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EMPLOYMENT RELATED SUPPORT SERVICESFRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

MINI COMPETITIONS FOR THE PROVISION OFTHE WORK PROGRAMME

Invitation to Tender Form

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Tender Round title: The Work Programme

Organisation Name: Newcastle College Group

Lot: West Midlands

Contract Package Area (CPA): CPA 14Birmingham and SolihullThe Black Country (BSBC)

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PART 1: ORGANISATION DETAILS

[1.1] Your response to Part 1 is for information purposes only. If any of this informationhas changed since the Framework Agreement application stage, please state this withinthe table below including a short explanation as to why. If you cannot provide any of theinformation below please explain this within the table.

DWP will not be responsible for contacting anyone other than the persons named in thispart of your form. If any of this information changes during the bidding period you mustinform DWP of the changes by email to:WORK.PROGITTCLARIFICATION@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK

Name of the Legal Entity in whose name thistender is submitted and with whom DWP willcontract:

The Corporation of Newcastle College

Trading Name (if different from above): Newcastle College Group (NCG)

Company Registration Number: Not Applicable we are an exemptcharity

Company Registered address: Rye Hill House, Scotswood Road,Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7SA

Head Office Address, if different:

VAT Registration Number: 918509211

Website Address (if any): www.ncgrp.co.uk

Name, address and company registration numberof parent company, where applicable:

n/a

Name and Job Title of main contact: [REDACTED]Group Director of BusinessDevelopment

Address: Newcastle College Group

Rye Hill House

Scotswood Road

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

NE4 7SA

Telephone no: [REDACTED]

Mobile telephone no: [REDACTED]

Fax no: n/a

E-mail address: [REDACTED]

Alternative contact Name and Job Title: [REDACTED]

Director of BiddingAddress (if different from above):

Telephone no: [REDACTED]

mailto:WORK.PROGITTCLARIFICATION@DWP.GSI.GOV.UKhttp://www.ncgrp.co.uk/mailto:WORK.PROGITTCLARIFICATION@DWP.GSI.GOV.UKhttp://www.ncgrp.co.uk/

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Mobile telephone no: [REDACTED]

Contact e-mail: [REDACTED]

PART 2: TENDERER DECLARATION

[2.1] You must complete this Declaration by Tenderer. Failure to include this declarationmay result in your bid being disqualified.

To: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

For the benefit of the Department for Work and Pensions, we hereby warrant andundertake as follows:

1. We have examined, read, understand and accept in full the proposed Contractdocuments and all other documents and Annexes provided with this declaration andthe clarifications issued during the Invitation to Tender period.

2. We have completed and submitted all information required in the Invitation toTender Form in the format and order required.

3. We confirm the information set out in our response is complete and accurate to thebest of our knowledge and belief.

4. We hereby acknowledge and agree that we have read, understand and accept theWork Programme Call-Off Terms and Conditions, the Work Programme Specificationand the draft Order Form.

Scanned Signature:[REDACTED]

Date: 11th February 2011

Name: [REDACTED]

Job Title: Chief Executive of Newcastle College Group

Duly authorised to sign Tenders on behalf of: The Corporation of Newcastle College

Name of Organisation: Newcastle College Group (NCG)

PART 3: THE WORK PROGRAMME CALL-OFF CONTRACT TERMS ANDCONDITIONS - ALTERNATIVE AND/OR ADDITIONAL CLAUSES

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[3.1]

3.1 The terms and conditions of The Work Programme will be the Standard Call-OffTerms and Conditions (set out in Schedule 4 of your Framework Agreement), asmodified by The Work Programme service requirements (The Work Programme

Additional Requirements).

3.2 The Work Programme Additional Requirements are set out in the Call-Off Termsand Conditions for The Work Programme which is supplied with your Invitation toTender. A document highlighting the modifications made to the Standard Call-OffTerms and Conditions to reflect The Work Programme Additional Requirements isalso supplied with your Invitation to Tender; for ease of identification, the changesmade since the draft version issued on 8 December 2010 are shown in boxeswithin the document.

3.3 Any proposed amendments to The Work Programme Additional Requirement must

be detailed by completing the section below, giving full details of the clause(s) youwish to amend and your proposed amendments. DWP will consider proposedamendments strictly on their merits. Please note that you may only proposeamendments to The Work Programme Additional Requirements; proposedamendments to the Standard Call-Off Contract Terms and Conditions will not beconsidered.

