Scottish Government

CHAPTER THREE MODELS OF DELIVERY

Introduction

3.1 As mentioned previously, an ERP Adviser was allocated to each of the 13 pilot schools for 2.5 days per week to work with those most at risk of not making a successful post-school transition, with the aim of reducing the number moving into negative destinations. Each school identified a member of the senior management team, normally a deputy head with responsibility for pastoral care to be the named contact within the school. This person's role was to work with the ERP Adviser to support the integration of the pilot into the school, and to act as the main communication channel between the ERP Adviser and the school.

3.2 Beyond this structure, the ERP Adviser and the named contact were given freedom to design their own model for delivery. This reflects the desire to use the pilot project as a means of testing which methods are most effective and deliver the best results.

3.3 This chapter describes the models of delivery that were used, exploring what has worked well and what has worked less well. The findings from this chapter will feed into the conclusions detailed in chapter 6, where we will identify good practice models.

3.4 The chapter considers in turn the approaches that schools have taken to the following:

• Recruitment of pupils
• ERP delivery methods
• ERP within the school environment.

Recruitment of pupils

Characteristics of Target ERP pupils

3.5 The main aim of the pilot is to reduce the number of pupils not making a successful transition from school to employment, education or training. As such the ERP Advisers focus on working with pupils from years 4 (S4) to 6 (S6), (though mainly S4) whose school leaving date is imminent.

3.6 School staff, primarily the named contact in the school, supported by the pastoral care teachers, identify pupils who should be referred to the ERP Adviser based on their perception of who they consider to be 'at risk' of not making a successful transition. School staff use their knowledge and experience to identify the pupils who they believe could benefit from ERP support. There are a number of indicators that can alert staff to the fact that a pupil may be 'at risk', however, we did not find evidence that selection criteria are applied in a systematic way.

3.7 The types of issues that ERP pupils are likely to be experiencing include:

• Poor or irregular attendance at school
• Exclusion from school
• Family history of unemployment
• Consistent bad behaviour
• Negative attitude to school
• Difficult family situation, for example drug or alcohol problems at home or social work intervention
• Poor attainment
• Any other circumstances that make the pupil vulnerable.

3.8 In practice, most schools begin by identifying as priority ERP candidates the pupils who are expecting to leave school in the December of their fifth year. ERP Advisers focus their efforts on these pupils and take on additional referrals within their capacity, should other at risk pupils be identified. In January the focus then shifts to those expecting to leave school in the summer, at the end of their fourth or fifth year.

3.9 The composition of ERP candidates varies slightly from school to school. Some focus on pupils whose attendance is poor because this is an indicator that is recorded, whilst others try to identify a more mixed group. This is achieved by considering a range of indicators such as those listed above, however, this list is not exhaustive and referrers will identify pupils who are facing specific issues that they consider puts them 'at risk' of not making a successful transition. There is evidence that the pilot had less impact where the referral process has focussed on non-attenders and less on the range of indicators. The reasons for this are explored later in the chapter.

3.10 Across the schools, the general consensus is that pupils who are the target of ERP, i.e. those at risk of not making a successful post-school transition, can largely be identified early in their school career. School staff reported during the evaluation that their experience enables them to identify these pupils and so there is an element of subjectivity in the selection of ERP candidates.

3.11 While this experience is invaluable, and an element of subjectivity and instinct is wholly appropriate when identifying pupils who are at risk of not making a successful transition, there is a risk that some pupils will be overlooked if there is no systematic process. This process is discussed in the next section.

The referral process

3.12 The approach for identifying ERP pupils is broadly similar in each school. Each ERP Adviser is normally allocated a caseload at the beginning of the academic year, which is then supplemented in January once winter leavers are no longer on the caseload, and throughout the year as and when 'at risk' pupils are identified.

3.13 The initial caseload is often agreed through a discussion between the ERP Adviser and named contact in the school. Together they agree on the referral criteria. This often focuses on poor or irregular attendance at school because this is something that is recorded and can be used to generate an initial list of pupils as a starting point for discussion. This list can then be refined, adding pupils that school staff believe could be at risk of not making a successful transition and removing those deemed not to be at risk.

3.14 During this discussion, the teachers, with their understanding of the pupils, can recommend who they think will benefit from ERP. The ERP Adviser has the opportunity at this early stage to agree or disagree with the suitability of the referrals and enter into discussions about the final list of pupils who should be involved.

3.15 In a small number of schools this discussion does not take place and instead the ERP Adviser is given a list of pupils to begin working with. There is no discussion or refinement of this list and the ERP Adviser has no opportunity to influence the referrals. This approach has resulted in ERP Advisers receiving inappropriate referrals, both in terms of numbers and suitability, which restricts the impact they can have on the school leaver destination figures. It can also undermine the relationship between the school and the ERP Adviser. It is crucial to the success of the pilot that a good relationship is maintained.

