for Leicestershirewww.prospects.co.uk

How Prospects is improving the lives of young people in Leicestershire

We’re delighted to have made such an impact on NEET figures, helping to improve the lives of young people around Leicestershire.”

1

2 | Issue 1

Welcome to this special edition of Prospects in Partnership focusing on our work in Leicestershire. The county is at the heart of the England and holds a pivotal role in our work at Prospects. We work in partnership with Leicestershire County Council to deliver targeted support to young people; with schools to provide universal careers services to their year 11, 12 and 13 students and supply educational resources; provide Ofsted inspections for early years settings across the county; and host the annual National Career Guidance Show for careers educators at Leicester City Football Club.

The Prospects Group is an employee owned mutual, providing a wide range of education, employment and skills services in the UK. Each year we work with more than 500,000 young people and adults. At the heart of everything is our drive to improve the life chances, skills and aspirations of everyone we support.

With more than 1,400 skilled and professional employees across the UK we are big enough to support the needs of national, local and regional contracts, yet small enough to care for each of our customers, partners and contractors. If you would like to find out more about the Prospects Group or how we could partner with your organisation please get in touch.

All best wishes

Nick BellChief Executive, Prospects

About Prospects

The Prospects Group is a dynamic and enterprising organisation providing a wide range of education, employment and skills services in the UK and internationally. At the heart of what we do is the drive to improve the life chances, skills and aspirations of everyone we support. Each year we work with more than 500,000 young people and adults through our extensive range of high quality services. The Prospects Group has an annual turnover in excess of £80million and employs more than 1400 skilled and professional staff.

Our services include:

• National Careers Service in the community, offering advice on learning and work as prime provider in London, South West and West Midlands. In addition Prospects is a partner in Careers Yorkshire and the Humber• Work Programme which helps longer- term unemployed people back to work, as prime contractor in the South West and leading subcontractor in London and Bristol• Targeted support helping NEET and vulnerable young people and those with learning difficulties and disabilities, including Pathway services to care leavers• Innovative approaches to rehabilitation of adults and young offenders in the community, and provision of the ‘In Custody offer’ of the National Careers Service in all prisons in London, South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber• Ofsted Early Years Inspection Services across the Midlands and North of England• Youth Contract, support for 16-17 year old NEET young people in London, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber• Education consultancy, academy and school improvement services through Prospects Improve• Leading Parent Partnership Award - promoting engagement of families in schools• Educational resources for schools and careers advisers• Entrepreneurship for young people in Wales• South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre in Gloucestershire • Events including regional careers and skills events across the UK such as Skills London, City Walks and award ceremonies• Business support and networking• Mutuals development services for public bodies

The Prospects Group includes Gabbitas, independent education consultancy and CfAppointments, specialist recruitment services. We are also the partner in 3BM, an employee-owned mutual providing support services to the education sector.

For more information please visit. www.prospects.co.uk

Prospects Services, a company with unlimited liability.Registered in England and Wales. Registration number 3042176

Registered Office: Prospects House, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT

Welcome to Prospects in Partnership for Leicestershire

WHAT’S INSIDE?

3 News in brief

4-5 How Prospects is improving the lives of young people in Leicestershire

6-7 School leavers, where do young people go after Year 11?

8 Delivering careers education, information, advice and guidance to schools

nick.bell@prospects.co.uk

www.prospects.co.uk

Issue 1 | 3

The National Career Guidance Shows are a series of annual events that have run since 2009. The regional event for the Midlands takes place in Leicester each spring. In 2015 more than 500 professionals working in career development industries came together to share best practice and access the latest industry thinking and up to date information.

The show features an exhibition with employers, industry bodies, training providers, government agencies and resource suppliers. Alongside the exhibition the show offers an acclaimed and relevant seminar learning programme. This provides continuing professional development, allowing visitors and exhibitors alike to learn, network and benefit by attending.

Find out more at www.nationalcareerguidanceshow.com

Prospects works in partnership with Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) promoting the range of opportunities available in Leicestershire to young people and supporting the continuing professional development of school staff in relation to Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG). Prospects does this in a number of ways, including hosting a series of regular CEIAG events, Careers for the Future, for Leicestershire school careers staff. The events address different topics including admissions trends into Higher Education and graduate employability (delivered by HELOA, the professional association of Higher Education staff), updates on the Leicester Apprenticeship Hub, input from an NHS representative on Health and Care careers, local labour market trends and skills shortage areas.

Prospects has introduced an Inspiration Options Event for years 9-13 for Leicester and Leicestershire students. This will be held on 22 September 2015, and is organised in partnership with the LLEP and the National Careers Service.

