making a decision which, may affect their next steps or rest of lives, this is where the IAG/independent guidance needs to be targeted. Such as GCSE option choices, Post 16 and Post 18 choices.
As well as those who have access to junior colleges from yr10+... support with these decisions.
Pragmatically, all years should have access to inspirational encounters of sufficient depth with training providers, FE, HE and employers (Baker clause) not just Yr8+.
Does this match with your thoughts? .
Too right it does. it's spot on. However, this query links nicely to another query about the 1997 Education act. that cropped up recently
What does the 1997 Education Act say about careers?
The act has a whole section about careers, snappily called section 44 Careers Education and Guidance.
The query centred around a section that made a qualified careers professional employed by a school doubt if they are able to provide careers guidance to their pupils.
If you have a look at the Education Act 1997 it does categorically lay say that "Careers Guidance means guidance about careers" Ok well that clears that up... NOT!
In common with most legal documents it is pretty incomprehensible to the majority but to be fair it does go on to clarify that "careers education" means education designed to prepare persons for taking decisions about their careers and to help them implement such decisions;
In my humble opinion. there is a difference between careers advice and careers guidance. Advice is just that and basically says in my opinion I think x, y and z. Guidance is from a qualified and experienced person who can base their recommendations on research, policy and practice.
HOWEVER, the government use the term careers guidance to include all types of careers activity, often referred to as CEIAG which stands for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance. To add even more confusion, you'll often see the acronym CIAG and IAG and to top the lot off Ofsted calls it all CIEAG!!! So do remember this before you get in too much of a flap.
The question about impartiality started to raise its head back in 2012 when Connexions was abolished. I thought we'd laid it to rest, however, it seems to have risen zombie like from the depths and started to do the rounds. So let's be clear here
So does this mean careers guidance can't be given by somebody employed by the school? No, I don't think it does. Though of course if somebody more versed in legaleze may wish to disagree with me. What I do think it points out is that it's vital that you are able to prove that the GUIDANCE given to pupils meets all three of the criteria above.
How on earth do we do that? Well you could spend a lot of time and effort setting out policies and providing focus group evidence but again, in my opinion, a very simple way is to ensure either your school or your careers professional is a member of the CDI and that the school subscribes to The CDI code of ethics
I must declare I'm a member of The CDI and work with them a lot. I'm also on the register of Career Development Professionals. I can't emphasise enough the support and benefits of membership from cheap and free training activities, via the excellent Careers Matters magazine and the excellent opportunities to network with other professionals both virtually and in person. I'm not receiving any goods or payment for this blog, I'm just stating my professional and personal opinion.
I hope these musings and the links below help. Please feel free to comment and share
The section of the 1997 Act pertaining to careers
Link to poster of The CDI code of ethics