3.16 The caseload is supplemented by further referrals throughout the year as additional pupils are identified as being 'at risk'. The vast majority of referrals come from Pastoral Care teachers. However, where the pilot is most embedded and its existence is best communicated there is the opportunity for referrals to come from a number of other routes, the key ones being:

• Subject teachers
• Joint Assessment Teams (or other multi agency teams)
• Learning support teachers
• Social work.

3.17 Having a range of referral routes minimises the risk of pupils "slipping through the net". In practice we found that it is extremely rare for referrals to come through any of these additional routes. The evaluation shows that the referral process could be strengthened by ensuring better links with as wide a range of referrers as possible so that pupils can be referred through a range of routes.

3.18 At present there is little evidence that ERP pupils are identified in a systematic way, so inevitably some pupils are not noticed or referred but are displaying a similar set of indicators to pupils who are receiving ERP support.

3.19 We are aware that some of the ERP pilot areas are working on more comprehensive and objective methods of earlier identification of vulnerable pupils by using risk factor analysis, however, this was not mentioned by any of the consultees during our research.

3.20 One school has recently devised a system whereby 20 teachers have volunteered to mentor 6 S4 pupils each. This ensures that each pupil has a key contact within the school and if the teacher identifies any issues, they can offer the necessary support or refer the pupil appropriately. ERP was not fully integrated with this system, however, if the necessary links exist between these teachers and the ERP Adviser this system could provide a more robust referral mechanism.

Information

3.21 The quality of the information provided to the ERP Adviser at the referral stage is a crucial element of a successful referral process. Having identified an ERP candidate the referrer completes a referral form which gives the ERP Adviser contact details and some basic background information to enable them to begin working with the pupil. This information allows the ERP Adviser to assess whether the referral is appropriate, and to understand the range of issues that the pupil is dealing with. This enables them to offer the appropriate support and to be sensitive to issues that the pupil may not have shared with the ERP Adviser.

3.22 In a minority of schools, the ERP Advisers are not provided with these forms in a timely manner or are not provided with sufficient information on the forms. In one school the named contact and ERP Adviser reported that referrers are reluctant to complete the forms as they see it as additional paperwork, despite the form being only one page long.

3.23 Some referrers are unsure about whether they should be sharing sensitive information with the ERP Adviser. This indicates a need for more clarity on what can and should be shared and how the information will be used in the schools where referral information is poor. The senior management team should draw on the practices of schools where information is being shared as it should and then provide their own staff with clear guidance.

3.24 Where the issue is about lack of understanding of the need to share information and the lack of integration of the pilot in the school then there needs to be strong leadership from the Local Authority and head teacher to ensure successful integration.

3.25 With the exception of a minority of schools, ERP Advisers and school staff are generally satisfied with the referral process. As understanding of the pilot has grown within the schools, staff are making more and better referrals. Relationships have been built and in schools where relationships are particularly good between ERP Advisers and pastoral care staff there is a dialogue between the 2 to decide on whether a particular referral is appropriate. This dialogue not only improves the quality of the referrals, but the information that is gleaned then helps the ERP Adviser to better understand the pupils' needs and so support them more effectively.

Size of caseloads

3.26 Data was not collected in such a way that we were able to analyse the size of caseloads that ERP Advisers had in each school over the duration of the pilot, however, ERP Advisers reported significant variation in the numbers of referrals from school to school. In 2006/7 ERP Advisers reported caseloads of between 30 pupils to around 70 pupils per school ⁴ (these figures were based on ERP Advisers' estimates). Those with the highest numbers felt overloaded, whilst those with the lowest could not run group sessions and felt that the additional resource the ERP offers schools was being under utilised. We recommended that in year 2 there should be a maximum caseload of 50 pupils per school, based on Advisers' estimations of what would be manageable in the context of how they had coped with their year one caseload.

3.27 In 2007/8 the majority of the ERP Advisers with the largest caseloads in year one of the pilot were happier that their caseloads in year 2 were of a more manageable size. This was both a reflection of their greater understanding of the size of caseload they could manage and their relationship with the senior management team representative having developed in such a way that the ERP Adviser had more influence over the numbers being referred.

3.28 During the consultations in year 2 of the pilot we found that in the majority of cases ERP Advisers are satisfied with their caseloads. Those with the largest caseloads in year one now have a better understanding of the numbers they can work with and have discussed this with the school representative so that they now have better control over the number of pupils they are working with at any given time. That said, some schools can identify more potential ERP pupils than the ERP Adviser can realistically work with. Given that the majority of ERP Advisers are highly motivated to help as many pupils as they can, they sometimes find it hard to say no when a pupil is referred to them. The absence of a clearly defined, systematic process for identifying ERP pupils can exacerbate this issue and whilst all pupils who are referred to ERP are those who can benefit from additional support to develop their employability skills, make their career choices and take the necessary actions to realise their aspirations, the referral criteria may be too broad

3.29 There remain a minority of schools where the small number of referrals is still an issue. In 2 schools the ERP Adviser feels that the low referral rate is due to the senior management team not having "bought into" the pilot. In these schools there are a number of other initiatives and processes in place aimed at supporting the More Choices, More Chances group and the ERP pilot has not been integrated into the existing structures. This highlights the importance of ensuring that schools do not just passively accept additional support, but they actively commit to finding a way to build it into their structures in order to maximise its potential.

