matrix Standard reaccreditation success for C+K!

"C&K Careers is truly an all age guidance service and there is ‘no wrong door’ for users of its services with an established and enviable reputation for creative solutions and strong community focused delivery.”

The matrix Standard is a national quality standard for organisations providing Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) services, recognising their excellence and effectiveness in supporting individuals' learning and career development. The matrix Standard is a formal accreditation, delivered by The Growth Company on behalf of the Department for Education. This recognition, awarded following a rigorous three‐day inspection by an independent assessor in January 2025, confirms C+K’s commitment to delivering outstanding IAG services to young people and adults.

Key findings from the report

"at a time when careers services and their interventions are generally recognised and needed, C&K Careers continues to be among the best careers companies available and it is clearly the hard work and commitment of C&K Careers staff that has kept it at the top of the careers profession."

The report highlights the core strengths of the service. One of the standout observations was that “C&K Careers is truly an all age guidance service and there is ‘no wrong door’ for users of its services, with an established and enviable reputation for creative solutions and strong community focused delivery.” This sentiment reflects our commitment to ensuring every individual finds a tailored pathway to success.

The report went on to praise the trust and confidence our partners have in the service: “As a result of its effectiveness C&K Careers enjoys a strong reputation for the integrity of its services….there was evidence of enhanced reputations for partners by association with C&K Careers. The IAG provided to partners and to employers is as significant as that provided to young people and jobseekers, and is, perhaps, under appreciated. Partners derive confidence and assurance by being partnered with C&K Careers, and clearly their own performance is enhanced and augmented by C&K Careers.”

Despite facing significant competition from much larger organisations, it was noted that C+K is “able to ‘punch above its weight’ and its collective contract performance and impact adds a competitive edge that many are unable to match or promise.” As another key observation stated: “Although funders can frame the aims and objectives for C&K Careers there are specific values of integrity and client centredness which underpin its priorities.”

"The hard work and the consistently high performance of C&K Careers shows how great a difference can be made, and C&K Careers has the opportunity to continue to evolve the model to improve outcomes for young people and adults and show the way forward for IAG services as a whole."

The report further commended C+K’s role in a challenging environment, stating, “As a careers organisation managing the contradictions of a careers market that is dysfunctional nationally, at a time when careers services and their interventions are generally recognised and needed, C&K Careers continues to be among the best careers companies available and it is clearly the hard work and commitment of C&K Careers staff that has kept it at the top of the careers profession.” It concluded on a visionary note: “This is a model that will work elsewhere. The hard work and the consistently high performance of C&K Careers shows how great a difference can be made, and C&K Careers has the opportunity to continue to evolve the model to improve outcomes for young people and adults and show the way forward for IAG services as a whole.”

The positive impact of our service is best demonstrated through the voices of those we support. A young person involved in our Employment Hub project shared, “they don’t judge you, they take you for whatever reason you’ve turned up and just move things on without you realising it. I’m at college and C&K Careers has got me into a much better place.”    

Educators and community partners have echoed this sentiment, frequently describing our team as “fantastic,” “brilliant,” and offering “amazing support.” Such feedback reinforces the commitment to building trusted partnerships and delivering creative, client centred solutions.

Roger Chapman, Head of the matrix Service for The Growth Company said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for C+K and I would like to congratulate the team on their success. We believe that at the heart of high-quality advice and support services are strong leadership, excellent service and a focus on continuous improvement, all underpinned by effective use of the resources available. The matrix Standard is designed to benchmark organisations against best practice in these areas. With their accreditation success, C+K is working to provide the best possible support to their clients.”

 Reflecting on the achievement, Martin Green, Chief Executive of C+K stated:

“I am delighted to report that C+K Careers has retained its matrix accreditation – the report is overwhelmingly positive and reflects a service that continues to thrive and innovate in a challenging economic and policy context. I offer my sincere thanks to everybody involved for all their hard work, the glowing judgement we received is a judgement on all of us at C+K and it is one that we should all be very proud of.”

For over three decades, C+K has been at the forefront of careers guidance, transforming lives through personalized support and innovative solutions. The matrix Standard is a celebration of these collective achievements—a testament to the dedication of the staff, the trust of our partners, and the progress of the communities we serve. As we celebrate this milestone, we are inspired to continue evolving our model to set new benchmarks in IAG services across the nation.

To read the report in full click here

For more information about our services or to learn how we’re making a difference in the lives of young people and adults visit the services pages of our website www.ckcareers.co.uk/home