Prospects contributes to the Leicester and Leicestershire Strategic Economic Plan and provision of data to support progression towards target achievement in relation to young people classified as not in employment, education or training. Prospects is a member of the LLEP Schools Information, Advice and Guidance, Employment & Employability Skills Group.

Prospects Education Resources is the one stop shop providing a wide range of materials and services.

Specialising in careers education and employability resources with everything from books, posters and DVDs, to computer software, puppets and games, we constantly source new, innovative products alongside tried and tested favourites.

We pride ourselves on being unique in our ability to offer our customers impartial advice on which resources will best meet their needs, together with great customer service and competitive prices. We cater to all levels, from Primary to Post-16, for all aspects of education.

Find out more atwww.prospectseducationresources.co.uk

In Leicestershire young people classified as not in employment, education or training (NEET) considering an apprenticeship are given one to one guidance sessions to support their applications. This always includes registering on the National Apprenticeship website, explaining traineeships or other activities that will enhance their applications, alerting them to apprenticeship job fairs or hub events, and helping them access other apprenticeship recruitment websites.

To ensure all young people are aware of local apprenticeship opportunities Prospects shares them in social media and approaches individuals with details of relevant roles. Additionally, Prospects

Getting Young People into Apprenticeships

Prospects Education Resources Unit

National Career Guidance Show

Working with the Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership

NEWS IN BRIEF

refers young people to learning providers who offer apprenticeships and are able to directly approach employers.

Prospects recently supported local NHS apprenticeship recruitment in Leicestershire by sitting on the steering group for recruitment. Prospects notified relevant young people of the upcoming recruitment drive and provided an adviser to support the two day recruitment process.

4 | Issue 1

I f you are a young person living in Leicestershire your chances of succeeding in life are getting better

every year. Across Leicestershire Prospects has been working hard to make sure young people get the best start possible achieving the county’s lowest recorded NEET rate (not in employment, education or training) of only 2.8% at the end of March 2015, against a target of 4%.

At a time when youth unemployment continues to be an issue across the country, the 16-18 NEET rate was 7% in October to December 2014 (ONS), this achievement is excellent news for the young people in Leicestershire.

Prospects work with Leicestershire County Council to provide help and support across the county, with two dedicated delivery centres in Hinckley and Loughborough, and eight outreach locations across the county as well as in schools, colleges and special needs schools.

In 2012 Leicestershire County Council commissioned Prospects to provide career services to enable them to meet their statutory duties. The duty requires enabling and promoting full participation in education and training for 16-19 year olds, by providing impartial careers advice and guidance to young people who are at risk of not making a smooth

How Prospects is improving the lives of young people in Leicestershire

Young people get a boost in Leicestershire

FEATURE

transition into post 16 education, employment and/or training, and to work with young people aged 16-19 who are, or are at risk of becoming, NEET.

Prospects work with all maintained secondary schools in the county to identify young people at risk of becoming NEET in year 11. Prospects provide advice, guidance and support to help these young people move into the right option at post 16.

Issue 1 | 5

Y olande* is a care leaver and has not been in education, employment or training for a few

years. Yolande found that as a teen parent caring for her three year old son she faced several barriers, including developing a routine, low confidence and self esteem and these affected her progress in getting back into education or training.

Yolande worked with her Prospects adviser, Mike, who helped her overcome these barriers and as they developed a trusting relationship Mike encouraged Yolande into non-traditional learning.

Yolande joined MOTEV8’s Chill Enterprises, a practical art and design course that combined group work

and independent study. This built her confidence and social skills. Yolande produced a T-shirt design and did independent research on the internet.

The course encouraged Yolande to develop positive relationships with her tutor and other students. This was the first time Yolande had re-engaged with education in more than three years.

Mike continued to work with Yolande ensuring she progressed in her career aims of entering retail and customer service by completing the Prince’s Trust “Get Into retail programme” which involved a four week work placement at her local Marks and Spencer store giving her an insight into retail as a career and valuable work experience.

Finding the confidence to break down barriers

Yolande’s self esteem and confidence improved, although outwardly confident Yolande worried about getting back into learning, Mike’s support helped put her at ease and she is now more positive about moving into permanent employment within the retail industry:

Without Prospects intervention Yolande felt she would “probably still be at home applying for jobs, with little work experience it was difficult to get interviews.”

Prospects will continue to work with Yolande to overcome future barriers and help her into permanent employment. Yolande now has new skills and valuable work experience, and is able to give her young son a positive role model as she moves into permanent employment.