Attenders and non-attenders

3.30 The list of pupils that ERP Advisers are given normally includes a mix of attenders and non-attenders. Most ERP Advisers have undertaken some home visits (usually along with an Attendance Officer) to reach pupils who are not attending schools. There have been some cases where this has proved successful and pupils who are not attending school have either been encouraged to come back to school; gained exceptional entry to college; or been supported to successfully enter employment, further education or training.

3.31 Pupils who are non-attenders are often particularly difficult to reach, and despite several attempts the ERP Adviser has not been able to contact some of them. ERP Advisers gave examples of having made several visits to homes where there was evidence of people being inside, yet no-one answered the door. Given that in most schools ERP Advisers have sizeable lists of pupils who are deemed to be 'at risk' of not making a successful transition, to ensure maximum impact they have focussed on those who are attending school and who are not as hard to engage.

3.32 In a minority of schools ERP Advisers have been given a list that consists of a significant number of pupils that they have found they have not been able to work with. In one school these pupils have been mainly non-attenders and in another there has been a number of pupils who, although still on the school roll, are no longer living in this country. In these cases the resource that the ERP Adviser is able to offer has not been used effectively.

3.33 These examples highlight the importance of ensuring that ERP Advisers are given a referral list of pupils who are not only at risk of not making a successful transition, but with whom there is a chance that the ERP Advisers will be able to engage. That is not to say that those who are not attending school should not be referred to ERP Advisers, but for ERP Advisers to have any impact the list of non-attenders needs to be supplemented with a list of pupils who are likely to engage.

3.34 For those who are most difficult to engage ERP Advisers need to develop strategies that secure engagement, or ensure that the pupil is being supported through another means. In particular, for those who are not attending or have been excluded from school, a school based provision may not be the most appropriate form of support.

Early intervention

3.35 Schools are increasingly recognising the skillset and expertise of ERP Advisers and the impact they can have on individuals and on the school and so more schools are seeing the potential for the ERP Advisers to work with pupils earlier in their school career. They believe that intervening earlier can prevent some of the issues that put pupils at risk of not making a successful transition from taking hold. If this approach works, the advantage is that it may prevent pupils from disengaging from school, giving them more options when they come to leave school.

3.36 Some early intervention work with S1 to S3 pupils and even with primary school pupils took place as part of the pilot. However, the pilot's aim was to improve School Leaver Destination Returns ( SLDR) figures within a 2 year period, and as such both school staff and Skills Development Scotland agreed that ERP Adviser activity should focus on those due to leave school.

3.37 Most early intervention work has taken place with S3 pupils who are expected to be ERP clients when they progress into S4. In the first year of the pilot this was useful for building relationships at an early stage to enable the ERP Adviser to work more effectively with the pupils in their fourth year.

3.38 In one school the ERP Adviser worked with a group of S1 pupils who had been identified at primary school as having attendance issues. Over a 6 week period the ERP Adviser delivered a number of sessions using a resource pack from the School of Emotional Literacy. The group are now attending school more regularly than had originally been expected, which both the school and the ERP Adviser believe to be as a result of the intervention. Feedback from pupils was that they had not realised before what the outcomes of persistent truanting would be for them. The programme encouraged the pupils to take on responsibility for attendance.

3.39 The counter argument to the provision of early intervention is that pupils may not be ready to focus on their post-school career until they are due to leave school and the reality of the step they are about to take has become apparent to them.

3.40 As early intervention activity with S1 to S3 pupils was deliberately minimal there is limited evidence available on its success or otherwise, therefore no firm conclusions can be drawn here. However, the study did find a strong desire from school staff for early intervention to be provided by the equivalent of an ERP Adviser in the future. In their current form it is difficult to see how an ERP Adviser could manage this additional case load, therefore the model of delivery for any future early intervention provision would need to be given careful consideration and may sit outside of ERP.

ERP Delivery

Flexibility

3.41 The key feature of ERP provision is that ERP Advisers have the ability to take a flexible approach, tailored to the needs of the individual with whom they are working. This is overwhelmingly considered to be the principle strength of the pilot by both the school contact and ERP Advisers. As one school staff member said:

"Often these are the pupils who can't conform. You can't fit them into a model. The key thing with ERP is that there is no model" (Respondent 1).

3.42 When we asked school staff what value the ERP Advisers could add to what already existed in the school, the most common responses were:

• Time to provide hand holding and to be persistent with those pupils who require this level of support to enable them to move into a positive post-school destination
• Expertise and knowledge of:
• Training, education and employment opportunities
• Resources, tools and organisations that could support pupils to move towards these opportunities.

