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"Working together with the matrix Standard as a focus has helped the different teams involved in IAG to work together and share learning and good practice."
Stafford College
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Take your partners
The excitement of the avids who view ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is apparent – to watch how people previously unknown to each other can come together over a period of time and through sheer effort provide a polished and demonstrable performance is to be marvelled at.
In the delivery of information advice and guidance (IAG) partnership is similarly a fundamental feature but it can sometimes be viewed too narrowly and overlook the potential tangible outcomes.
Partnership can be a term that is driven by necessity to survive – an organisation may be dependent on the requirements of a funding body to accord with a contract/service level agreement. The contracting body itself will be a partner and it is possible that they will arrange for the coming together of a number of organisations through network meetings. Whilst this rather formal route might be perceived by some as an irritant it is important in the field of partnership – it ensures clarity of direction, monitoring and evaluation (elements 5 and 8), spreads effective practice and often regulates the spending of public money.
But there are other partnerships that assume prominence. Those of an external nature can combine with the efforts of others to bring about a seamless approach to service delivery. Giving the right IAG to a young person at school and college can pave the way towards higher education – key to this is the understanding and working together of staff from these three bodies. Assisting someone to pursue the opportunities for learning and work needs to recognise the barriers that the individual may face – financial hardship, travel difficulties, childcare, counselling, disability, sensory impairment. Thinking this through from the client’s perspective should prompt the right approach and ensure that referral and signposting arrangements are effective; that everyone is working towards the same end. The approach needs to be proactive - it is not just about constructing a list of organisations in a directory but is something that needs constant review and continued relationship building.
Of equal importance is to look within the organisation to ensure that partnerships link together similar threads – for example, how well support services, academic staff and the frontline coexist.
So, what is it like in your organisation? Do your services intertwine with those of others for the benefit of the end user? It takes two to tango but many more to build and maintain meaningful and constructive partnerships.