Chichester College Group praised for quality of advice and guidance

The Chichester College Group’s student services teams has received a Matrix Quality Standard Award reaccreditation.

The college group has received the award in recognition of the clear and impartial advice and guidance that is provided to students studying across each of its colleges across Sussex, which include Chichester College, Brinsbury College, Crawley College and Worthing College.

The Matrix Standard is the quality framework for organisations to assess and measure their information, advice and guidance (IAG) services.

Assessors met with students and staff across the group, inspecting the delivery of IAG at every stage.

They highlighted the introduction of new services including Progression Plus centres, which provide impartial in-depth information and guidance on a range of opportunities with a central focus on careers advice. The assessors also looked at the new ACES programme – a year-long series of interactive workshops centred on personal development to ensure students gain the ‘Attitude, Choice and Employability’ skills needed to achieve their future aspirations.

The report stated: ‘Chichester College Group (CCG) has ensured that its commitment to IAG being a golden thread of the learner’s experience is underpinned with high quality resource’ and ‘service delivery approaches are implemented with energy, passion and commitment, ensuring this multi-tiered IAG provision is joined up to have maximum impact on student.’

Shelagh Legrave OBE, Chief Executive at CCG, said: “Delivering excellent services to our students at each of our colleges is at the heart of everything we do.

“For our progression teams in particular, this means ensuring all of our students can access high quality information, advice and guidance that is tailored to helping each of them – as individuals – raise their aspirations and make the right decisions for them.

“No two students are the same, and it’s important that they receive impartial advice and information that will help them find the path that will help them achieve their ambitions.

“The feedback we have received in our Matrix accreditation demonstrates that we are doing just that, and this is a credit to the staff at all of our colleges.”

The report concluded that ‘an outcome-based IAG experience is being deeply embedded across the whole Chichester College Group. The assessment confirmed a firm focus upon ensuring that every staff member understands and plays their part to make a difference to the full range of students, from foundation learning to higher education graduates.’