3.43 In taking a flexible approach ERP Advisers are often delivering a mixture of structured and unstructured activities. All ERP Advisers work with pupils on a one-to-one basis, and some also use group work sessions. As previously mentioned, some ERP Advisers offer sessions to younger pupils as part of early intervention, whilst others are supporting group sessions that are being delivered by other careers staff or as part of other initiatives in the school.

One-to-one sessions

3.44 One-to-one sessions are vital for assessing the needs of the individual, building rapport and gaining trust. They provide young people with the opportunity to discuss sensitive issues that they could not discuss in a group situation either because they lack the confidence to do so or because the issues are of a personal nature.

3.45 Mentoring and career planning are important features of the one-to-one support provided through ERP. In a one-to-one session the ERP Adviser can take time to explore with the pupil what his/her interests and options are, helping them to decide on potential career paths. Some ERP pupils are not motivated to consider their career, whilst for others their aspirations are unrealistic given their attainment. ERP Advisers use their career planning skills to help pupils set goals that they are motivated towards and that are also realistic.

3.46 What is unique about the ERP Advisers is that they can offer pupils career planning support at a pace that suits their personal circumstances. Whilst these sessions have a career focus, the pupils may have a range of issues that are impacting on their ability to focus on their post-school career, for example a drug or alcohol problem, bereavement, family breakdown or bullying. As such, the ERP Adviser may need to help them deal with these issues by providing a level of counselling or, where necessary, identifying appropriate sources of support.

3.47 During the focus groups with pupils many were clearly able to state that the ERP Adviser had helped them to think about and focus on their future career. Some pupils reported that they had not appreciated the link between working at school and getting a job they like until they began working with their ERP Adviser.

3.48 One-to-one sessions, as with group sessions, also provide ERP Advisers with the opportunity to teach pupils practical skills, in particular how to complete an application form or to develop interview skills through, for example, mock interviews. In the focus groups with pupils they said that being given help to complete application forms was an important feature of the support they received and mock interviews were considered to be extremely useful.

3.49 Pupils will often leave the one-to-one sessions having been given a task, for example, to consider the options discussed in the session, or to complete an application form. Many pupils in the ERP client group lack the motivation, confidence or self-esteem to be proactive about their future career and so a large part of the ERP Advisers' time is spent working with them on these tasks.

3.50 Persistence is therefore an important attribute in an ERP Adviser. As one school staff member said: "Advisers are someone who can prod the kids. They need to nag them regularly and provide hand holding" (Respondent 2).

3.51 An important benefit of the one-to-one sessions is that the ERP Adviser can build a relationship, gain trust and earn the respect of the pupils. ERP Advisers take a much less formal approach than teachers, which helps them to with engage pupils who are resistant to authority figures.

3.52 ERP Advisers need to take a holistic approach, considering the range of influences on the pupils' employability, which can include personal circumstances such as family situations or relationships with peers. It is therefore vital that the ERP Adviser has the necessary skills and attributes to form these positive relationships with the pupils. They need to be approachable, sensitive, empathetic, supportive, understanding and non-judgemental. These softer skills are just as important as the harder, more career focussed skills.

Group work

3.53 Around half of the ERP Advisers provide regular group sessions to pupils. The reported benefits include:

• Helping those pupils who are ready to do so to move beyond their comfort zone
• ERP Advisers can reach larger numbers of pupils
• Pupils can develop a range of skills that are unlikely to be developed through one-to-one sessions such as teamwork, group discussion, negotiation and problem solving
• Peer support.

3.54 Group sessions are sometimes delivered using existing tools or, as is often the case, they can draw on elements from a range of tools, including:

• Breakthrough to Excellence - a programme that enables young people to deal with the issues they are facing
• Activate - a complete employability package
• Go for It - a programme focussing on self efficacy
• WorkNet - a programme focussing on motivation and an appreciation of the employers' perspective.

3.55 We found limited examples of ERP Advisers delivering the intensive Activate course, Breakthrough and Go for It. Some of the ERP Advisers felt that WorkNet was too advanced for ERP pupils as it is most effective where beneficiaries have some experience in the world of work that can be drawn on in the sessions, however, some elements are useful and are used in both one-to-one and group work sessions. One ERP Adviser stated that Activate is a good tool to break the ice and get to know the pupils. Although ERP Advisers expressed some preferences on the tools they prefer to use, the consensus was that ERP pupils require a flexible approach and ERP Advisers should be trained on as many tools as possible to give them a range of tools to draw on

3.56 We found examples of ERP Advisers delivering timetabled group sessions that draw on elements from a number of tools, delivered flexibly to meet the pupils' needs. These often replaced one period of a particular curriculum subject each week or each fortnight. The informal nature of the sessions appeals to pupils. The group sessions are focussed around a series of interactive activities and discussions. For example the pupils may be divided into small teams to do a quiz that asks them questions about some of the things the ERP Adviser has previously taught them about employability. Or they might be given a practical challenge such as building a tower from paper to build their confidence, team working and problem solving skills. The ERP Advisers use the sessions to teach the pupils things that they need to know and to develop the softer skills that will prepare them for securing and sustaining employment, further education or training. They do this in a way that engages a group of pupils who are often averse to traditional learning methods.