Comments on The Work Programme Additional Requirements: -

MINI COMPETITION ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (For Framework SupplierComments only)

No. of theclause(s) youwish to amend

Proposed amendment with proposed wording

Material Breach Insert definition for Material Breach and change all reference ofmaterial breach to Material Breach

1.10.5 If the Prime Contractor or its Staff, excluding for the purposes of thisclause 1.10.5 any Sub Contractor or Sub Contractor Staff, commitsany Fraud in relation to the Contract or any other contract with aContracting Authority or the Contracting Body, the Contracting Bodymay:-

1.11 Delete clause 1.11 and definitions relating to Guarantee

2.1.3 Delete clause 2.1.3

2.10Amend clause 2.10 to read: The Contracting Body shall monitor thePrime Contractors performance of services in accordance with theprovisions of Appendix 6 or such other requirements as agreed by theparties from time to time.

4.1 Amend clause 4.1.3 to read: If the Prime Contract or its Staff,excluding for the purposes of this clause 4.1.3 any Sub Contractor orSub Contractor Staff, engages in conduct prohibited by Clauses 4.1.1or 4.1.2, the Contracting Body may:-[retain clauses 4.1.3 (a) to (c)]Then insert the following wording as a new clause 4.1.4

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If a Sub Contractor, the Sub Contractor's Staff or any other personacting on the Sub Contractor's behalf, engages in conduct prohibitedby Clauses 4.1.1 or 4.1.2, the Contracting Body may require thePrime Contractor to:4.1.4 (a) terminate the Sub Contract with immediate effect by givingnotice in writing to the Sub Contractor and recover from the Sub

Contractor the amount of any loss suffered by the Prime Contractorand/or the Contracting Body resulting from the termination4.1.4 (b) recover in full from the Sub Contractor any other losssustained by the Prime Contractor and/or the Contracting Body inconsequence of any breach of those Clauses ; and/or4.1.4 (c) recover in full from the Sub Contractor the amount or valueof any gift, consideration or commission.

4.3Amend clause 4.2.3 to read: On the occasion of any RelevantTransfer the Prime Contractor shall comply with all of its obligationsunder the TUPE Regulations and the Directive in respect of theRelevant Employees.

Delete clause 4.3.9

4.4Insert the following wording to the start of clause 4.4: The partiesshall comply with the obligations set out in this Clause 4.4, subjectalways to their obligations under the DPA.Amend clause 4.4.2 to read: The Prime Contractor shall warrant theaccuracy and completeness of all the information provided to theContracting Body pursuant to Clause 4.4.1 and authorises theContracting Body to use any and all the information as it may considernecessary for the purposes of management of the Contract or forinforming any tenderer for any services which are substantially the

same as the Services (or any part thereof).Add the following new clause 4.4.6: The Contracting Body shallindemnify the Prime Contractor and keep the Prime Contractorindemnified in full from and against all direct liability or any other losssuffered by the Prime Contractor as a result of, or in connection with,the employment or termination of employment of any RelevantEmployee on or following the date of termination of the Contractprovided always that such liability or loss arises out of, or inconnection with, any act or omission of the Contracting Body.Add the following new clause 4.3.8B: The Contracting Body shallindemnify the Prime Contractor and keep the Prime Contractor

indemnified in full from and against all direct liability or any other losssuffered by the Prime Contractor as a result of, or in connection with,the employment or termination of employment of any RelevantEmployee prior to the date of the Relevant Transfer provided alwaysthat such liability or loss arises out of, or in connection with, any act oromission of the Contracting Body.

5.2.6Amend clause 5.2.6 to read: The provisions of this Clause shall applyduring the Contract Period and for a period of [six] years after itsexpiry.

5.7.2If the contract is not intended to be funded using ESF money or as amatch for ESF provision, then these clauses can be deleted.

5.11.11 (c) Delete clause 5.11.11 (c)

7.1Delete clauses 7.1.1 (d) (k)Delete clause 7.1.2

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Delete clause 7.1.5

7.1.3Amend clause 5.2.6 to read: Subject always to Clause 7.1.1 andClause 7.1.4, the liability of either Party for Defaults shall be subject tothe following financial limits:-

the aggregate liability of either Party for all its Defaultsresulting in direct loss of or damage to the property of

the other under or in connection with the Contractshall in no event exceed 15 million (fifteen millionpounds); and

the annual aggregate liability under the Contract ofeither Party for all its Defaults shall in no eventexceed 15 million (fifteen million pounds).

