« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Annex 2: Summarised Recommendations of the Workstreams
The full recommendations of the Workstream Reports can be found at our website - www.scotland.gov.uk/employabilityframework . We have grouped these recommendations together under the 6 themes that emerged as detailed in Section 3. The recommendations for the NEET group can be found in the NEET Strategy.
A. Early Interventions
Many of these recommendations focus on the right type of initial engagement, including outreach work, to engage with those who do not participate in existing interventions. Organisations less obviously connected to welfare benefits can be seen as less threatening to clients, who may be worried about the effects on their benefits if they are seen to be interested in working. Improved access to services and specialist advice, as and when required, as well as a robust assessment tool which would be used early in the intervention process, would build greater confidence for clients in themselves and the staff who will be assisting them. It would also allow early signposting to the type of assistance the client needs to progress to the labour market.
There were also recommendations that this type of early intervention should be made available to those currently in employment to help prevent them from falling out of work.
These recommendations have been incorporated into the Framework.
B. Client focused Interventions
There were 18 recommendations (excluding NEET) specifically on how interventions should be client focused. There was significant overlap over the five reports, including NEET. They included Key Workers/ mentoring approaches enabling long term support and personal development, identification of appropriate support and identifying client's goals.
Development of flexible routes and customised holistic approaches, especially for those who face multiple/complex barriers were considered to be important, but all groups stressed the importance of avoiding segmenting or labelling groups in inappropriate ways.
Recommendations included basing service delivery more on the needs of clients, especially those specialist services needed locally and ensuring that clients gain a clear sense of control and input into services. Helping to address issues which can arise when moving into work - debt advice and benefits issues were two main sources of concern to clients. Also better aftercare once in employment to help sustain the job.
These recommendations will be used to assist the local partnerships to deliver their services. The Key Worker approach is more resource intensive and may be considered for those clients who face the most complex barriers, similar to the way the Careers Scotland Key Workers operate.
C. Employer Engagement
The recommendations were split into pre- and post-employment issues. A lead agency approach was suggested which would provide employers with their recruitment needs - filling vacancies, organising work experience placements and developing appropriate training. This contact with employers would be co-ordinated, professional and relevant, providing information on the business benefits for both workforce development and welfare to work programmes. There would be more done to communicate the messages to more businesses throughout Scotland, with a focus on particular sectors when required.
It was recommended that early engagement with employers would be more useful, bringing the demand led aspect into training, giving organisations a better understanding of the jobs on offer and creating a better match for clients to jobs. It would also prepare employers for the challenges they may face both in the new recruits and in their own workforce and build a positive relationship with organisations who will in turn support the employer in sustaining and progressing their workforce.
Many of these recommendations will be for the organisations and local partnerships to develop, taking account of their local labour market. The larger issue of a lead agency taking on a wider role in co-ordinating many aspects of the contact with employers is one which may require structural change within organisations such as Jobcentre Plus, who were seen as the natural lead agency in Scotland. At this time it would not be feasible to task any particular organisation to undertake this role, although Jobcentre Plus already plays a major part in employer engagement in Scotland.
The Workstreams considered that the public sector, especially NHSS and COSLA (the Local Government Improvement Unit) should continue to promote the benefits of working, and provide leadership in employing staff who were out of work. Also in developing the skills of their workforce as well as considering how they can use the public procurement process to enhance the actions already underway.
Closing the Opportunity Gap - Target C details the actions that the public sector and large employers need to take and tasks NHSS specifically to provide 1000 job opportunities, with support for training and progression once in post, between 2004 and 2006 to people who are currently economically inactive or unemployed.
D. Sustaining and Progressing Employment
A stronger emphasis on enabling clients to remain in work was highlighted throughout the workstreams. Much of the current funding is aimed at interventions which focus on placing people into work and much less on providing the appropriate and effective aftercare to help them remain in employment. The type of aftercare support should match the clients and employers needs and should be available to current employees who require support if they are at risk of losing their job. This support should be long term for those who need it. Supporting progress once in work was also seen as important, particularly as some clients have lower levels of qualifications and skills and would need assistance to improve their skills to further their careers.
The specific actions from these recommendations are detailed in the Framework.
E. Joined up Planning and Delivery of Services
The value of having co-ordinated responses for employability issues were highlighted in the recommendations. These are summarised as:
- development of common tracking systems, sharing of client information, systems and structures which support the work of organisations and their services;
- investment in building the capacity through joint staff development and training and the sharing of good practice and learning that has been gained;
- funding, currently from various sources with different targets, should be drawn together with clear benchmarks focusing on key elements of performance to ensure providers and suppliers are clear about their objectives; and
- when procuring employability related services, there should be clear roles, responsibilities and
co-ordination for service providers, particularly specialist services who may not have jobs as outcomes but who have taken the client nearer to employment, or who have enabled the client to progress in their employment.
The specific actions from these recommendations are detailed in the Action Plan.
F. Better Outcomes
To facilitate better outcomes from the work being done, the Workstreams recommended the development of clear, transparent, performance benchmarks, and feedback, for service organisations, with a focus on effective collaboration with other providers. Procurement of services should be driven by a clear focus on employability work, even at early stages of intervention and that effective collaborative procurement will depend on creating national and local mechanisms for drawing together and combining the currently dispersed expenditure for employability services.
These recommendations will be taken forward by both the national and local partnerships. The Workforce Plus Team will work with local partnerships to design better outcome focused services as detailed in the Framework.
In addition we need to monitor and evaluate actions to ensure that the Framework has been successful. Recommendations on how to do this ranged from reducing the differential between employment and unemployment rates amongst the most and least disadvantaged wards and to reduce the difference in employment rates between the working age population as to lone parents, people with health problems, ethnic minorities, etc.
Closing the Opportunity Gap Target A is to "reduce the number of workless people dependent on DWP benefits in Glasgow, North & South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire & Inverclyde, Dundee and West Dunbartonshire by 2007 and by 2010". This target has been set by the Community Planning Partnerships or their designated employability partners. Monitoring and evaluation processes will be part of the local partnerships action plan, as well as part of the monitoring of the progress towards meeting Target A.
« Previous | Contents | Next »