3.57 One group articulated very clearly what value they got from their group sessions. They said that:

• "She (the ERP Adviser) doesn't shout - she's normal"
• "(We) learn more this way"
• "She (the ERP Adviser) thinks it's important to listen"
• "(We) get to share points of view"
• "(We) learned that college isn't the same as school"
• "(I) wouldn't have gone to college without….. (the ERP Adviser)"
• "She (the ERP Adviser) gave us our options - showed us what we can do"
• "(We) got help with applications and interview skills"
• "(We) know what to expect a bit more now".

3.58 It is clear that group sessions are an important element of the work that is done with ERP pupils, teaching them a range of skills and motivating them to consider their post-school career. However it is important that:

• The ERP Adviser is comfortable with delivering group sessions - this is a particular skill that not all careers staff will necessarily possess
• The pupils are able to cope with a group work environment - many have confidence and self-esteem issues and it is important that they are not put into an environment that causes them significant discomfort.

3.59 Where ERP Advisers are not offering group sessions this is either because they do not have enough referrals to form a viable group or because they are instead supporting the delivery of group sessions that are being offered through other initiatives in the school.

3.60 Another important factor in the success or otherwise of group work is the group dynamic and ERP Advisers need to carefully consider the mix of pupils in the sessions. ERP Advisers report that some groups can be challenging to work with and inevitably some will be more successful than others. This highlights the importance of the skills, experience and judgement of ERP Advisers and the importance of communication with school staff to enable them to identify pupils who will be able to work in a group and those who may need more one-to-one support before they are ready to participate in a group session.

Joint delivery and partnership working

3.61 In many of the schools there are other initiatives that are aimed at pupils who are in the ERP target group. To avoid duplication and maximise their reach, ERP Advisers have supported the delivery of some of these initiatives. For some, this has been in place of their own specific ERP group work sessions, whilst for others this has been in addition to ERP group work. Examples include:

• An ERP Adviser was invited to co-facilitate sessions on a personal and social development programme that the school was delivering through ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network)
• The ERP Adviser worked with a local community organisation that delivered an employability programme aimed at vulnerable young people
• The ERP Adviser teamed up with the Campus Police Officer to deliver a course designed to raise self-confidence and self-esteem
• One ERP Adviser arranged for an external organisation to come into the school and deliver their life coaching programme. The school reported that the pupils have made progress and the ERP Adviser developed new group work techniques.

3.62 A number of schools offer personal development programmes such as the Princes Trust xl programme ⁵and ERP Advisers have in some instances been invited to support the delivery of these. This helps them to work with pupils from their target group and avoid duplication. It can help to enhance the programme by bringing the ERP Advisers' expertise to it.

3.63 This practice helps to embed the role of the ERP Adviser within the school structure and is one that should be encouraged.

3.64 In the second year of the pilot there was evidence that some schools were being more proactive about approaching the ERP Advisers to ask that they become involved in such programmes. Within the school and local community there are a team of people working with pupils to help them address a range of needs or achieve a range of outcomes. In a number of the pilot schools, ERP Advisers have become an integral member of that team, bringing with them a range of knowledge and skills that can be drawn on in a variety of ways.

3.65 One important example of this is the inclusion of ERP Advisers in Joint Assessment Team (or their equivalent) meetings. These are multi-disciplinary meetings that bring together the range of professionals that are working with pupils who have complex needs. Where ERP Advisers attend these meetings they are often able to add a further dimension to the information that is being shared about the pupil. The relatively informal relationship that the ERP Advisers are able to build can encourage the pupils to share information that they might not share with a social worker or a teacher. The information that ERP Advisers get from these meetings can also help them to work more effectively with the pupil.

3.66 As ERP Advisers become more integrated into the school and community provision, there are more opportunities for informal communication and for pupils to receive support that is more rounded by drawing on the skills of each member of the team.

3.67 Where schools are offering a range of provision aimed at a similar target group to the ERP client group there is scope for duplication, but this is not, by definition, a bad thing. One example where multiple provision is working well is where schools have received funding for Activate ⁶ as well as ERP.

3.68 The majority of schools offer both ERP support and the Activate programme. The client group for these are very similar, although the ERP pupils are considered to be "higher tariff" than those for whom Activate is appropriate. Where both are available in the school there is clear guidance that those engaged with Activate should not also be engaged with ERP and vice versa. This is to avoid duplication of provision, given the similar nature and aims of the 2 programmes.

3.69 School staff report that there are some cases where they are uncertain about which intervention is most appropriate for a particular pupil. In such cases ERP Advisers recommend that the school refer the pupils to the Careers Service, and the ERP Adviser and Activate Adviser then decide which programme the pupil should be referred to.

