Client needs for coherent information, advice and guidance services ...

420 In terms of patterns of referral:-
• specialist IAG providers tend not to refer clients to each other, other than where
specific services (e.g. psychometric testing) are not offered by the first provider;
• IAG providers are very likely to refer clients to providers of education and
training. The reverse happens less frequently, presumably because several
education and training providers have IAG services in-house;
• referrals are made in both directions between IAG providers and other types of
support agency (e.g. for housing, health or financial queries);
• Jobcentre Plus clients are referred to contracted providers, in most instances;
• referral patterns are often influenced by familiarity with, and trust in, other
providers.
421 There is a variety of practice in terms of the formality of the referral process. Clients
had differing views as to whether they preferred appointments to be made on their
behalf or whether they were happy to access the other service in their own time.
Some advisers accompanied clients personally, especially when the latter lacked
confidence.
422 In general, client records were not transferred between agencies. From time to time,
summaries of guidance given were sent on, but only with the express approval of the
client. Jobcentre Plus and Connexions follow up referrals to ascertain whether
appointments had been kept and what progress has been made, but this does not
involve transfer of records, other than where clients are moving to another area (but
this is a different context for referral).
423 One IAGP was exploring an area-wide system for client referral and tracking. This
had several attractions but ran the risk of appearing intrusive, from a client
perspective, and of making additional demands on providers’ administrative
systems.
LINKS BETWEEN PROVIDERS
424 In general, links between providers were positive. IAGPs were widely regarded as
having a beneficial impact on inter-agency relationships.
425 Advisers had a pragmatic view towards maintaining and developing links with other
providers. They recognised it was time consuming, if done effectively. In practice,
therefore, they tended to maintain closest links with organisations in a similar field
(mutually beneficial exchanges on professional development aspects) or offering
complementary portfolios of services (potential for referrals in both directions). The
development of directories and databases by IAGPs made it straightforward to
contact providers outside the immediate circle, if need be.
BARRIERS AND GAPS
426 We noted earlier that clients found it easier to describe examples of a lack of
coherence, than to discuss coherence as a concept or a principle. By extension, their
examples of a lack of coherence were often difficult to disentangle from examples of
straightforward bad practice that few would seek to defend - but which may or may
not be construed as evidence of a lack of coherence.
427 Chapters V and VI contain a wealth of material on client and front-line perceptions
of ‘problems with the system’. An inclusive approach to definitions of coherence is
adopted throughout. The following bullet points provide a brief overview.
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