In March 2025, Cumbria Adult Learning (CAL), was successful maintaining its accredited status in relation to the current matrix standard.
The Matrix Standard is a unique quality standard for organisations, it is awarded to organisations in recognition of their ability to meet strenuous standards relating to the provision of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG).
The Matrix standard is a useful way to give our learners and stakeholders the security of knowing that Cumbria Adult Learning takes its responsibilities for supporting learning to enrol on appropriate courses that will help them to achieve their own goals very seriously, and that we strive to constantly improve our service to ensure the best outcomes for all learners.
The Matrix Standard is an outcome-based standard. This means that the allocated Assessor looks not only at processes used to support IAG delivery but also the results achieved.
The audit was undertaken over a full week and involved our assigned Assessor interviewing staff, senior managers, learners and partners organisations across the county before making a judgment on whether our service continued to meet the standards.
Our Assessor was able to make a judgement on the effectiveness of the processes used to support IAG delivery, including the impact on our learners. We are very pleased to advise that our re-accreditation was confirmed, and we worked with our assessor to agree a forward plan to make further enhancements. This plan is reviewed each year and Cumbria Adult Learning is required to provide evidence of progress made.
CAL is committed to achieving the best possible outcome for each one of our learners; the Matrix Standard helps us to support this commitment, and we are very proud of our record of success.
IAG is seen by CAL staff as being a central part of their work with learners:
- “IAG underpins everything we do and is embedded everywhere. Without strong IAG, our learners may not get to where they want to be”
- “We strive to help learners, improve their confidence and help them go in the direction they want”
- “Finding the correct level for the learner and managing their expectations and also giving help on their journey are all part of our IAG”
Extracts from our Matrix report published March 2025
As a service we are:
- An effective and efficient service with excellent systems, processes and procedures around IAG and that these are used to good effect to inform decisions that make a difference to our learner’s lives and progress
- Able to align IAG across the region, district and local communities ensuring everyone is supported through high quality differentiated IAG
- A service that responds to the needs to the individual effectively
- In the most recent learner survey, 100% of learners indicated that they felt safe in CAL classrooms
97% of learners understand the importance of safeguarding, which is an increase of 4.02% from 2022/23. (This has not been achieved by chance, CAL has set up strong policies and procedures to achieve this).
Learners are provided with IAG safeguarding documents which lay out the steps that are followed to ensure everyone is safe.
Strong partnership work has a positive impact on IAG and illustrates the added value the joint work is bringing to IAG.
Information is made available that benefits from rigorous monitoring to ensure it is current and relevant.
A house style is maintained which is reflected in the paper course brochure and the website.
Learners described to the Assessor how they viewed the support and IAG they had received from CAL staff:
- “The support I have received has been spot on, I can ask anything, and I really feel my confidence has been boosted”
- “I have never had support like this before, it is so much better than anything else I have experienced”
- “Before the course I was so unconfident and unsure how I could apply for jobs – that is now so much easier”