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Coming into work? Engaging vulnerable people with employability policy frameworks, local practices SHEN/Dundee Cyrenians March 2008. Current policy context. Homelessness legislation/ HTF recommendations Workforce Plus/ MCMC Welfare Reform leading to flexible New Deal Skills for Scotland
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Coming into work? Engaging vulnerable people with employability policy frameworks, local practices SHEN/Dundee Cyrenians March 2008
Current policy context • Homelessness legislation/ HTF recommendations • Workforce Plus/ MCMC • Welfare Reform leading to flexible New Deal • Skills for Scotland Joined up thinking!
A chance to work for all? Amongst other things, welfare reform offers: • 80% employment rate • Equip individuals with skills • Jobs pledge – 250,000 job opportunities • New services through flexible New Deal
How will this be delivered? • Changes to benefits system • DWP Commissioning Strategy • Workforce Plus – more provision for early stages and in-work support • Skills policies (for low skilled?)
New job seekers • 3 months on JSA • Job search requirements widened • 6 months – Gateway to include skills check and training • 12 months – specialist service • Full time work experience
Worklessness and the pipeline • Who are the “workless” • Changing the pattern • Fast tracking and the “pipeline” • Pathways to Work etc.
Low – skilled in Scotland • Skills for Scotland • More choices more chances • New projects – eg “Youthbuild” • Whatever happened to NFFI?
Flexible New Deal – what is it? • Based on the Freud Report • First tier providers with supply chain • 2 phases to be rolled out by 2010 • Competition, market-led, paid by results • Sustainable job outcomes (rising to 18 months)
Strengths of SHEN member providers • Scottish context – WF+, MCMC and HTF recommendations • Focus on individual • Local identity and service provision • Existing experience
Weaknesses • Small providers, partnerships weak • Funding “patchy” – lack of investment • Homelessness is not a DWP priority • Evidence not systematically collected
Opportunities • DWP Chaotic lifestyles • Not “parking” the hardest to help • Flexible New Deal activity looks for: • Links to specialist providers • Focus on individuals • Partnerships • Local credibility
Threats • Competition in supply chain • Up-front funding • Homelessness not a priority • Timescales for in-work outcomes • Sustainabilty • Difficulty of demonstrating outcomes • How local is “local”
SHEN response • Collecting evidence as programme rolls out • Supporting partnership development • Highlighting the importance of measurement systems which recognise soft outcomes • Representation of service providers and service users at Scottish and UK levels
Contact geraldine@scsh.org.uk www.shen-scotland.org