§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which Connexions Partnerships562W (a) are operational, (b) are still to take effect, (c) offer a one-stop shop service and(d) offer Connexions Direct. [89571]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe information is as follows:
- (a) There are currently 46 out of 47 Connexions Partnerships operating in England.
- (b) Just one remaining Partnership, Northumberland, has yet to start and is aiming to commence operation from April 2003.
- (c) All Connexions Partnerships are developing one-stop services where a range of multi-agency services can easily be accessed in a single location, with flexible opening hours to suit the needs of young people.
- (d) The Connexions Partnerships currently operating in the Connexions Direct pilot are Durham, Tyne and Wear, Tees Valley, Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) young people of the relevant age group and (b) personal advisors there are in the area of each Connexions Partnership; and what the ratio of (a) to (b) is in each case. [89572]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe information requested is given in the following table.
The majority of Connexions Partnerships are currently in the process of recruiting Personal Advisers and securing support from other agencies working with young people. In most case the figures in the table do not therefore reflect the final complement of Personal Advisers in Partnerships. In addition to the 6,952 Personal Advisers in post in Partnerships in November 2002, Connexions services are being delivered by a further 1,652 front line delivery staff whose main role is client/customer contact making a total of 8,604 Connexions delivery staff available to help young people.
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(a) Connexions partnerships (000s) personal advisers (Pas) (b) 13–19 Cohort: PA (c) Ratio Bedfordshire 56 101 554 Birmingham and Solihull 120 195 616 Black Country 115 168 683 Bournemouth Dorset and Poole 49 80 610 Cambs and Peterbro 63 82 770 Central London 77 235 326 Cheshire and Warrington 85 183 468 Cornwall and Devon 137 201 682 County Durham 45 67 664 Coventry and Warwick 68 152 446 Cumbria 48 103 471 Derbyshire 79 157 501 East London 186 285 652 Essex Southend and Thurrock 153 144 1,059 Gloucestershire 45 51 881 Greater Manchester 261 406 643 Greater Merseyside 140 342 408 Hereford and Worcester 65 110 590 Hertfordshire 84 95 880 Humber 84 227 370 Kent 124 150 823 Lancashire 124 201 617 Leicestershire 76 110 691 Lincolnshire and Rutland 57 68 827 Milton Keynes Ox and Bucks 106 199 530 North London 74 149 498 North Yorkshire 66 128 518 Northamptonshire 55 57 978
(a) Connexions partnerships (000s) personal advisers (Pas) (b) 13–19 Cohort: PA (c) Ratio Nottinghamshire 96 135 705 Shropshire Telford and Wrekin 32 69 458 Somerset 37 80 455 South Central 147 168 874 South London 96 152 630 South Yorkshire 120 261 460 Staffordshire 92 149 618 Suffolk 66 78 845 Surrey 68 72 939 Sussex 103 173 595 Tees Valley 75 117 643 Tyne and Wear 100 193 518 West London 94 113 831 West Yorkshire 79 282 706 West of England 199 409 192 Wiltshire and Swindon 45 55 812 England 4,088 6,952 588 Notes:
- 1. Data relates to November 2002—the latest period for which information is available and is taken from NEXUS, the Connexions Service National Unit management information system.
- 2. No data is included for Norfolk and Berkshire Partnerships which started in January 2003 and Northumberland which will start in April 2003.
- 3. Personal Adviser numbers include those funded through the Connexions Services Grant and those seconded and supported by other organisations in the Partnership.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his target maximum wait is for an appointment with(a) a Connexions personal adviser and (b) a careers adviser. [89573]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe Connexions service has a broad remit: to offer to all young people between 13 and 19 information, advice and guidance (including on careers) to improve participation and achievement in learning, and to signpost personal development opportunities. Since type and level of need is a key determinant of the kind of personal adviser support made available, it is not appropriate to set maximum waiting times. Rather, the Connexions service has developed access to personal adviser support via a wide range of traditional and modern-day channels. In addition to conventional appointment systems, personal advisers are available on a "drop-in" basis in schools or colleges as well as in High Street Connexions centres, that are open at times young people want. Instant access is a key feature of Connexions Direct, a telephone and web-based service currently being trialled in several areas of England. Here, support is available from 8 am to 2 am seven days per week and 365 days per year. This is in fulfilment of one of the key Connexions principles: to design and deliver the service around the needs of young people and to listen to their views.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria he will use to judge the effectiveness of Connexions Partnerships in(a) providing a vibrant high quality youth service, (b) making many more young people active citizens, (c) engaging many more young people in developmental activities and (d) ensuring that parents, 564W carers and teachers are supportive of Connexions, as set out in Youth Support Services for 13 to 19-year-olds: A Vision for 2006. [89574]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe Government set out its future vision for the Connexions Service in "Youth Support Services for 13 to 19-year-olds: A vision for 2006". This is a forward-looking document, which shows how Connexions will bring together a range of existing agencies to deliver seamless support for 13 to 19-year-olds, and reduce the number of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in learning or work. We will use the following criteria to judge progress towards meeting the vision:
Youth Services
The Department has published a clear statement of what is expected of local education authorities who are responsible for delivering youth services. In December 2002 the Government launched the document "Transforming Youth Work Resourcing Excellent Youth Services" which provides a cross-Government view of the key elements of a high quality, well managed and properly resourced youth service. The document underpins the Transforming Youth Work programme and the Government's commitment to work with local authorities to ensure the delivery of a high quality youth service for young people which is at the heart of the Connexions Service.
