Development and Delivery of the Best Practice Programme for the National Careers Service

Client: Education and Skills Funding Agency

Since summer 2014, SQW, in partnership with the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), has been developing and delivering a best practice programme for the National Careers Service, on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency. The overall aims of the Best Practice Programme have been to:

  • improve the consistency and quality of the National Careers Service offer
  • improve customer satisfaction, career management and progression outcomes
  • promote a culture of innovation, learning and sharing of best practice
  • contribute to improved Ofsted ratings for Prime Contractors

Developing and delivering the best practice programme has involved the identification and sharing of national and international leading best practice; the development of strategies to encourage and support the take up of new ideas, resources and information including a programme of Action Learning with Prime Contractors; and the development of an online learning platform for careers advisers with CPD, induction and best practice resources.

The work has also involved the development and implementation of a strategy to evaluate the extent to which best practice is evident across the National Careers Service. A logic model was developed, using a theory-based approach, which detailed the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts from the programme. This also provided a framework to guide programme design and delivery.

As part of this work, a series of best practice literature reviews were carried out in 2015 to form a key part of the underpinning evidence base for the programme. Three of these literature reviews were updated in 2021.