Quality standards

1. Information, advice and guidance qualifications and standards:

Many organisations, including public, community, education and commercial services, provide a range of educational and careers guidance services, including CV and jobsearch services. You should check out the qualifications and experience of the advisers.

The most common qualifications include a Diploma in Careers Guidance, NVQ levels 3 (for information) and 4 (for guidance) in Careers and Educational Guidance or Advice (in various settings) or post-graduate Chartered Psychologist.

There are also some other postgraduate courses (such as an MA) and degrees which include career and vocational guidance. Anyone offering to provide a psychometric test, should also be qualified to at least the BPS level A qualification. See the British Psychological Society for further information.

All information, advice and guidance (IAG) services, including careers and educational guidance organisations, funded by the Learning and Skills Council must have reached matrix accreditation by 31 March 2004. This is a national quality standard for organisations delivering information, advice and guidance services for learning and work.

More information is available from the Guidance Accreditation Board.

Any organisation providing information, general help or specialist legal help should also have or be working towards the Community Legal Service Quality Mark.

Quality Mark debate - papers and online discussions from lasa.

The Federation of Professional Associations in Guidance provides information on ethical principles, news, consultations, events and links on its website.

Assessing the quality of advice: A model for technical audit - generic advice standards, piloted in different guidance settings, involves auditing of case files to identify elements of good practice and assess quality in particular instances, currently in development to meet the CLS Quality Mark and advice sector quality assurance systems - more information from lasa.

Access courses from UCAS - the main aim of Access programmes, provided mainly in Further Education colleges, is to prepare adult learners from non-traditional backgrounds and under-represented groups for admission to undergraduate education (degrees, HNDs, Foundation degrees and other Higher Education qualifications).

This database includes all the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) recognised Access programmes.The database includes more than 1000 Access programmes that are recognised and registered by QAA.

Most courses in Further Education colleges are inspected regularly by the Ofsted up to 19 years, including all child care and by the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI).

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) is responsible for inspecting all publicly funded work-based training for people over 16 and learning for post-19s.

ALI inspectors are also responsible for inspecting learning in prisons, all adult and community education, area inspections of provision for 16-19 year olds in support of OfSTED and e-learning via learndirect provided on-line by the University for Industry.

In addition, the ALI will inspect training offered and funded by employers at their invitation.

Colleges came under the Disability Discrimination Act, through SENDA from September 2002 and have to ensure that their policies, practices and procedures will comply with the DDA.

From 2003, they have had to provide auxiliary aids and from 2005, make reasonable adjustments to buildings where these put disabled people or students at a substantial disadvantage. They must anticipate reasonable access requirements and not wait until a request is made.

For more information, see the information and Codes of Practice from the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).

There is also a general Staff Development Good Practice Guide to assist colleges and universities in complying with the Act.

Support 4 Success also helps colleges improve quality standards and students' achievements.

FE Online's Quality Information and Advice section includes examples of good practice from colleges, news, strategies and quality information packs.

Information on access standards for disabled people and to help comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and SENDA is available from the Manchester Disabled People's Access Group.

The Adult Learning Inspectorate is responsible for the inspection of all work-based training.

Sector Skills Development Agency, with links to Sector Skills Councils and network are replacing National Training Organisations - NTOs. Some NTOs are still operating and can be found from the ENTO site They will provide information and help develop.

The Institute of IT Training publishes standards for IT training, standards for e-learning and charters for e-learners and has a register of accredited IT training providers.

Higher Education institutions are inspected regularly by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

From September 2002, universities and colleges came under the Disability Discrimination Act, and have to ensure that their policies, practices and procedures will comply with the DDA.

Since 2003, they have had to provide auxiliary aids and by 2005 have had to make reasonable adjustments to buildings to ensure they are accessible. They must anticipate reasonable access requirements and not wait until a request is made. For more information, see the information and Codes of Practice from the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).

MBA standards in the UK and Europe are managed by the Association of MBAs.

The Times Good University Guide overall rankings provides a comparison of universities, but these rankings should be read with care as departments and courses within universities can differ in quality, including some highly regarded departments and courses in smaller universities with lower grades.

English in Britain Accreditation Scheme-

BASELT (The British Association of State English Language Teaching - British Association of State English Language Teaching provides a list of accredited colleges and universities, accredited by the British Council and other national inspection organisations.

