CES News guidance for schools 
 
The Connexions Service Working In Catholic Schools And Colleges In England
 
I.Since its gradual introduction through countrywide pilots, the work of the Connexions Service is making an increasing impact on young people in Catholic schools and colleges. It is a service to be welcomed. Nevertheless, it is probably true to say that this government initiative to support 13-19 year olds has not been the easiest to understand and differentiate amongst other initiatives. It has also caused some concern in our Catholic community because its wide remit to provide advice and guidance to young people includes matters of personal development, and by implication, sex and relationships (SRE) education. These are, of course, the responsibility of the governing bodies of our schools and colleges and there will usually be robust policies to accompany SRE. Colleagues in dioceses, schools and colleges have been rightly concerned to ensure that the work of personal advisers within the Connexions Service should not compromise our Catholic rights and the particular ethos of our schools and colleges.
 
II. The CES, working in collaboration with our diocesan colleagues, offered the Connexions Service a suggested “Protocol” for the Connexions Service working in Catholic settings. Whilst this was not fully accepted by the Connexions Service they have made useful references to some of the points in the little publicised “Business Planning Guidance For Connexions Partnerships” (October 2001). 
 
Connexions In Faith Schools

44. Many voluntary-aided schools are run by religious organisations, chiefly the Church of England and the Catholic Church, with some other faith groups running a small number of schools each. There are also pupils of various faith groups in schools in general. The following points should be taken into account in planning and delivering the Connexions Service:

i All maintained schools run by faith groups should be consulted. Where maintained schools, run by the churches or another faith group are numerous in a particular area, this should be reflected in the membership of local management committees.

ii In voluntary-aided schools, the governors are responsible for the recruitment and employment of staff. Partnerships should consult governors and headteachers on Connexions in voluntary-aided schools, and on the role and management of personal advisers.

iii Personal advisers must work within the ethos of schools and colleges run by the Churches or other faith groups. Partnerships should note that the ethos of Church schools and colleges, and particularly Catholic Church schools and colleges, is different from that of maintained schools and colleges. Information and guidance given in school on sex and relationships should take account of the ethos of the school and the teaching of the Church. Information sent to home addresses should be cleared in advance with the governors. Personal advisers should also respect the values and culture of pupils and parents/carers in any faith school.

iv Information and guidance given outside school, for instance, on websites, made available to young people in shops or offices, or given by Connexions staff, should respect religious diversity. Account should also be taken of DfES’s Sex and Relationship Education Guidance available at www.dfes.gov.uk/sreguidance, or from Prolog on 0845 6022260, ref 0116/2000.

 
 
III. Colleagues should feel confident about quoting this guidance, para 44 headed “Connexions In Faith Schools” in their negotiations with their local Connexions Service and personal advisers (PAs). You will note that PAs must work within the ethos of the school or college and there are particular safeguards concerning mailouts to pupils/students. Whilst the PAs are told that they “should take account of the ethos of the school and teaching of the Church” in respect of “information and guidance on sex and relationships” I would remind you that they have no right to provide any information or guidance on these matters without the permission of the head/principal or governing body. It will be important that schools/colleges establish and assert their position on this matter. It would be important, for example, to ensure that all PAs working in/with a Catholic institution have a copy of the college/school policy on sex and relationships education (or whatever title covers this work in the particular establishment) and be required to agree to adhere to it as a condition of their work in the school or college.
 
IV. The Connexions Service intends to publish a final version of the “Guide to Professional Practice for Connexions Personal Advisers” early in 2003. The CES also remain hopeful that further guidance material prepared by us in collaboration with Catholic college and diocesan partners will receive funding from the DfES to enable us to publish it as training material. In the meantime I offer some further material from the Business Planning Guidance of Connexions in order to inform and support any negotiations you may be having with members of the Connexions Service.
 
V. The Connexions Service requires local partnerships to have a Partnership Board and local Management Committee or other representative group. It does not stipulate that this include representation from the Church sector so it would be wise for dioceses to check on local arrangements and lobby for representation where appropriate.
 
VI. The Connexions Service will deploy its resources where they are most needed so their presence may be minimal in many Catholic schools and colleges. They have a responsibility to provide “universal” guidance to all pupils eg re careers and “personal” support to those who require it most.
 
9. Personal adviser intervention to support young people will be based on initial assessment of their needs. Their work with individuals can include:

one-to-one mentoring (directly or including community mentors where appropriate);
arranging group or peer support and personal development activities;
referral to specialist services or provision in and outside the school (from health or social services, or the voluntary sector; study support; motivational or residential activities etc);
work with parents and carers;
liaison with voluntary agency support;
helping to broker learning packages involving out-of-school provision, which may include elements in Further Education (FE) colleges, work-based training or employment, and to monitor the pupil’s progress in tandem with the school.
 
