Spend on the service, not the name

We were faced with a simple choice. We could have spent a huge amount of time and public money creating a new identity. Or we could just use the Connexions brand, confirmed by independent researchers as "strongly embedded in the minds of young people".

It was a no-brainer. Because like it or not, the Connexions brand is well recognised and is ready to go. It may not be universally liked, but then what brand is? It provided us with a platform to build on and a way of avoiding the expense of creating a new identity.

And let's not underestimate how much it costs to create not just a logo but a brand identity. To do it properly requires a significant investment of time and money. And even then it isn't always guaranteed to work.

Two years on and we've made the Connexions brand our own. We use it across our service as a banner which we can all work under. The result? Our profile has been raised and even the most apprehensive members of our team now acknowledge that it can be very helpful to have a name behind them that people instantly recognise.

But what's this? Labour MP Alan Milburn's report into how to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds access the professions is calling for Connexions to be broken up, abolished or replaced, depending on which section of the report you read.

One of the big ideas to promote social mobility set out in the report is to hand responsibility for careers education and guidance over to schools and colleges. It's a suggestion that has little to do with the use of the Connexions brand - not that you would think that from the coverage the report received.

Careers education and guidance is the responsibility of the local authority. How they choose to deliver the duty is relatively flexible. In some areas the council delivers the careers education services; in others it may commission organisations to deliver it.

Of course, it's important that the provision of careers education and guidance comes in for scrutiny. And at this difficult time young people deserve the very best information, advice and guidance. But Connexions is just a badge and it's misleading to suggest it's much more than that.

It's the quality of those services that really matters. Improving them is the only way in which more young people will be supported to make a success of their lives. Changing the sign above the door might grab a headline or two but I doubt it would make much difference.

A FOND FAREWELL

I'm about to start a new job so this will be my very last column for Youth Work Now. I've really enjoyed writing it. I hope you've enjoyed reading it.

Michael Bracey leads youth support services for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. Email michael.bracey@haymarket.com