DIAL UK News
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNISATION A Modern Network Supporting Modern Advice Centres
Publication date: 25 / 08 / 2006
DIAL UK, adviceUK, Age Concern England, Law Centres Federation and Youth Access – have completed research into the infrastructure support needs of advice networks and how they are currently met from a sample of member agencies.
The research, funded by the Home Office and conducted by ADP Consultancy, examined the potential for modernisation of advice infrastructure, drawing on the views of front line agencies and the advice networks. The purpose was to address the need to modernise the independent advice sector infrastructure through the identification of overlaps and gaps and to make recommendations for improvements. The findings are to be used to develop more joined-up, effective and targeted support for frontline organisations that enables them to be more efficient and sustainable.
Complex needs
The research found that advice providers have specific needs arising from the changing environment they operate in and the complexity and diversity of service provision they deliver.
Individual network members tend to experience support from national networks as:
- One off – e.g. they may contact the network when in crisis, receive initial advice but not be able to consult with network longer term.
- Not constant – e.g. they receive specific support such as training or consultancy advice for one or two years and then the service ends.
- London centric – a considerable number of organisations felt training and conferences were inaccessible due to their being held in London.
- Ad hoc – a number of organisations were unclear about the criteria used for whether an organisation would receive one to one support and queried if limited resources were being used effectively.
Network members recognise that there is a lack of resources within networks, which restricts regional delivery of support. The one off support identified above is valued by organisations.
Network profiles
DIAL UK members in particular raised the diminishing level of services available to them from DIAL and emphasised the value they placed on services when they had been delivered 2 – 3 years ago. DIAL members retain their own strong individual identity as disability groups and undertake specific roles in providing a local profile for disability issues.
Networks with a specific focus i.e. Age Concern and Youth Access, tend to have a higher profile with their membership. This is primarily based around the networks developing a role in drawing attention to the need for advice for specific target groups. This tends to lead to stronger relationships between a network and its members.
For example, it was noticeable that Youth Access members usually knew the names of Youth Access national staff. Age Concerns were positive about receiving funding via Age Concern national initiatives and individual Age Concerns were often active in regional Age Concern forums that increased their level of involvement with Age Concern England.
Law Centres made specific reference to lack of regional structure and the one-off nature of the support they received. Whilst retaining a commitment to the profile of Law Centres, they tended to work effectively with other advice providers and have identified and developed local infrastructure support mechanisms to supplement the level LCF is able to provide.
adviceUK had less of a profile with their membership. Due to the diversity of membership, organisations reported having stronger links with other networks e.g. Refugee Council or Foyer Federation. In many cases, organisations joined adviceUK to take advantage of specific services (e.g. insurance) rather than more focused infrastructure support.
Priorities for support
Summaries of what support was currently in place and what priorities organisations had for future support are outlined for the five areas detailed in the report:
- Funding – organisations ranged from reliance on one funder to diverse funding bases. All organisations indicated uncertainty and instability of long term funding security. This was highlighted as one of the main priorities, closely associated with making the case for advice.
- Quality – all organisations had at least one external organisational quality standard and raised concern about the need to meet additional standards. External auditing was valued by most organisations and the potential phasing out of the Quality Mark was raised as a concern. While most organisations had done lots of work on quality issues this did not mean no future support needs on quality. Organisations continue to request support with operating supervision and appraisal processes and monitoring and evaluation remains a priority issue for many organisations.
- Staff development – staff resources varied in the organisations interviewed, all had paid staff and a large number have volunteer staff. Organisations have a wide-range of information and advice resources in place, though it was noticeable that resources such as the Citizens Advice Information system often didn’t meet the specific needs of an organisation. A priority was staff development for managers. Peer support and coaching was identified as a gap for managers and supervisors.
- ICT – although all organisations had ICT resources, a number of organisations would welcome support in maintaining and developing their ICT capacity, particularly in the development of statistical recording and case management.
- Governance - this was an area where a number of organisations had undertaken work, with managers leading on Board reviews and restructuring. Organisations often accessed local support on these issues from CVS and national support from organisations such as NCVO. The relationship between the manager and board was identified as key.