3.70 ERP Advisers worked in partnership with local colleges, training providers and in some cases employers, to organise opportunities for pupils to get a better understanding of what is on offer to them beyond school. On occasion, some ERP Advisers invited employers (such as the armed forces) or training providers into the school. There are also some examples of ERP Advisers having organised for ERP pupils to:

• Attend Get Ready For Work events to find out about local training opportunities
• Visit local colleges to find out about courses and to see how colleges operate
• Undertake work experience placements.

3.71 School staff valued the ERP Advisers knowledge of these wider opportunities and reported that this activity had increased their awareness of the range of options available to pupils. In particular, school staff reported having limited knowledge of training providers and opportunities.

3.72 Where these activities have taken place they have helped to form or strengthen links between the schools, employers, training providers and colleges. These are likely to continue in some form beyond the life of the pilot, however, without the dedicated knowledge and resource of the ERP Adviser school, staff fear that these may not be pursued to the same extent in the future.

Working with parents

3.73 We found anecdotal evidence that positive impacts are optimised where parents are involved in supporting the pupils towards a positive destination. For example, once the parents are aware or convinced of the importance of taking action to improve chances of a successful post-school transition, they can provide their child with encouragement or can take action to get them to school, attend interviews, and complete application forms.

3.74 ERP Advisers have attempted to work with parents and particularly in year 2 of the pilot one of their goals was to increase the level of activity in this area. Where parents have been engaged it has often been as a result of a home visit to a pupil who has not been attending school.

3.75 Parents occasionally accompanied their child to one-to-one meetings with the ERP Adviser. In one school, the ERP Adviser was invited to attend relevant meetings between parents, pastoral care staff and the senior management representative to discuss the difficulties their child was facing. In these meetings the ERP Adviser was able to speak in relation to the pupil's potential career options and could explain to the parents what the child would have to do to pursue their chosen career.

3.76 ERP Advisers tried a number of methods of engagement, including writing to parents to invite them to contact the ERP Adviser with any queries; and attending parent's evenings. These were not always successful, with few parents choosing to engage with the ERP Advisers.

3.77 The ERP Advisers found that making contact with parents and helping them to understand the role they can play in their child's future career requires considerable resources. This, combined with the difficulties associated with securing engagement from parents, has meant that work with parents has not been a significant feature of the pilot, to the ERP Advisers' disappointment.

3.78 Findings from the telephone survey show that parents of ERP pupils are keen to be involved in supporting their child to make their career choices. When asked to select from which statement they agreed with most about whose responsibility it is to support their child to make their career choices, 78% said "the Careers Adviser, school and parents are equally responsible…..".

3.79 Of the 91 parents that we interviewed, 85% were aware that their child was receiving support from the ERP Adviser. However, the majority of those who were aware of the support had been informed by their child (65%). A further 17% had been informed by the school and 13% had been informed by the ERP Adviser. Given parents' views that they should be equally responsible for supporting their child in making their career choices we would recommend that they should be informed formally by the school or ERP Adviser.

3.80 We asked parents about the types of information they would find useful to help them to support their child. Table 3.1 shows they felt that the most useful form of support would be a meeting between the parent, child and ERP Adviser (77% gave a rating of 4 or 5 on a scale of one to 5 with one being not at all useful and 5 being very useful), followed by a progress report from the ERP Adviser (75% gave a rating of 4 or 5).

Table 3.1 Usefulness of support to help parents support their child's career choice, % of parents

2008 Research Resource telephone survey with parents, N = 91

3.81 Although there has been limited engagement with parents, the initial signs are that it is good practice and something that should be supported to maximise the impact of any future interventions. Feedback from the parents is that they are keen to be involved in supporting their child.

Barriers to further education, employment and training

3.82 ERP Advisers have organised a range of activities aimed at raising awareness of and overcoming some of the psychological barriers to entering further education, employment and training. Examples include:

• College visits, which sometimes involves travelling by public transport to show pupils how they would get there themselves
• Work experience; for example, a group of pupils spent a week doing work experience at a local fire station
• Organising Get Ready for Work ( GRfW) events that allow pupils to meet a range of training providers, take part in participative activities and learn what GRfW has to offer them.

3.83 ERP Advisers believe that this helps pupils begin to overcome some of the fears they may have about moving into these destinations. This is particularly true of college visits, where pupils report that they had thought that college was just like school. Having been on a visit they see that this is not the case and as a result, have a much more positive view of college and are more inclined to consider applying to college.

3.84 Some of the pupils have not yet developed the level of independence required for them to travel to college, training or employment. By showing them how they can make the journey ERP Advisers are helping the pupils to see how they can become more independent and overcome this barrier.

3.85 We found anecdotal evidence that delivering courses away from school can be more successful than delivering them in the school environment. One ERP Adviser delivered a week long intensive Breakthrough course out of school, rather then deliver it in school over a prolonged period. This was successful because it engendered a sense of maturity in the pupils and they showed greater commitment than pupils receiving support in the school environment.

