Twelve Million Pounds Later

1
Twelve Million Pounds Later

• What weve learned about Disadvantage
  Employment

Terry Roy Programme Manager
2
Overview

• Aim to move those furthest from the labour market
  towards employment
• 43 external projects sub-projects
• 56 local partners plus
• Businesses
• Volunteers
• 7 Transnational partners
• 11 target groups
• 9 internal projects

3
Strategic Lessons

• Interpretation in light of local context -
  crucial
• Infrastructure support and capacity - essential
• Localized data intelligence - lacking
• Employers have a major role to play

4
Method

• Take a city-wide approach through
• Formation of partnerships directed at particular
  disadvantaged groups (Mental Health, Supported
  Employment)
• Coordination of services
• Prevention of duplication
• Building of networks for both information-sharing
  and referral networks
• Infrastructure support and capacity building
• Development of the City Employment Skills Plan

5
Intelligence Gathered 1

• On service users
• On the capacity of service delivery organisations
  and funders
• On common barriers faced by service users and
  service delivery organisations

6
Intelligence Gathered 2

• On infrastructure
• How partnerships worked between service delivery
  organisations, funders and business
• How European, National and Regional policy
  translated at the local level

7
Local Context Service Users

• Residents were often faced with multiple
  barriers, not all directly related to a lack of
  skills or a lack of employment opportunity
• Residents did not always fit neatly into target
  groups
• Value of individualised, flexible services,
  delivered locally

8
Local Context Service Deliverers

• Very well placed to reach the hard to reach
• Capacity to deliver varied
• Understanding of policy application/strategic
  vision varied
• Effectiveness of partnership working varied

9
Local Context - Funders

• Lack of flexibility
• Priorities dont always match with other
  funders/service delivery organisations
  constraints of European, National and Regional
  policies
• Lack of joined up working

10
Local Context - Business

• The Public and Community and Voluntary sectors
  are major employers but dont think like one
• Role in identifying skills needs/planning
  training
• Employer Engagement (Engage)
• The Futures model coordinated, supported
  business involvement

11
Importance of Local Context

• The Brighton Hove context does not always
  reflect Regional or National context.
• Understanding of the local context strengthens
  planning and decision-making.
• Allows for effective allocation of resources

12
Infrastructure Support Capacity Building

• Adds value
• Addresses common barriers faced by organisations
  and funders
• Infrastructure Support also strengthens capacity
  (Engage, Outreach Network)

13
Localized Data Intelligence

• High quality, reliable and easily accessible data
  enables decision-makers to
• effectively allocate resources,
• plan service provision, and
• evaluate the impact of a range of social policy
  interventions.
• Not currently easily available
• City Stats Redevelopment is a start

14
Employers Role

• Identifying skills needs/planning training
• Providing good-quality work placements, training
  and job opportunities
• The Public and Community and Voluntary sectors
  need to don their employer hat

15
Whats Needed

• Decisions and strong planning based on context
  and evidence
• Long-term approach to long-term problems
  funding, planning
• Joined up working at all levels
• Identify address common barriers
• Recognise structural limitations
• Share information
• Speak the same language

16
Wish List

• For the residents
• Joined up, flexible services delivered based on
  individual need
• Good quality work placements
• Suitable job opportunities
• Clear progression routes
• Ongoing in-work support
• Manageable transition off benefits

17
Wish List

• For the service delivery organisations
• Full economic costing recovery
• Sharing/transparency of data
• Capacity building

18
Wish List

• For the funders
• Constructive relationships with service providers
• Better information on outcomes/return on
  investment

19
Wish List

• For business
• Coordinated approaches
• Pool of motivated candidates

20
Conclusion

• Serious, open debate about issues based on high
  quality business intelligence
• Long-term approach to solving long-term problems