7.1.7The Prime Contractor shall effect and maintain with a reputableinsurance company a policy or policies of insurance providing anadequate level of cover in respect of all risks which may be incurred

by the Prime Contractor, arising out of the Prime Contractor'sperformance of its obligations under the Contract, including death orpersonal injury, loss of or damage to property or any other loss. Suchpolicies must cover the Prime Contractors potential liabilities arisingout of, or in connection with, the Contract and, without prejudice toClause 7.1.11, the amount of cover should not be less than 15million (fifteen million pounds) for claims arising from a single event orseries of related events in a single calendar year. Such policies shallinclude cover in respect of any financial loss arising from any advicegiven or omitted to be given by the Prime Contractor. Such insuranceshall be maintained for the duration of the Contract Period and for aminimum of six (6) years following the expiration or earlier terminationof the Contract.

8.5Amend Clause 8.5.3 as follows: Subject to clause 7, where theContracting Body terminates the contract under Clause 8.3 (Break),the Contracting Body shall indemnify the Prime Contractor againstany commitments, liabilities or expenditure, which would otherwiserepresent an unavoidable loss by the Prime Contractor by reason ofthe termination of the Contract, provided that the Prime Contractortakes all reasonable steps to mitigate such loss. The Prime Contractorshall submit a fully itemised and costed list of such loss, with

supporting evidence, of losses reasonably and actually incurred bythe Prime contractor as a result of termination under Clause 8.3(Break).Delete Clause 8.5.4(a)

Other than those provisions identified above, Newcastle College Group confirms that ithas reviewed the Call-Off Terms and Conditions for The Work Programme and agrees inprinciple to each of their provisions.

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Name: [REDACTED]

Scanned Signature:

[REDACTED]

Position: Chief Executive of Newcastle College Group

Telephone No: [REDACTED]

Date: 11th February 2011

DWP reserves the right to amend any provisions of The Work Programme AdditionalRequirements at any time during the mini-competition procurement exercise.

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(WP), a step change in the performance levels currently being achieved by the welfare towork sector in the Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country (BSBC) CPA. We haveanalysed and understood local needs in detail, and married these to DWPs strategicobjectives to create an innovative solution impacting directly on sustainable job outcomes.Our approach builds upon tried and tested interventions and incorporates unique featuresincluding a psychological intervention designed to motivate and empower customers

with the mindset to find work, whilst breaking down perceived barriers and identifyinggenuine customer needs. We have also devised a strategic employer engagementfunction both to access the hidden vacancies that constitute around 15% of labour marketopportunity, and to create a wider range of jobs for customers. Central to our approach isa strong mechanism to engage the customer via a dedicated Mentor our continuousGolden Thread of personalised support. Every customer will have a Mentor who willwork with them from referral through to sustained employment. Mentors will have firsthand experience of the issues facing customers in BSBC such as large BME groups inBirmingham, amongst whom unemployment stands at 44.13% and Lone Parents in (5.5%in Shard End ward Birmingham and 5.8% in Low Hill, Wolverhampton and will quicklyconnect and empathise with customers. The Mentor will link customers to 360-degree

support encompassing job-focused training, targeted personal interventions andspecialist help. NCGs delivery model is in five stages:Stage 1: INvite To maximise customer and JCP engagement from the start, facilitate awarm hand-over and gather momentum behind the customer journey, NCG hasdeveloped an induction process comprising: 1) A Welcome Brochure localised toBSBC with details of local success stories, the brochure will be produced in a range oflanguages, reflecting the fact that members of BME groups are more likely to beunemployed than other groups (WMRO- State of the West Midlands). As example inBirmingham 44.13% of JSA claimants, or 20,105 people, are from a BME group (NOMIS-31st Jan 2011). The Welcome Brochure will include the NCG Customer Charteroutliningservice delivery levels and a Discount Card Scheme to stimulate customers interest; 2)A Central PRaP Team and Call Centre who will manage a booking system for allreferrals. All customers will be logged on our Maytas MIS Database, which automaticallynotifies our call centre of the customer start. The call centre operators will then call thecustomer to arrange their first appointment and introduce them to their mentor, confirm aconvenient time, day and venue for the appointment and establish and resolve any initialbarriers such as childcare for parents, disability access issues or language barriers forpeople who speak little English; 3) A freephone 0800 Referral Hotline for both JCPAdvisors and customers; and 4) SMS and Email Confirmation detailing the location,date and time of their appointment along with the name and contact details of theirMentor. Those without phones or email access will be sent the information by post. We

will also send a final SMS reminder the day before. Failed to Attend(FTA) - NCG willimplement a simple 3 strikes approach to give each customer a fair opportunity toexplain their reasons for non-attendance and take individual action before notification toJCP. We will offer further support to our most vulnerable customers by offering homeappointments or community interventions. The INvite stage ensures that every customerwill have the information and support to feel at ease from the very beginning of the WP.Stage 2: INvigorate We have adopted a unique approach to induction and assessment,through which almost all customers pass through a personalised psychological andmotivational intervention at the beginning of their journey. As a key mechanism to supportimproved outcomes, we have committed over2 days to continuous assessment toensure we fully understand the real and perceived needs of every WP customer

activity to which traditional providers only allocate a 30 or 40 minute meeting. A coreprinciple underlying our approach to the WP is that we will treat people as individuals andprovide a service based on their needs rather than benefit type or price tag. To facilitatethis, we will create a welcoming and non-challenging environment designed to break

