Connexions Cumbria Ltd. is a highly successful social enterprise company, committed to securing positive changes in the life chances of all young people and adults. As an organisation we are not complacent; we are aspirational.   

We continue to respond to change positively, helping to transform services in the best interests of our customers and over the past ten years have continually adjusted our strategic planning and operational delivery to take account of all changing government policy drivers and public funding arrangements.

Connexions Cumbria Ltd. is committed to continuously improving the quality of the service that it delivers for young people.  The Board, working closely with the Chief Executive and Senior Managers, provides a clear sense of purpose and explicit priorities for the Company.

We are proud of our achievements and we believe that by building on these achievements, by learning from best practice and by involving young people in service development, we have much to contribute to the continuing success and further development of services in Cumbria. 

The Company places high quality impartial Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) and youth work at the heart of its service delivery.

As an independent not-for-profit company, we plan and develop our services with the direct involvement of young people and by continually evaluating what works best for young people.  Consultation shows that young people trust our staff; they see them as knowledgeable and friendly, helping them make good choices about learning and work and offering practical help with anything that delays progress and achievement.

Our Vision

Our vision is to help young people turn their dreams into reality by providing an inclusive support service that meets their individual needs, raises their aspirations and encourages them to develop and learn throughout their lives.

We believe that we can make a difference and find solutions for young people and adults, so that they can take control of their lives and overcome barriers to achieve success.

Connexions Cumbria is already at the heart of the Children’s Trust approach and the National Skills Strategy by:

 ·         Offering every young person access to impartial information, advice, guidance, personal development opportunities and by providing support for their parents;

·         Providing speedy information and advice to adults when they need it;

·         Working with young people and adults to develop their employability skills and their ability to make informed decisions about future learning and career choices;

·         Enabling those who use our services to be involved in the design, planning, evaluation and governance of a service;

·         Using the unique Connexions database to keep in touch with every young person and provide strategic planning data for ourselves and partners.

 Our Principles

We pride ourselves on planning our services based on the following key principles:

High quality service delivery – at the heart of Cumbria’s communities

Firmly rooted within Cumbria, we have worked tirelessly over the past ten years to ensure that our services are embedded in every community in the County.  We have earned a reputation for high quality service delivery and for consistently achieving positive outcomes for young people.  This reputation has been established within our own local communities, with stakeholders across the County and nationally. Through our high level of credibility and brand recognition, we have laid firm foundations for future improvements and success. 

The trust and confidence we have gained enables us to make an impact and be influential on future strategies and approaches to improve the wellbeing and success of young people and adults.  

We continue to listen to and be responsive to young people, adults, partners and staff and by doing so, continue to improve our services and to be innovative in our approach.

Information, Advice and Guidance

High-quality local information, advice and guidance (IAG) is key to the success of national policies for learning and skills development.

In partnership with Children’s Services, we work with schools, colleges and other learning providers to ensure that all young people have access to independent and impartial IAG.