ERP within the school environment

School buy in

3.86 In the first year of the ERP we found that the pilot had been positive but that there had been some issues particularly around the "buy in" of schools. In the second year of the evaluation the situation has improved in most schools. Over time, the ERP Advisers have grown more competent and confident in their roles and have been able to demonstrate to the senior management contact, and in some cases the Pastoral Care staff, what the pilot consists of, is able to do and what the potential benefits of it are. This has led to greater buy in.

3.87 Overwhelmingly, where ERP Advisers feel that they have the full support of the school, in particular the head teacher, senior management contact and pastoral care staff, they believe that they can achieve the best results, demonstrating that the extent of school buy in is a key determinant of the success of the pilot.

3.88 Where school buy in is greatest this is usually because the key contact within the school is highly committed to the pilot and is motivated to work effectively with the ERP Adviser to maximise the impacts. It is therefore vital that the school selects the most appropriate staff member to fill this role. In turn, this individual must be supported by the head teacher.

3.89 It is equally important that ERP Advisers are committed to working hard with the school's pastoral care team to develop these relationships. They not only need to be persistent with the pupils, but they also need to be persistent about establishing relationships, raising awareness, building communication channels and developing systems of working with school staff. Where this persistence does not lead to the desired outcome ERP Advisers need to be able to take action to address the situation, for example, by discussing the issue with the head teacher.

3.90 Both ERP Advisers and the senior management contact could not emphasise enough the importance of personalities in making the pilot a success, and the schools where both parties are particularly convinced of the pilot's impact are those where good relationships have been built between the ERP Adviser and the key contact in the school. Regular informal communication, supplemented with formal communication channels have been identified as the key to an effective working relationship.

3.91 ERP Advisers were able to give examples of where schools showed a good level of buy in and where this was lacking. In one example the ERP Adviser had organised an event for the ERP pupils to attend outside of school, however, some pupils missed the bus. School staff, understanding that these pupils would benefit significantly from attending the event ensured that they got there by taxi. By contrast, in another school the ERP Adviser was organising a similar event, however, because some of the target pupils had not been attending school the named contact would not allow them to go to the event as a punishment for their non-attendance at school. This decision was counter productive in terms of the benefits to ERP pupils.

3.92 This latter example demonstrates the tension that can exist between the school's role in exercising discipline and the pilot's role in helping those who may not have had a successful school career to secure better prospects for them post-school. Similar issues can exist around subject staff having concerns about pupils jeopardising their grades by missing classes to attend ERP meetings. We found less evidence of this in the second year of the pilot. Some staff realise that those who are not particularly academic can benefit more from the skills learned and support provided through ERP.

3.93 Understandably, school activity is strongly focussed on academic achievement and discipline. However, this approach has not worked for many of the ERP pupils and a different approach is required to enable them to have the best chance of a successful post-school career. It is therefore important that there is a cultural shift in schools that recognises that there needs to be different priorities for different pupils. This has already begun to happen, however, is more evident in some schools than in others.

3.94 Even in schools where the buy in is best they admit that communication could be improved. School staff are extremely busy and have a wide range of competing priorities. This can make it difficult to ensure that formal and informal communication takes place on a regular basis. Both forms of communication are vital. Having a number of different careers staff can exacerbate this situation.

3.95 The named contacts in the schools believe that there may be scope to combine some of the roles of the various Careers Advisers. For example, rather than have a part-time ERP Adviser and a part-time Activate Adviser, there could be a full-time Adviser offering a level of enhanced support to the "at risk" client group, which would incorporate both ERP style provision and Activate. Similarly, there could be scope to combine some of the ERP and Activate functions into the role of mainstream Advisers.

3.96 Ideally schools would be allocated a level of career support to meet their needs and these people would split their time between mainstream and targeted provision as appropriate depending on the demographic of the pupils in the school.

3.97 The percentage of pupils leaving school and entering a negative destination is now a measure of a school's performance. It is important that schools do not expect support such as that provided by ERP to deliver these positive results on their behalf. Improvements in SLDR figures requires a team approach, with enhanced support from the careers service being one tool that can help schools to secure positive destinations for more of their pupils.

3.98 Equally, schools need to recognise that they can achieve greater success if they utilise support such as that provided by ERP. In a minority of cases schools were very proud of their own achievements and seemed not to have made best use of the additional resource that the pilot had provided them with.

3.99 As with any new initiative, buy in and the development of working relationships and practices has taken time, however, good progress has been made in most schools and we would anticipate these improving further over time if a similar provision were to be offered in the future. Indeed, in the majority of schools there was significant demand for the continuation of something equivalent to ERP provision beyond the lifetime of the pilot.