* Not her real name

Without Prospects I’d probably still be at home applying for jobs, with little work experience it was difficult to get interviews.”

6 | Issue 1

T o understand where young people in Leicestershire go and what they do when they leave

school at year 11 Prospects undertakes destinations tracking on behalf of the county.

Destination tracking provides comparable information on the success of schools and colleges in helping their young people take qualifications that offer them the best opportunity to continue in education, employment or training. Destinations include students participating in a range of education destinations including: further learning at a school, at a college (further education or sixth form college), studying for an apprenticeship, or attending a higher education institution. Employment and training destinations are also included.

Sue Tombs, Head of Operations for Leicestershire explains: “We track all year 11, 12, 13 and 14 learners and record intended destinations of year 11 learners and offers of post 16 learning or work. From this data we produce the destination survey of young people following year 11.

“To help us succeed we work in close partnership with all secondary schools and special schools in Leicestershire, entering an agreement with each

Where do young people go after Year 11?

setting that details the delivery arrangements.”

In addition to school data Prospects tracks all vulnerable groups: Looked After/In Care; Care Leaver; Youth Offender; Special Educational Needs /Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities; and teenage parents. The data allows Prospects to track each ward in Leicestershire and provide clear statistical analysis of each cohort enabling the targeting of services.

In February 2015 Leicestershire out-performed many of the local counties achieving the lowest unknown rate in the region, second lowest NEET rate and third for getting young people into learning with almost 86% of the county’s young people currently in learning. This achievement puts Leicestershire ahead of both the regional and national averages.

I van Ould, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families, commenting on recent

NEET figures said: “This is great news and means that even more young people are being supported on to the career ladder. Our NEET figures are one of the best in the country and I’m pleased that Prospects is continuing to drive down the numbers.”

Paul Welch, Prospects Operations Director for Leicestershire, said: “We’re delighted to have made such an impact on NEET figures, helping to improve the lives of young people around Leicestershire. When we started this contract, we consulted with staff and the County Council then restructured all teams to make them more effective.

Working in partnership

Prospects is providing services through two centres, in Hinckley and Loughborough, along with outreach delivery to other towns and villages across the county. Our team is in contact with many local stakeholders to integrate our services with those of the County Council to make sure we have a joined up approach which really works for local young people.

Early intervention is highly effective in keeping young people engaged in education and training so Prospects also works with schools to support students highlighted as at risk of becoming NEET and to help those with special educational needs. We are proud of our work in reducing NEET figures and we are excited about improving on them in future, working with Leicestershire County Council to support more young people into rewarding, long-term careers.”

Issue 1 | 7

4.8% 4.3%

6.9% 4.8%85.2%

83%

NEET figures by region for February 2015

NEET figures for February 2015

P rospects has been working with Bosworth Academy since 2012. At that time changes to the

Statutory Guidance were introduced and schools became responsible for providing career guidance for their students, and could no longer expect a visit from an adviser provided by the local authority.

Bosworth Academy recognised that it would need additional careers support, and as Prospects was already working locally providing careers information, advice and guidance for young people who are Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET on behalf of Leicestershire County Council, the academy decided to commission career guidance services for their year 11 students from Prospects. Prospects provides Bosworth Academy with a dedicated, fully qualified careers guidance practitioner, Emily, who

Prospects has a proven track record in the provision of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG). We have been delivering these services to young people in schools, for more than 18 years. We have experience of working in a wide range of educational institutions and offer services that support the ethos of the schools, demonstrating sensitivity to the values of faith schools for example, while ensuring that impartiality and a client centred approach is maintained.

We provide services to 30 schools in Leicestershire. Schools can choose from a range of services ensuring they benefit from relevant and appropriate support. Services include individual CEIAG support for years 9, 11, 12 and 13; a drop-in sessions, group work, parents evenings, careers lessons, GCSE/A level results day support, applications and mock interviews.

provides impartial support and advice to the young people she works with, helping them make their own decisions about their futures.

Emily holds one to one interviews with all students in year 11, spending around two days a week at the academy. Parents, often a major influence in career decisions, play an important role and Emily also attends parents’ evenings alongside her daily duties.

Emily has made a big impact at Bosworth Academy. Marie De Lage-Martin, Head of Careers, commented: “I am extremely satisfied with Emily’s help and the support I get whenever I email Prospects. Emily has gone over and beyond her responsibility; she has been very flexible and never refused any of our numerous requests within the remit of our contract with you. Her help and support have made a huge difference to our students.”

Delivering Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance to Schools

Making a difference at Bosworth Academy

8 | Issue 1