BASELT (British Association of State English Language Teaching).

Commission on English Language Program Accreditation - accreditation of English language programs and institutions in the US.

The following organisations provide information and advice relating to schools and childcare

• OFSTED - regularly inspects and reports on schools and nurseries.
  
  
• The Standards Site - guidance and good practice on a range of issues, including study support in the community, literacy materials, schemes of work, publications, research, links and a discussion forum.
  
  
• Standards and Effectiveness Unit (SEU) - responsible for range of policies and strategies as well as improving and sustaining standards of attainment by all pupils; promoting diversity and innovation; monitoring performance in education and intervening where necessary.

Open and distance learning standards may vary across the world. For information on UK and other accreditation and standards, see our open and distance learning quality assurance section.

DfES National standards for under eights day care and childminding - includes full day care, childminding, crèches, out of school care, sessional care, accepability of qualifications, consultation report and links.

UK national standards are currently being developed but most organisations follow the code of practice published by the Money Advice Association, at MAA Statement of Good Practice for Money Advisers.

Also, see matrix. This is a national quality standard for organisations delivering information, advice and guidance services for learning and work, developed by The Guidance Council, 10 elements of best practice. Register of advisers and assessors, newsletter by post or email.

Financial Services Authority is the single statutory regulator responsible for regulating deposit-taking, insurance and investment business.

Financial Services National Training Organisation promote learning, establish standards of competence, disseminate knowledge in the financial services.

Finance Industry Standards Association sets standards within the broker introduced secured loan sector of the Finance Industry.

Society of Financial Advisers is one of the professional and educational organisations for financial advisers in the UK supporting professional standards, affiliated to the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Many organisations (including guidance services) may be following quality management systems, although there are some debates about what they measure and their value. There are also guidance management systems developed within TEC or LEC areas and professional guidance standards, particularly if they are involved in the training of guidance and advice staff. Information on the more common quality standards in the UK from:

• Access standards for disabled people - Manchester Disabled People's Access Group provides links and comments on access standards and codes of practice relating to access for disabled people.
  
  
• Adult and Community Learning Quality Support Programme - support for quality assurance and improvement within Local Education Authority adult and community learning services, includes newsletters, publications, quality improvement networks, staff development materials, feedback from national workshops, information packs, development projects, good practice and case studies.
  
  
• Audit Commission - carries out national research on public sector delivery performance, participates in joint inspections with SSI, Ofsted, SSI (Wales) and Estyn, responsible for best value inspection of public services not covered by other statutory inspectorates. Also responsible for appointing external auditors to audit financial statements and carry out reviews of governance arrangements and performance in local authorities, health authorities, trusts and LHGs, police and fire authorities and national parks authorities. Site includes performance indicators.
  
  
• Best Value Inspection Service - reports from the Audit Commission, information and toolkit.
  
  
• British Quality Foundation - promotes the Business Excellence Model, information on booklet describing other business and organisational quality standards (ISO 9000, Investors in People and Charter Mark).
  
  
• Community Legal Service Quality Mark - information about the standards for for organisations providing information, general help and specialist help.
  
  
• Institute of Quality Assurance - including factsheets, qualifications and training (UK site).
  
  
  
• Guidance Accreditation Board - provides a kitemarking system to cover all kinds of guidance services in the UK.
  
  
• Investors in People UK - main site for the organisation promoting this standard.
  
  
• PQASSO - quality assurance system for small and medium voluntary organisations, self-assessment tool with guidance on good practice and collecting evidence for achievement.
  
  
• Sector Skills Development Agency, with links to Sector Skills Councils and network are replacing National Training Organisations - NTOs. Some NTOs are still operating and can be found from the ENTO site They will provide information and help develop.
  
  
• PQASSO - quality assurance system for small and medium voluntary organisations and self-assessment tool.
  
  
• Service First - government site dealing with charter programme, quality networks, performance information, Charter Mark, How to complain, best practice, Better Government for Older People and Passport 50+.
  
  
• Using quality schemes in adult and community learning - a guide for managers - guides from a 3 year programme to support ACL providers, including quality schemes, applying quality schemes, using quality schemes and applying for accreditation, case studies, audit tool, from NIACE and LSDA.

• Accessibility standards for websites
  
  
• Interactive Advertising Bureau UK - Guide to internet standards 2002