CONNEXIONS: Good work, could try harder is result of first Ofsted inspection

Ofsted will inspect 12 Connexions partnerships each year. Reports on Lincolnshire & Rutland and Cheshire & Warrington due this week.

The Coventry & Warwickshire partnership was praised for reducing barriers to social and educational exclusion, its one-to-one work and for attracting funding.

But it was criticised for an inconsistent assessment of young people's needs, improper monitoring of achievement and progress and a lack of measurement of its cost-effectiveness.

Inspectors also noted a high level of stress among overloaded personal advisers (PAs).

Ashley Hayward, manager of Connexions Coventry, said: "We are doing a lot to address these concerns, especially in helping set up a new layer of middle managers to provide support for PAs. We recognise that, sometimes, PAs need someone to talk to and discuss cases and decisions. We don't take issue with the other criticisms, but measuring cost-effectiveness is difficult."

Four inspectors, two specialists from the Adult Learning Inspectorate and 11 additional inspectors scrutinised the service last October. Nine 14 to 18-year-olds sat in on inspections of group work sessions and drop-in centres.

Rob Townsend, youth work manager for Connexions Warwickshire, said: "The inspectors said they were very impressed with the quality of the children's comments."

The teenagers received signed Ofsted certificates for their work.