 
 
VII. The Connexions Service is required to ensure that some services are available for post 13 year olds in each school.
 
22. The Connexions Service, though its local manager(s), must ensure that the following are available in each school, whether delivered by Connexions staff or by school or other staff working to a specification agreed with Connexions through the Partnership agreement.

Access by pupils to impartial information and guidance on learning and career options, including through a school-based careers/Connexions library;
Access by pupils to advice and contact with the Service, on issues within the scope of Connexions;
Access by pupils to intensive and/or multi-agency services to remove barriers to learning;
Support for those with SEN/LDD, including input to Transition Reviews for pupils with statements of SEN (See Section J of the APIR Framework for further details);
Information about Connexions Card and Education Maintenance Allowances, and their benefits for those continuing in learning beyond 16;
Information about personal development opportunities and how to access them.
 
 
 
VIII. There has to be a Connexions Partnership Agreement with each school. The basic issues that must be included in each such agreement are indicated below but agreements which go beyond this may also be negotiated.
 
ISSUES FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT A common framework for Partnership agreements forms a basis and a guide for negotiation, and allows key issues to be codified. The agreement should cover the following, and may address other issues relevant to specific situation and the PA roles selected in a given school.

resources and roles – the roles and functions for PAs within the total time allocation given by the Partnership. This will make clear the contributions of school-based and area-based PAs, and of other Connexions staff. It will also capture the relationship between PAs and other key staff in the school, or referral, information exchange case-management etc;
objectives and targets – setting out relevant targets for the work of Connexions in the school. This not only includes pre-16 truancy, inclusion and attainment targets, but also early post-16 participation targets (since these are significantly shaped by pre-16 experience) and the wider Connexions targets on drug use, and crime and teenage conception rates;
referral and pupil review mechanisms – how schools review and monitor pupil progress and issues, and refer them to Connexions (in line with the PA roles established);
awareness raising and access arrangements – how pupils and parents will be informed of, and can access, the support, guidance and information available from the Connexions Service;
management – agreeing the detail of arrangements for shared management of advisers by the school and Connexions and/or employing bodies, as set out in this Planning Guidance and in any additional guidance by a Partnership after discussion with its school and other partners;
impartiality – how guidance on Key Stage 4 courses and post-16 options will be delivered in the school and arrangements to guarantee access by pupils to impartial guidance from Connexions;
confidentiality and child protection issues – setting out the responsibilities and any constraints on both the school and the PA(s) in relation to Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) and other information on sensitive subjects. The agreement should include or refer to arrangements which PAs will follow in respecting school policies, and be clear about the confidentiality arrangements between PAs and other staff in schools (including mentors, EWOs and school nurses as well as teachers and non-teaching staff). It should set out how and by whom pupils will be informed about confidentiality issues:
data collection and sharing arrangements – whether involving individual advisers or the Partnership as an organisation.

 
 
IX. The Business Planning Guidance para 27 acknowledges the importance of headteacher involvement in drawing up the general specification for PAs. Furthermore, it recognises that some PAs may not be suitable for the ethos of a particular school.
 
27. Para 5 required Partnerships to involve Headteacher representatives in agreeing the general specification for new PAs who might be placed in schools, and as part of assessment panels for PAs being recruited to the Partnership directly or to an organisation providing PAs to the Partnership. For each school, Connexions managers should offer a Headteacher (and/or Governing Body in Voluntary Aided schools where Governors are responsible for staff appointments) appropriate PAs from its pool of existing and new staff. The choice of individual(s) to be offered should reflect the mix of Connexions roles negotiated through the Partnership agreement and the ethos and culture of the school. Headteachers, and/or Governors where appropriate, should meet with, and consider, the offered PA(s). They may seek alternatives from Connexions if individuals are considered to be unsuitable for the school on the grounds of competence or likelihood of them working effectively within the school’s ethos. This veto by Headteachers, and/or Governing bodies where appropriate, must comply with the provision of employment and quality legislation and may not be exercised to undermine the impartiality of guidance by Connexions on learning options.
 
 
 
X. Much of the success of Connexions work in our schools will be in the hands of those who manage the PAs. Much of this is expected to be undertaken by schools’ management.
 
28. Nearly all personal advisers will be employed by either their Connexions Partnership or by an organisation providing PAs under contract or by agreement. Management of PAs will be shared between schools and the Connexions Partnership (and/or the employing organisation where this is not the Partnership) as described below. School and Connexions management should build constructive relationships that allow issues of overlapping responsibility to be tackled informally, to reduce the need for complex formal structures.
 
 
 
XI. Local partnership arrangements will include annual reviews and joint monitoring of the service with each school. It is likely that the Partnership Board or Local Management Committee will agree with each school a common approach to annual reviews of delivery in schools.
 
 
More information about the Connexions Service may be found via their website www.connexions.gov.uk.
 
Oona Stannard

Director
Catholic Education Service
September 2002
 
 
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