R i verside Consultin g

1. Riverside Consulting Community Interest Company Phone: 0191 340 9626 Email: info@riversideconsulting.org.uk Website: www.riversideconsulting.org.uk

2. Who We Are • Community Interest Company • North East TSEN Member • More than 30 years combined ESF/ERDF funding regimes expertise • Reputation for innovative and creative solutions to problems and challenges • Delivering TA since April 2010

3. With You Today Alan Payne – European Funding Specialist Iain Kay – Partnership Broker Barbara McClennan – Communications Expert

4. Today’s Workshop Introduce the concept of Trail Blazing Organisations (TBOs) ... ... a new model for specialist intervention brokerage to help people into work and help them to stay in employment Get your ideas, views and comments on the new model

5. The Problem Current Work Programme Commissioning Agenda Skimming the surface – or touching all? Exclusive or inclusive? Reaching the hard-to-reach Sustaining employment for those at farthest distance from work

6. Current Three Tiers Contracting Model PRIME CONTRACTOR In-house delivery Sub contractor Sub contractor Sub contractor Specialist services and interventions (contingency or ‘spot’ contracts)

7. Three Tiers Contracting – Myth v Reality • Large centralised contracts v niche, tailored provision • Monolithic organisations v grassroots reach • Centralised v grassroots delivery • One size fits all v truly tailored solutions • Economies of scale v nano-level commissioning potential • Second tier block v third tier opportunities

8. Three Tiers Contracting – The Status Quo • Second tier – high volume with economies of scale • Third tier relegated to ‘fill ins’ and ‘spot’ contracts • Lack of optimising VCS strategicinput

9. VCS Strategic Input – Missed Opportunities • Graduated ‘work experience’ • Informal learning • Volunteering to support a sense of purpose • Serving their own and other communities • Longer engagement timescales and work acclimatisation • Valuable progression for the most hard to reach

10. Third Tier Contracting – Problem Summary • Necessity for Primes to operate at scale • Sub-contractors must do the same • Specialist support the ‘hand maiden’ of job brokerage not an instrument of progression • Lost opportunities to progress more challenging customers through innovative, community-based options

11. Trail Blazer Organisations – Our Solution ... a new model for specialist intervention brokerage to help people into work ands help them to stay in employment

12. Trailblazing and Three Tiers – Delivery Model PRIME CONTRACTOR In-house delivery TBO Sub contractor Sub contractor Sub contractor Specialist services and interventions (contingency or ‘spot’ contracts) Community-based strategic opportunities offering progression through innovative means

13. Trail Blazer Organisations –The Mechanics • Higher capacity VCS organisations (and LAs) commissioned to ‘scope and manage’ a comprehensive and inclusive range of smaller scale providers, including community-based provision, within ordinary numbers-target contracts. INCLUDING • Specifying hard-to-reach and community-based activities • A delegated ‘black box’ providing specific and dedicated route to nano-level organisations

14. Trail Blazer Organisations – Meeting Needs at All Levels • Real community engagement (links to the Big Society) • Supports commercial drivers through more progression and access routes triggering higher DWP payments • Opens up grassroots gateways • Mainstream and bespoke innovative solutions from single TBO delivery model • Provides flexibility to go deeper and further to support hard-to-reach and challenging clients • Opportunity to demonstrate innovation at the margins • Draws on special capacity to factor in community options • Risks can be managed

15. Trail Blazer Organisations – Do They Exist? • Results from Riverside’s research: “In the right circumstances TBOs could be found to act as leads for bids but only in respect of tenders or pieces of work they are interested in, and with those partners who complemented their own services.” (Source: Riverside Research Report, May 2010 completed as part of North East’ Technical Assistance programme) • Shift in attitude over last 12 months – triggered by the Big Society?

16. Trail Blazer Model – Your Views • What at the advantages of our model? • What are the disadvantages? • Is it feasible – and if not why not?

17. Riverside Consulting Community Interest Company Phone: 0191 340 9626 Email: info@riversideconsulting.org.uk Website: www.riversideconsulting.org.uk