1. Quality Assurance, Careers Services and the matrix standard
Lucy Madahar
Assistant Director of Student Services (BCU)
AGCAS Director for Quality and Membership
Introduce myself: my BCU role and AGCAS role
My experience of matrix whilst at GP and now at BCU

2. Evaluating matrix: its challenges and benefits
AGCAS and matrix
Evaluating matrix: its challenges and benefits
Other quality standards/tools
How you use matrix in your service
These are the 4 key areas we are looking at this afternoon
Explain history of AGCAS and matrix – chosen quality standard, criteria for service membership; review of QS in 2010
Before looking at matrix, think about why we have quality standards of any sort: group to brainstorm, facilitator to record on flipchart

3. Why do we need quality standards?
Commitment
Box ticking exercise
Membership requirement
Service driver – continuous improvement
Improve teamwork
Real and profound change
For the badge
External benchmark which addresses stakeholder expectations and needs
Compare recorded flipchart with the slide
Before moving to next slide – enquire who has heard of matrix? What do they think it is?

4. What is Matrix?
Quality framework for the effective delivery of information, advice and guidance (IAG) on learning and work
Introduce matrix

5. What’s it all about?
How you provide IAG to people & how they receive and experience what you provide
How you plan, organise, support and improve these activities

6. What does it cover? The four elements relating to delivery are:
People are made aware of the service and how to engage with it
People’s use of the service is defined and understood
People are provided with access to information and support in using it
People are supported in exploring options and making choices

7. What does it cover? The four elements relating to management are:
Service delivery is planned and maintained
Staff competence and support they are given are sufficient to deliver the service
Feedback on the quality of the service is obtained
Continuous quality improvement is ensured through monitoring, evaluation and action
BUT … changes are afoot …

8. Changes to matrix Review exercise completed
Simplification of the standard – fewer criteria and greater emphasis on outcomes
Awaiting sign-off by Government
Free workshops
Inter-rim arrangements until 30th November
Break into 2 groups and ask groups to think about what are the key challenges/weakensses of matrix and what are the key benefits/strengths of matrix and record these
Groups to report back

9. Challenges of matrix Addressing areas of non-compliance Buy-in
Gaining momentum and making the early decisions
Project management
Embedding matrix into the workplace
Buy-in
Evidence collecting
Relying on non-participating parties
Can feel repetitive at times
Time consuming & requires commitment
Understanding the “scope” of criteria
Respond to group flipcharts

10. Benefits of matrix Project which unifies teams/employees
Motivates and engages staff members
Meaningful process – forces you to know your service inside out
Driver for continuous improvement
Independent validation of achievement in IAG
Opportunity to develop better internal processes & deliver more effective services
Respond to group flipcharts
What other quality models are there – ask for feedback ideas and record onto flipchart

11. Other quality models QAA (code of practice on CEIAG)
Investors in People
Customer First
Customer Service Excellence
Peer review
Register of Practitioners
HEI benchmarking
Show examples of standards
Ask group what they all have in common?
But what do they all have in common …

12. Service Improvement Journey: CQI
Plan & Design
Implement
Evaluate & Review
Assess & re-assess
Quality assurance is not static – it’s a journey of service improvement following a circle of continuous activity

13. What are you doing? How are you using matrix in your careers services?
Where is your CQI plan?
When was the last time you looked at your CQI plan?
When is your next matrix assessment due?
What actions are you going to take when you return to the office?
So over to you one more time – are you able to answer these questions
Divide into 2 groups again and each group to record their responses and then feedback

14. Lucy Madahar lucy.madahar@bcu.ac.uk 0121 331 5273
Thank you
Lucy Madahar
Introduce myself: my BCU role and AGCAS role
My experience of matrix whilst at GP and now at BCU