Unit 1: Information, Advice or Guidance – Principles and Practice

Understanding the relationship between information, advice or guidance.

Everyone at some point will have provided information and advice of some kind during the course of their work, whether this is to colleagues, to members of the public or to service users and clients. Collectively this work is referred to as Information, Advice and Guidance or IAG.

Information, advice and guidance activities help individuals to gain information about opportunities open to them about learning or work.  A person can access information, advice or guidance on different issues such as housing, benefits, debt, child care, health and so on.

A good information, advice or guidance (IAG) session with an advisor would explore the scenario presented to them by the client and would then take into account the clients present situation including their skills, knowledge, abilities, interests, qualifications, personal issues to enable the client to make an informed choice about the options available to them.

The information, advice or guidance (IAG) workers role also requires them to identify any barriers the client may be facing which may prevent them from reaching their desired goal. The role may include offering IAG which would support a client to overcome any barriers. Clients also need to have the confidence, skills and motivation to manage their own expectations.

Users of IAG services are entitled to a high standard of delivery wherever and however they access IAG services. The Government expects all providers utilising public funds to demonstrate their commitment to high standards of delivery, by achieving accreditation against the matrix Standard. It is vital for future prosperity that everyone should have access to information which is up-to-date, easy to understand and which addresses the wide range of questions and concerns people have about learning, housing, debt and health. Some people will need advice to help them overcome any barriers .

Information
Information within the context of IAG services, means the provision of information, without any discussion about the relative merits of the options, it can be provided through:

• printed materials such as leaflets;
• audio-visual materials such as videos;
• computer software on CD-ROM or via the internet; and
• verbal information to the client on a face-to-face basis or through local or national help-line services such as learndirect.

Example of information services at The Training Brokers includes:

• Learning and work opportunities, including opportunities in Further Education, Higher Education, Adult and Community Learning, other local learning providers; work placements; national and local job vacancies; voluntary opportunities; opportunities in self employment
• Learner incentives and entitlements including sources of financial support;
• Where to find local vacancy information
• Providing self access database information (for example Occupations, learndirect) on jobs, training, qualifications

We also provide supporting information on:

National and local labour market information, in a format which is accessible to our clients and provides the most up-to-date and accurate information on the labour market at national, regional and local level including local employer information and trends.

We provide information on how to apply for a job (letters, internet, cold calling, phone calls), including filling in applications, CV completion, interview techniques and typical sector specific interview questions and signposting information on: what is and what is not available from the local funded skills and training programmes; local, regional and national transport availability; how to access free services for learning and work including Skillsbuilder.org, the Disability Discrimination Act and other relevant legislation; and the availability of specialist support for clients around learning support, basic skills, disability.

Definition of “Advice & Guidance” The provision of advice requires more interaction with the service user, usually on a one-to-one basis. It may require explanation of some of the information provided, how to access and use information, and a recognition of when more in-depth services may be required by the user.