Making more young people active citizens and engaging them in developmental activities
This aspect will be assessed by the extent to which Connexions Partnerships provide access to opportunities for young people to broaden their horizons, develop their talents and become actively engaged in their communities, through for example Millennium Volunteers and other volunteering initiatives, sports, arts and recreational activities; and through specific programmes such as the Neighbourhood Support Fund.
Support for Connexions from parents, carers and teachers
The views of young people and a range of key stakeholders involved in Partnerships will be sought on a regular basis through a comprehensive programme of opinion surveys starting in December 2002. In addition, the findings of national and local evaluations, the self-assessments undertaken by Partnerships and the outcome of Ofsted inspections will be used to assess progress and inform the development of Connexions Partnerships.
One of the key criteria for judging the overall effectiveness of Connexions Partnerships will be the progress they make towards meeting their target of reducing the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in learning and work. With the exception of recently established Partnerships, all Partnerships have been set a target of reducing by 10 per cent. the proportion of young people who are not in education, employment and training by November 2004.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 16 to 18 year-olds are not in education, training or employment in each of the Connexions Partnership areas. [89575]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe information requested is given in the table.
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Connexions Partnerships Percentage NEET Bedfordshire 11 Birmingham and Solihull 14 Black Country 13 Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole 7 Cambridge and Peterborough 10 Central London 15 Cheshire and Warrington 7 Cornwall and Devon 7 County Durham 18 Coventry and Warwick 10 Cumbria 8 Derbyshire 10 East London 12 Essex, Southend and Thurrock 8 Gloucestershire 4 Greater Manchester 10 Greater Merseyside 12 Hereford and Worcester 7 Hertfordshire 5 Humber 10 Kent 5 Lancashire 10 Leicestershire 9 Lincolnshire and Rutland 6 Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire 6 North London 10 North Yorkshire 6 Northamptonshire 7 Nottinghamshire 8 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 6 Somerset 5 South Central 5 South London 8 South Yorkshire 12 Staffordshire 11 Suffolk 8 Surrey 2 Sussex 6 Tees Valley 14 Tyne and Wear 17 West London 10 West of England 7 West Yorkshire 10 Wiltshire and Swindon 6 England 9 Notes:
- 1. Data relate to November 2002—the latest period for which information is available and is taken from NEXUS, the Connexions Service National Unit management information system.
- 2. No data are included for Norfolk and Berkshire Partnerships which started in January 2003, and Northumberland which will start in April 2003.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what outcome-driven performance targets he has set for(a) the Connexions service and (b) each Connexions Partnership. [89576]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisConnexions Partnerships have been set a target of reducing by 10 per cent. the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds that are not participating in employment, education and training between November 2002 and 2004.
Connexions Partnerships are also working in support of a range of other local and nationally based targets covering young people aged 13–19, with a particular focus on those young people who require intensive support.
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§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the annual budget is of(a) the Connexions Service National Unit and (b) each Connexions Partnership. [89578]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe total running costs budget for the Connexions Service National Unit (CSNU) in 2002–03 is £5.791 million (budgets are not yet agreed for 2003–04).
CSNU is responsible for a range of programme budgets including the main Connexions Service budget, which totals £449 million in 2002–03. Of that total, £337 million is allocated directly to Connexions Partnerships through the Connexions grant, while roughly one half of the remainder (c. £52 million) is used to maintain careers services in those areas where Connexions Partnerships are not yet operational. A further third (c. £35 million) goes to Partnerships to fund the pre-launch development costs of those starting during the year and to support Summer Plus activity in response to the Government's street crime agenda. The remaining funds are used centrally to support the Partnership network, for example, through the training of Personal Advisers and the development of tracking systems.
