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Questions and answers on the TOM and the Borders experience so far

Questions and answers

As a result of SDS and Scottish Government/DYW establishing a national partnership agreement for collaboration, a target operating model (TOM) has been agreed to operationalise this to align the activities of careers advisers and DYW school co-ordinators in schools. The TOM was designed in consultation with all partners and was rolled out with guidance in May 2021 for the 21/22 school session.  

  • Planning meetings between SDS Area Manager, Andrea Hall and DYW Programme Manager, Sara Ward
  • Event held in June with DYW School Co-ordinators and SDS School Careers Advisers – joint presentation giving overview to the what and why of the TOM (ADKAR), breakout rooms by school to have an initial discussion about how they could work together to better align the offers, shared a pre-populated TOM with minimum expectations for DYW and SDS as well as a WAGJLL (what a good job looks like) TOM. Next steps agreed was for DYW School Co-ordinators and SDS School Careers Advisers to meet and agree a TOM for individual schools by end August.
  • Spreadsheet been collated with locked master (minimum expectation for all schools) and tabs for each individual school
  • Sharepoint set up between DYW and SDS to access shared document updated monthly
  • Improved working relationships and joint working on the ground e.g. DYW employer input to SDS groupwork
  • Understanding and defined roles and responsibilities
  • Better alignment of work and easier to identify opportunities and gaps
  • All on one page
  • Minimum standards across all schools but flexibility to shape dependant on needs of young people e.g. links to PR, PO from 16+ data hub
  • Protected time for discussion
  • Leveraging the power of the partnership
  • Following a number of meetings with Director of Education, Chief Officer of Schools and Quality Improvement Officer TOM is being extended to include education/school offer and engagement
  • TOM is to include 16+ data hub input, FA operational calendar for 2021/22, CPD activity for teachers, SDS advisers and DYW Co-ordinators, 16+ meetings, parent council input etc
  • Exploring TOM being extended in the future to include the college