In partnership with A4e, CENTRA currently manages the national contract for the Choice Advisers Support and Quality Assurance Network (CAS&QAN) on behalf of DCSF.
Local Authorities have been given funding to provide a Choice Advice Service to support parents who are disadvantaged by the system, to make informed decisions about their secondary school preferences for their child.
Based at CENTRA’s Head office in Chorley CAS&QAN:
organizes regional network meetings and a national conference for Choice Advisers and their Managers
provides a dedicated website offering relevant content and links to legislation, news and best practice
provide a moderated ‘collaboration environment’ which includes discussion forums, live daily chat and team rooms
provides real time advice via telephone and email
organizes a quarterly on-line newsletter for Choice Advisers and their Managers
worked with ABC Awards to develop a level 2 qualification (VRQ) for Choice Advisers
provides a facility via its VLE for Choice Advisers to build their portfolio of evidence for the qualification on line
carries out a Quality Assurance visits to a selection of local authorities each year
collects data about Choice Advice activity nationally using Activity Tracker on the website
records and produces quarterly statistical reports on trends arising from the data collection
provides quarterly and annual reports about national Choice Advice activity for DCSF