parents & carers

What Help and Support Your Child Can Expect

From 2008 the Government expects the local council to work with schools, colleges, Connexions, training providers and other services to improve the help and support they provide to young people. These services should work together to make sure young people aged 11-19, or up to 24 if they have a disability, get the information and advice they need to be happy, confident and able to achieve their best.

There are now 12 Quality Standards for the Information, Advice and Guidance your child should receive. Based on this they should expect:

• To be told about the different people, places, websites and helplines that can help them with education, careers and other personal, health or financial problems.
• To get information on the guarantee of an offer of further learning at the end of Year 11.
• To be told about financial help they can get to help them stay in education, such as Education Maintenance Allowance and student grants.
• To have an adult they can trust to help them contact any services they need if they have any problems at home, school or college.
• To be given opportunities to get involved in planning and improving information and advice services.
• To be told where to go for help after they reach 19 years, or 24 years if they have a disability.

If they don’t get the information and advice they need they should try to speak to someone in their school or college or to a Connexions Personal Adviser or youth worker and ask them to help them sort out any problems.