DfES recently carried out a consultation on the IAG Standards for Young People (you can see the Standards and the ICG response to the consultation here) The consultation drew 190 e-mail responses with 72% from organisations and 28% from individuals. 35% were from Connexions, 22% from Local authorities and 10% from educational institutions. Generally 46% of responses agree or strongly agree that coverage of standards is right.
Rachel Mulvey (ICG Immediate Past President) represents the Institute on the Steering Group for the Standards project. Following the April meeting of the group Rachel reports that:
DfES is allowing for some slippage in proposed timescale - because getting them right is more important than getting them out. Following the consultation exercise the Standards will be re-drafted and there will be:
- a young persons' version
- greater emphasis on impartial (rather than independent) advice
- clearer 'offer' of services (but not entitlement)
- greater emphasis on outcomes
From an Institute perspective the key issues are:
- there will be only one level and that level will be towards what was higher level in draft
- quality assurance and inspection is still being worked on
- need for user guide to be published at the same time as the Standards but this seems unlikely
- young peoples' view was that they wanted more one to one input
- consultation, particularly parents, wanted 14-19 extended in both directions i.e. start younger and go on later
The redraft will be completed by the end of April and circulated to stakeholders in May with a possible second re-draft to be completed in late May/early June. The Standards are due to be published in early July 2007. | 