Accommodation and equipment

3.100 As with any new initiative ERP required some initial "bedding in" time. Not only was this a new initiative for the schools but it was also a new role for the ERP Advisers. There were inevitably some teething issues in some schools, such as there being no accommodation or equipment for ERP Advisers to use within the schools and misunderstandings around who should and should not be referred.

3.101 Lack of accommodation and access to equipment remains a persistent problem in a minority of schools. Both ERP Advisers and school staff recognise the importance of accommodation in helping the ERP Adviser to establish an identity in the school which makes them easily recognisable and accessible to pupils and staff. Where accommodation is poor, for example a room that is extremely small and without any windows, the ERP Advisers believe that this sends a message to pupils that their career is not valued. It is therefore important that any future roll out of an enhanced career provision considers the accommodation and I.T. requirements of their ERP Adviser.

Summary

3.102 In summary, we found the following:

Recruitment

• The majority of referrals come from Pastoral Care teachers who use their knowledge and experience to identify those at risk of not making a successful post-school transition.
• Although a level of subjectivity and instinct is wholly appropriate, the referral process would be strengthened if a systematic process were in place to identify those at risk.
• Where ERP Advisers are involved in a discussion with the named contact about the initial referral list they have the opportunity to influence the size of caseload and nature of the referrals. This is good practice but does not happen in all schools.
• The referral process could be strengthened by ensuring better links with as wide a range of referrers as possible to encourage referral through a variety of routes.
• When quality information about the referred pupil is provided to the ERP Adviser in a timely manner this enables them to work more effectively with the pupil. Where this information is not being provided there needs to be strong leadership from the head teacher and ultimately the local authority to ensure successful integration of the pilot and the senior management contact should provide clear guidance on information sharing based on the practices of other schools.
• ERP Advisers report that the size of caseloads varies significantly, however there is no data available on the exact numbers of pupils that ERP Advisers are working with in each school, therefore, we are unable to carry out analysis on activity levels.
• In addition some ERP Advisers have found that a significant proportion of those referred to them cannot be engaged, mainly because these pupils have disengaged from school. A school based provision may not be appropriate for this group and alternative strategies may need to be developed.
• There is a strong desire from the senior management contacts in the schools for early intervention to be available for younger pupils, which they see being delivered by an equivalent of an ERP Adviser.

Delivery methods

• ERP Advisers have the ability to take a flexible approach, tailored to the needs of the individual with whom they are working. This is overwhelmingly considered to be the principle strength of the pilot by both the school contact and ERP Advisers.
• All ERP Advisers offer one-to-one sessions, where they provide mentoring and career planning support. This is invaluable for building a rapport with the pupils, identifying barriers and ways to overcome these and identifying goals and strategies to achieve these.
• Half of the ERP Advisers offer group sessions which are interactive and designed to encourage personal development and to build employability skills. These are not suitable for all pupils but help to develop a range of skills that cannot be developed in the one-to-one sessions. They also increase the ERP Advisers' reach. These were found to bring significant benefits to the pupils involved and should be offered in all schools.
• To avoid duplication and maximise their reach some ERP Advisers are supporting other activities that are ongoing in the school. Again this is good practice and should be encouraged.
• Involving ERP Advisers in Joint Assessment Team (or their equivalent) meetings has proven invaluable to both the ERP Adviser and the range of agencies involved. This should be encouraged in all schools.
• Some ERP Advisers have helped to form or strengthen links between the schools, employers, training providers and colleges. These are likely to continue in some form beyond the life of the pilot, however, without the dedicated knowledge and resource of the ERP Adviser school staff fear that these may not be pursued to the same extent in the future.
• There has been a minimal level of engagement with parents, however, where it has happened it was felt to have been positive. The survey found that parents are keen to be involved in supporting their child and would value a meeting with the ERP Adviser and their child and a progress report from the ERP Adviser.
• Out of school activities such as college visits, work experience or Get Ready for Work events help pupils to overcome the fears that they have about moving into employment, education or training. These should be a feature of the provision in all schools.

ERP within the school environment

• School 'buy in' is crucial to the success of the pilot. This has improved over the duration of the pilot, however, in many cases there is room for improvement.
• The personalities of the named contact in the school and of the ERP Adviser are extremely important if the provision is to be integrated into the school.
• A traditional school culture that is focussed on academic achievement and discipline does not work for many of the ERP pupils. Schools need to become more flexible in their approach to these pupils, a culture shift that is more evident in some schools than in others.
• Due to competing priorities in the school, finding time for informal and formal communication between the named contact and ERP Adviser can be difficult. This is something schools recognise they need to continue improving upon.
• Schools would like to see a more streamlined careers service, where they are allocated the level of resource necessary to deliver both mainstream and targeted activity within that school. This should be delivered by as few individuals as possible to minimise confusion and maximise ERP Advisers' exposure in the school.
• To deliver a quality service and be visible within the schools ERP Advisers need to be provided with suitable accommodation and access to a telephone, computer and the internet. This was an initial teething problem in a number of schools and a persistent problem in a minority.