NGRF - UK National Guidance Research Forum

Excellent to see that new visitors to the site are wanting to find a way in - less good that they might feel at first a bit intimidated, though good that word is beginning to spread that all are welcome!

I just wanted to reiterate that this forum is for everyone and anyone with an interest in guidance. It might be that those newest to the profession are particularly well placed to ask the most pertinent questions, or make the most enlightened comments precisely because they don't have the 'baggage' associated with jaded years in the profession! The bottom line is that if any one of us, as a user of the site has a perspective or a question, it is likely that it is shared by others. Maybe we could think of the forum as a means of accessing the views of friendly colleagues, only drawn from a wider range of backgrounds and organisations? If this site is serious about bringing together different user groups - including practitioners as well as researchers, managers and policy makers - and it is, then practitioners need to feel comfortable taking part. So here's a plea for practitioners everywhere to take the plunge and use the site - pose a question or comment on any page that seems particularly interesting (or not) that way we as users can start to direct how the site will evolve. If this forum is to take off then in has to be something 'owned' and 'directed' by us the 'community of shared interest'. Isn't that how knowledge is built - through sharing, exploring and experimenting with ideas? Those of us who have trained in 'client-centred' approaches will be familiar with the notion that there isn't an 'expert other' who can do it all for us - though they can certainly help us along the way. So my suggestion is that those of us involved in practice try to encourage our colleagues to visit, use and post on the site, it's our space too and all participation will be equally welcome I'm sure ... trust me, I'm a careers adviser!