In 2003–04, the total Connexions Service budget will be £475 million, of which £439 million will be allocated directly to Partnerships through the Connexions grant. Of the remainder, £17 million will go to Partnerships to continue supporting Summer Plus while £20 million will, as this year, fund work centrally in support of the Partnership network.
The table shows the funding allocated via the grant to each Connexions Partnership in both 2002–03 and 2003–04. In addition to the main Connexions budget, CSNU is responsible for a range of other initiatives such as the Neighbourhood Support Fund, the Millennium Volunteers programme and a number of Youth Service funds. The total programme funding available for these other initiatives is £77.4 million in 2002–03 and £62.9 million in 2003–04.
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Connexions Partnership grant allocations (2002–03 and 2003–04) £ Connexions Partnership Total grant allocation (2002–03) Total grant allocation (2003–04) South East Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire 10,588,239 10,293,332 Berkshire 1,541,001 6,233,298 Surrey 3,137,474 7,866,666 Kent and Medway 5,095,843 12,940,734 Sussex 6,026,723 11,075,372 South Central 7,686,156 14,244,717 London West London 6,488,117 12,056,005 Central London 11,423,073 15,335,249 North London 9,750,365 9,774,835 East London 20,397,939 21,649,094 South London 10,032,454 10,330,508 East of England Norfolk 1,538,022 6,270,498 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 5,621,638 5,839,068 Suffolk 5,054,563 5,157,784 Bedfordshire and Luton 2,647,824 4,738,377 Hertfordshire 7,187,852 7,584,278
Connexions Partnership grant allocations (2002–03 and 2003–04) £ Connexions Partnership Total grant allocation (2002–03) Total grant allocation (2003–04) Essex, Southend and Thurrock 7,013,929 12,621,280 South West Gloucestershire 4,240,416 4,386,413 Wiltshire and Swindon 2,608,196 4,778,769 West of England 7,633,433 7,889,859 Somerset 3,569,999 3,719,593 Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole 4,691,357 5,005,025 Cornwall and Devon 11,901,551 12,511,182 West Midlands Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 3,676,722 3,628,394 Staffordshire 8,825,967 9,234,154 Black Country 12,534,131 11,471,386 Birmingham and Solihull 7,399,741 13,035,551 Coventry and Warwickshire 7,011,770 6,959,745 Hereford and Worcester 5,410,214 5,495,746 East Midlands Derbyshire 4,752,302 7,817,476 Nottinghamshire 9,372,847 9,642,650 Lincolnshire and Rutland 5,290,596 5,392,320 Leicestershire 4,522,509 8,188,625 Northamptonshire 2,952,352 5,563,219 Yorkshire and The Humber York and North Yorkshire 3,042,748 5,391,600 West Yorkshire 9,904,637 20,541,868 Humber 8,737,279 8,531,852 South Yorkshire 12,941,348 12,356,833 North West Cumbria 4,270,474 4,211,678 Lancashire 12,234,170 12,709,953 Greater Manchester 13,511,486 26,251,106 Greater Merseyside 17,098,257 17,407,792 Cheshire and Warrington 6,979,313 6,849,066 North East Northumberland 0 2,875,134 Tyne and Wear 11,318,694 11,664,903 County Durham 4,651,170 4,691,191 Tees Valley 4,314,803 7,142,333 Total England 336,629,693 439,356,511 Notes:
- 1. The allocations for 2002–03 reflect the fact that several Partnerships were launched during the year so, in some cases, represent only a proportion of the hypothetical full-year cost (e.g. the South Central Partnership was launched on 1 September so its 2002–03 allocation is 7/12 of what it would have been had the Partnership operated for the full year).
- 2. Those Partnerships starting during the current year received additional development funding to help them prepare for full operation. Those same areas have also received funding to maintain careers service operation prior to the launch of their Connexions Partnerships.
- 3. Some Partnerships have received further funding during 2002–03 for Summer Plus activities, Personal Adviser Drugs Education, etc.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what(a) qualifications and (b) professional standards are required of Connexions personal advisers. [89579]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisConnexions personal advisers are drawn from a range of professional backgrounds. To be fully qualified they must possess an NVQ level 4 or equivalent in a relevant professional discipline568W (e.g. careers, youth work, social work) and have attended a bespoke training programme, either Understanding Connexions or the Diploma for Connexions Personal Advisers. Training is delivered at higher education institutions approved by the Connexions Service National Unit. A guide to professional practice for Connexions personal advisers is currently in draft and has been the subject of wide consultation.