Client Needs

• Understanding the needs of each client

• Responding to the needs of each client

• Structures and systems for a client-focused service

Understanding the needs of each client

Understanding the barriers to employment of each client is essential. Click here to view an overview of the common barriers for specific client groups.   There is a range of assessment tools that can be used to assess the current assets and support needs of clients.  24 of these were reviewed independently for Careers Scotland in 2003.
 

Responding to the needs of each client

When current assets and development priorities for a client have been identified and agreed them, the next stage is commonly the development of an action plan setting out both long term and short term goals.  Increasingly, local partnerships are adopting a common action plan format so that, with the client’s approval, it can be used by a number of services.  The action plan is likely to cover:

Current barriers to employment: this could include a range of issues such as debt, drug addiction or homelessness.  Any one of which could stop a client making progress to more conventional employability support.  The usual response is to refer the client to a specialist source of help.

Recognition of current skills, strengths and experience.  The skilled advisor will be able to uncover a range of these for any client and many clients will not appreciate that the skills they have are of value in and transferable to the workplace (eg managing a household and the responsibilities involved in bringing up children).

Pinpointing additional development needs.  This may include the refreshment of skills for the current labour market (eg in IT), the gaining of new skills important to employers (eg Certification or Driving Licence), upskilling to open up new opportunities or enhance earnings, or the skills needed to find, apply for and gain a new job at interview.

Once the action plan is complete appropriate referrals can be agreed with the client and supported.  These may work in sequence or in parallel.

Structures and systems for a client-focused service

The key features of the structures and systems needed to promote a client centred approach are therefore:

• All key partners becoming part of an agreed approach, including the adoption of a common assessment process and agreed referral protocols.
• A clear and simple management structure for the ‘local employability service’ with agreed leadership and accountabilities and with a shared commitment to developing a strongly client focused service

• The production of regular, systematic feedback from both individual clients and employers that help the partners to understand the extent to which the client experience is coherent and focused on their specific needs. 

Partners will need to be committed to taking action to improve the client experience

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