Priorities for infrastructure support centre on advice specific issues:
- Making the case for advice and ensuring advice is built into policy initiatives
- Enabling organisations to adapt to potential change
- Equipping organisations with clear direction on policy and funding
- Ensuring access to advice specific training
- Providing support in monitoring and demonstrating outcomes of advice
Our response
Promotion and policy – making the case for advice
The need to proactively influence funders, policy makers and strategists about the role of advice work and to demonstrate the impact and outcomes of advice has long been accepted by the networks. They are also aware of the desirability of effective social policy work to address the specific local, regional and national policies that affect advice agency users.
Identifying and seeking to influence local, regional and national policies and strategies that affect the delivery of advice services, such as local area agreements, the LSC strategy, CLAC and CLAN developments is a key role for the networks. Each networks brings a unique policy perspective but we need to develop a more unified voice. The main vehicle for this is the Advice Services Alliance (ASA) – the umbrella body for advice networks.
At the networks request, ASA has been working on the case for advice in the form of a manifesto for advice for some time. We hope to have documents available for use later this year in response to this key need.
We must also help agencies to prepare for key changes in planning, priorities, funding and commissioning. This assistance may come in the form of written information and telephone support.
Other suggested action includes the development of outcome tools and commissioning research into advice outcomes, developing common monitoring systems and developing local/regional advice forums.
Organisational development
Supporting managers to sustain and develop organisations through funding, effective change management and performance management means responding to the CLS Strategy, preferred supplier plans and more specialised developments such as those around children and young people.
It also means providing access to support in relation to managing staff performance and remaining up to date with employment practices, developing the organisation and providing operational support for a wide range of functions including ICT.
Dial UK members already have access to a management consultancy help line. There is scope for greater collaboration between networks to provide support on employment law and performance management topics, ICT support and the development in particular of a shared statistical recording and case management system.
Other support that the networks will be looking into includes generic training on management and strategy and developing peer support systems.
Advice delivery
How can we meet advice-training needs and ensure that organisations have access to information and advice resources and support agencies to deliver good quality of advice?
Advice agencies currently rely on a range of training options, including CLSP organised local courses, obtaining places on Citizens Advice courses and those run by other local advice agencies, network training provision, sharing costs of training with other organisations, forums and networks, CPAG and LASA courses.
The recruitment and retention of volunteers and paid staff, having to skill up staff using internal resources and lack of resources for external training all emerged as key issues for advice agencies. Agencies also report changing motivation of more recent recruits, with more demand for structured progression, increasing interest in qualifications and professionalisation and less interested in external structures.
Agencies need to be able to access a range of training, including initial, refresher/updating courses and specialist subject courses. They value training on advice where it is available but the pattern of access is sporadic and unplanned. Most organisations attempt to keep their staff up-to-date but have difficulties in accessing appropriate training.
Some of the key issues relating to accessing advice training include cost – including travel and overnight costs, appropriateness, time, location, regularity, finding training for very experienced staff, identifying niche training e.g. on mental health and BME issues and lack of training courses on emerging areas.
There is strong support for access to a nationally consistent training package and strong interest expressed in National Occupational Standards (NOS) for legal advice as the basis for staff development.
The response of advice networks should be to develop modular course components, a variety of methodology – online and blended learning etc., incorporate NOS and seek collaboration with Citizens Advice on training provision.
More innovative suggestions for new initiatives include building on existing infrastructure by creating national online database of existing courses and accredited training providers (network, voluntary and statutory sector and private/freelance). The on-line training portal could include search, availability and booking facilities and the ability to register unmet and emerging needs.
The development of a training for trainers forum to provide organisations with support to develop and cascade training in house will also be explored
We will keep you informed about our progress regularly in this Bulletin.
If you have any thoughts about the research or our response, please contact us.
To address workforce development, recruitment and retention issues, it was suggested that the networks establish a “work in advice” website, giving information about careers and opportunities in the sector, qualifications and entry requirements, vacancies and locum and placement opportunities.
The bulk purchasing of commonly used resources by the networks for members should also be explored.
Taking this forward
Dial UK and the partner networks will be continuing the strong commitment to collaborative working that has developed through this project. We will continue to meet to turn the above ideas into firm proposals and to make them a reality.
