Developing employability in offender learning

1. Developing employability in offender learning December 4th 2009

2. Housekeeping • Fire alarm test - 1pm today • Fire exits • Facilities

3. Agenda

4. Welcome and introduction Objectives of the day: • The workshop will help you design, develop and deliver employability programmes for offenders and work with employers • Specific areas to be covered include: • the latest national initiatives in offender learning • effective provision in custody and the community • developing and maintaining links with employers.

5. What is employability?

6. What is employability? Is it……. • a course that offenders attend? • a qualification that is achieved? • turning up for work on time? • a good attitude? • an individual using their initiative?

7. What is employability? • Does this mean that if an employability course is completed then the offender is employable? • It is without doubt something we are all in search of.... • offenders • teachers • managers • education providers • employers • But are we talking about the same thing?

8. Key note: National employability initiatives within offender learning Roger Stevens (Community Skills and Employment Unit, NOMS) and Angela Christopher (Prisons Skills & Employment Manager, NOMS)

9. The long and winding road to Supporting Employability through Offender LearningRoger Stevens NOMS OESS/ Community Skills and Employment Unit

10. Machinery of Government changes • Establishment of NOMS as an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) • Aims: • Protect the public • Reduce re-offending • Directors of Offender Management (DoMS) • Establishment of Probation Trusts

11. Other Changes • The Learning and Skills Council becomes the Skills Funding Agency from April 2010 • Takes responsibility for funding post-19 learning in England • Route £4 billion of funding swiftly & securely to FE colleges, other providers and the third sector • OLASS arrangements will continue in the community but regional and local structures will change

12. Supporting Offenders into Employment • Reducing Re-Offending National Action Plan • Pathway 2 (Education, Training & Employment) • Dedicated Education, Training & Employment (ETE) teams in NPS areas provide Information, Advice and Guidance as well as motivation and support • Close local links with DWP colleagues help identify local labour market needs

13. Joint MoJ/DWP Strategic Review • Review commissioned by Permanent Secretaries • Improve Offender Employment support • Aims: • Facilitate improvements to partnership working • Increase effectiveness of employment related services • Join up employer engagement • Possible future shared target

14. NOMS Co-Financing • NOMS granted Co-Financing Organisation Status • £50 Million of ESF funding obtained • Focus is to deliver Employability Activity • Supports PSA 16 to increase ex-offender participation in employment • Procurement now completed • Based on an Integrated Case Management model • Complementary to other provision

15. Roger Stevens • Community Skills & Employment Unit • NOMS • Roger.Stevens@noms.gsi.gov.uk • Office: 0207 217 5091 • Mobile:07545 732840

16. Supporting Employability through Offender LearningStandardisation of Vocational Qualifications Angela Christopher MBE OESS/ Prisons Skills and Employment Unit

17. Prison Skills & Employment Unit • Policy and strategy lead for prisons skills and employment • NOMS devise the national approach through specifications and support the regions to deliver and performance manage activities • Support for Regional and establishment Heads of Learning, Skills and Employment • National partnerships with BIS, LSC/SFA, DWP, third and private sector

18. Assessment CIAS Identify Skill and Employment Needs & Opportunity Learning & Skills OLASS 3/Non OLASS Education Learning Skills Employability qual Workshops Core curriculum Embedded learning Prison Skills & EmploymentHeads of learning, Skills & Employment Co commissioning LSC/OLASS Community mainstream Employment Training /Further education in the community Employers Colleges JC+ / DWP Probation Service LSC Train to Gain Case managed into by CFO Employment In Prisons & Sector relevant training qualifications Prison Production Workshops Catering PE Laundry Industrial Cleaning Commercial Sector e.g. Timpsons Track Offenders – Sustainable employment/ learning. JC+ and NOMS

19. Linking opportunities…….. • ..means co-operation between Learning and Skills and: • Employer Engagement in a consistent & co-ordinated way – locally, regionally and nationally • Prison labour or employment allocation boards OLASS 3 and non OLASS provision • Offender Management and “through the gate” activities • Mainstream opportunities linked with through the gate and community provision

20. Employability Opportunities in Offender Learning • NOMS has brought prisons and probation together • under the employment and skills pathway (joining up our work) so that opportunities offered in custody can be continued in the community: • Prison industries employ 10,000 prisoners in some of the following activities: • - Catering • - Commercial sector employment • - Retail, PE, Laundries, PICTA • - Prison radio • - Woodwork, furniture making • - Horticulture • - Industrial Cleaning. • Relevant training and accredited qualifications are acquired through OLASS and non-OLASS partnerships

21. Standardisation of Qualifications Process • Consultation between SSCs; NOMS; LSC and a number of awarding organisations to standardise qualifications across the estate – cost of registration and certification is being reduced • Quality of training opportunities is being standardised through awarding body links and Prison Service Instructions with guidance and use of PDR principles • Regional labour market need and shortages are considered to inform training and qualifications offered regionally and nationally • Work is being established with JC+; DWP and the Alliance of SSCs to ensure links with actual employers • Staff training is offered to support the standard and quality of training delivery across the prison service through Newbold Revell PS College • Standardisation will enable partnership working and effective delivery to learners whether OLASS or Non-OLASS provision

