Preventing a lost generation Work Programme & ESF Families Programme

1. Preventing a lost generationWork Programme & ESF Families Programme George Selmer, Contracts Director: G4S Welfare to Work

2. The cold, hard facts… 1 million young people • Unemployment among young people has been rising since 2004 • 64,000 18-24 year olds in the North West claiming JSA in October 2011 • 17.6% rise in overall total from 2010 • Tough labour market – highly competitive • Long-term unemployment among young people in the North West is rocketing: • 110% increase in unemployed over six months from 2010 • 100% increase in unemployed over two years from 201

3. Glass half empty/glass half full? • Tight labour market • Heavy competition for each vacancy • Young people often face multiple barriers to competing on a level playing field • Specialist interventions such as Future Jobs Fund no longer exist BUT • The Work Programme should become the single biggest welfare to work initiative the UK has ever seen • DWP Support for Families with Multiple Problems provides additional support • Young people have multiple opportunities to access this support • There are jobs out there, and young people can be equipped to fill them with the right support

4. What is the Work Programme? • A unique opportunity to transform the lives of thousands of people across the UK • An opportunity not only to support millions of people into secure and lasting employment, but to make enormous inroads into eradicating child poverty and kick-starting social mobility • Different from previous employment-related service provision such as Flexible New Deal and Pathways to Work • Funded by the AME/DEL switch, it will only bring in additional money without adversely affecting public spending and departmental budgets • In Greater Manchester, Cheshire & Warrington the G4S Work Programme alone brings around £15-20m per year of funding into the area

5. How do young people get onto the Work Programme? • Young people on JSA mandated at 9 months • Young people on ESA mandated at various trigger points • Young people on ESA can also volunteer pre-trigger • Young people on IB or IS can volunteer at any time • There are also ‘Early Access’ criteria which JCP are encouraged to use to get young people onto Work Programme quickly, such as: • Ex-offenders • Those with a disability • Mild/moderate mental health issues • Care leavers • Carers and ex-carers • Homeless • Ex-Armed Forces • Substance dependents

6. What is the Families with Multiple Problems Programme? • Enhances Work Programme support • Works with whole families • Provides additional resource across the area • Integrates with Work Programme and other interventions in each local authority • Employment is the end goal of the programme, but additional focus on moving people closer to the labour market • Payment by results for both sustained job outcomes and measurable progress achieved • Goes live in December 2011 • Brings an additional £16m into Greater Manchester, Cheshire & Warrington over the next three years

7. How do young people get onto the Families Programme? • Local authorities identify whole families to refer to the programme. • It’s their call, but factors taken into account include: • Prevention – looking to prevent families from falling into crisis • ‘Chaotic but not critical’ • Potentially Level 2 or 3 families on the spectrum of need • Families who are ready for a conversation about work • Families who, with some support, will be ready for a conversation about work • Families who have gone through FIP and need further support • Families identified by Housing Associations

8. Our delivery philosophy All of the support we deliver is based on the following key principles: • ‘Situational’ rather than ‘rule-based’ approach • ‘Situational’ customer journey for every individual • Pragmatism– all actions taken on the journey are practical and essential • Personal – each individual completes actions to address their needs and barriers • Proven – informed by rigorous informatics analysis

9. G4S Work Programme Core of our delivery are 9 ‘Job Brokers’ representing the best of the private, public and voluntary sectors. Over the next 7 years’ in Greater Manchester, Cheshire & Warrington G4S these organisations will support around 50,000people back into work.

10. Work Programme: The Personal Advisor The Personal Advisor is key to the Customer Journey, providing: • continuity of service, trust and understanding • shared accountability for shared goals Their role includes (but is not limited to): • Identifying realistic job goals • Building confidence and motivation • Job searching • CV writing and applying for jobs • Developing interview skills • Overcoming barriers to work with practical help (travel, childcare, housing, etc) • Pre-work preparation • Identifying additional needs • Brokering and case-managing additional support and training • Re-engaging if Customers fall out of work

11. G4S Families Programme 12 Family Support Brokers, representing the best of the private, public and voluntary sectors Over the next three years these organisations will help around 2,000 people back into work and more than 7,000 achieve ‘measurable progress’.

12. Support for Families – the Key Worker • The best way to support families with multiple problems is through a single point of contact and support – the Key Worker

13. Additional, specialist support A Knowledge Bank of over 100 organisations delivering a range of additional, expert support: • Health or mental health issues • Basic or vocational skills gaps • Communication or language problems • Issues with drugs or alcohol • Financial or housing problems • Learning difficulties • Family or relationship issues Dedicated funding from G4S to procure these services for both programmes.

14. The glass is half full • Unemployment is a social injustice • It will scar the young for life • We have the tools to make a real difference – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise • But we need to work together to make them deliver for young people • We need to get young people onto these programmes to unlock the resource and support they offer • We need to mentor, encourage, support and provide the right services in the right order • Not allowed to share Work Programme performance data, but we are already working with thousands of young people and we have had more success in placing young people into work to date than any other Customer group.