22. Manual Contents….. • Contact details of HQ lead • Sector Skills champion and web links • Regional and national labour market need /shortages • Preferred awarding body and cost of qualifications • Identified qualifications for prisoners and staff • Employment links • Data collection – measure performance and impact • Manuals will be available between December/January on PSEU web and intranet

23. Manuals in draft format Laundry Engineering Catering Physical Education Glass and glazing Industrial cleaning Woodwork Warehousing and distribution/retail Land-based Contract services Sector Qualification Manuals Manuals pending Waste management Clothing and textiles Plastics Printing PICTA Charity workshops

24. Angela Christopher • Prisons Skills & Employment Manager • Learning & Skills specialist • NOMS HQ • Angela.christopher@noms.gsi.gov.uk • 0207 217 5400

25. Workshops: Designing, developing and delivering employability programmes for offenders Custody – HMP Everthorpe Community – Dorset Probation

26. Lunch 12:00 – 13:00

27. Key note: Developing links with employers Lance Harris (Prison Industries Employer Engagement Manager, NOMS) Keith Naughton (Employer Support Manager, HMP Liverpool)

28. Prison Industries Employer Engagement To enhance the employment prospects of prisoners upon release as a result of their time spent in prison industry workshops. To engage the commercial, third and charity sectors by supplying “job-ready” prisoners. Industry Partnerships are the commitment of resources and opportunities by external partners.

29. Industries - The Bigger Picture • 10 000 Work places • 305 Workshops • £5.2m Commercial Revenue • Circa £30m Internal Sales Value • 420 Commercial Contracts • Accreditation Programmes

30. The Evolution of Prison Industries

31. Commercial Companies Employment Survey

32. The Components of Partnership • Plant & Equipment • Supervision • Training Delivery • Work on release • Funding

33. Developing Partnerships • Establish the objective • Identify what’s possible • What's your offer - Benefits & Features • Build in Time Frame & Measurement (what does success look like and when?) • Relationship management

34. HMP Liverpool Keith Naughton – Employer Support Manager

35. Employment partners with HMP Liverpool and outcomes • Timpson 12 • Create 80 • FRC 35 • Revive 5 • Bulky Bob’s 40 • Recycling lives 20 • Jole Riders 1 • NHS 4 TOTAL 197

36. Developing good working relationships • Awareness of boundaries • Open and consistent communication • Regular feedback meetings • Equal partnerships • Sharing best practise • Promoting Successes • Obligations and Responsibilities

37. Planning and timescales • Defining Roles and deadlines • Time frames 3months/6months • Outcomes • Benefits of soft outcomes • Through the Gate Support

38. Impact analysis • Over 190 outcomes into Employment • The social effect on all concerned • Cost to the Tax Payer • Some Recidivism • Needs the through the gate support • Social Barriers • Cultural Change

39. What now ?

40. Yorkshire & Humberside Probation Debbie Clark - Regional Employer Engagement Manager

41. Research has consistently demonstrated that sustainable stable employment is single most important factor in reducing reoffending and can do so by up to 50% • NOMS agenda of reducing reoffending and pathways designed to contribute to such reduction states we must raise levels of employment in ex-offenders • Probation and Prison Services, in partnership with other organisations, have demonstrated effectiveness in preparing offenders for employment using holistic approach

42. However, there is a vital missing link... • Not enough to give offenders training, education and skills • We have to: • engage employer in the process • respond to employer needs • be more demand-led in the way this work is delivered

43. Allocation of funding resulting in some excellent short term projects e.g. Impact, Hope, Equal Engage • Positive outcomes including raising awareness of contribution of employers in reducing reoffending agenda

44. Lessons learned • Lack of sustainability • Lack of coordination • Employer disengagement • Training • Organisational commitment

45. LSC funded Regional Employer Engagement Project commenced September 2008 with the following main objectives:- • Sustainable employer engagement strategy for prisons and probation in Yorkshire and Humberside • Regional web database of employers • Resource manual • Employer engagement activity

46. Strategy and Sustainability Plan • Joined up approach pulling together relevant partners • Introducing other key players and organisations who share vision and targets for increasing employment, reducing poverty and reducing reoffending

47. Partnership Model of Employer Engagement • Business process to include and embed private and local authority sectors in employer engagement activity • Partnership working with Job Centre Plus (Local Employment Partnerships) to meet shared targets of reducing unemployment for priority groups • Public Sector Agreements provide opportunity for partnership approach • Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

48. Benefits of Partnership Approach • Local authorities - key stakeholder - major employers • Offender employment agenda and impact on local communities • Huge significance for strategic development of offender employability plans

49. Benefits of Partnership Approach (Continued) • Shared vision / targets • Employer engagement process delivered more effectively, enhancing good practice and ensuring connectivity between services • Sustainability....commitment from key stakeholders to form model of sustainability plan for REEP

50. Strategy – with focus on partnership / collaborative philosophy • Strategic Aim • Strategic Objectives • Action Plan