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down barriers to participation and promote mutual understanding between customers andMentors. This will begin with the first appointment where we will invest time simply ingetting to know the customer rather than drilling down into personal circumstances. TheMentor will provide a tour of the centre and the facilities on offer, and deliver an inductioncovering key areas such as expenses, health and safety, equality and diversity, rights andresponsibilities - all designed to put the customer at ease. Following this the customers

will be invited to attend INfit, our unique Psychological Intervention. Critically this will beundertaken before detailed job search and career planning to ensure that customers enterthe process motivated and self-aware, with clear goals and a realistic sense ofpossibilities. Our INfit programme updates the behavioural and motivational elements ofCognitive Behavioural Therapy and Neuro Linguistic Programming as seen in systemssuch as Goals UK with the practical approaches to life planning encapsulated in theinternationally recognised GROW system for personal development. This emphasisesrealism combined with practical approaches to personal change, encouraging customersto accept personal responsibility and an internal locus of control. Customers set realisticgoals and work through both their psychological and practical barriers to employment.INfit will be designed in partnership with a specialist psychologist, [REDACTED], designer

of the successful Skills4Success programme. It will be delivered by a team of tutors on arolling basis in each delivery centre. Mentors will join the final sessions for a smoothtransition from INfit to personal planning and jobsearch activity and an early opportunityfor signposting to specialist provision. As our own proprietary system, we can offer INfit toour supply chain and third sector organisations at a significantly lower cost than similarcommercially available interventions. We will use ourFor Skills electronic diagnostic toolto assess customers literacy and numeracy skills and each customer will also undertakean Employability Assessment using our custom built programme Empro. This tool wasdesigned exclusively for NCG and our supply chain partners using funds from LSIS. Thetool provides each customer and Mentor a personal profile indictor against each of the 17key areas of their life including: Career; Finances; Health; Physical Environment; Familyand Friends; Emotions; Personal Development; Fun & Recreation; Skills; SectorKnowledge; and Work Experience. The assessment will provide additional information toassist the customer and Mentor to explore deeper employment barriers and also providesa baseline against which distance travelled can be measured. We have also designed17 related e-learning resource modules, accessible at any time through the VLE. Eachcustomer will then have a one-to-one meeting with their Mentor to develop theirCareerProgression Plan (CPP). This meeting is deliberately timed to take place immediatelyafter INfit so the customers thoughts and feelings remain fresh in their minds and theycan talk candidly with their Mentor about the issues raised during the course. During thismeeting the customer will undertake an In Work Benefit Calculation which will provide a

clear illustration on how much better off the customer will be once they are in work andprovide information on the Universal Credit, In Work Tax Credits and ChildcareAllowance. During the first one-to-one meeting the Mentor will also introduce the menuof support options (details below) available to the customer. Together they will agree themost appropriate and effective course towards sustained employment. This will becaptured in a CPP comprising SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic andTimebound) actions to overcome every identified barrier and enable progression intomeaningful, sustainable employment. The CPP will be signed by both customer andMentor, providing a contractual platform upon which the customers future WP journeywill be built and managed. Objectives in the CPP are measurable KPIs which will be inputonto the Maytas MIS to ensure tracking and reporting of progress. Customers will be

given a signed copy of the CPP and will have access to the latest version online at anypoint in the journey through our innovative Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This willalso provide up-to-date vacancies matched to the career goals in their CPP, industry andsector news, and access to self directed employability and soft skills workshops.

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The INvigorate stage ensures that each customer will have 1) a greater self awarenessof their barriers to employment and 2) a number of SMART actions captured in the CPP toget them effectively and efficiently into work.Stage 3: Inspire - The purpose of the INspire stage is to comprehensively address thecustomers barriers so they are fully ready to start a job. The INspire stage comprises abroad menu of support options designed and selected to provide as comprehensive a

set of solutions as possible for each customer. How long a customer spends on theINspire stage is determined by the barriers they face and time needed to address andovercome them. Someone may skip straight to INtensify, some may simply need arefresher course in job searching, whilst others with more deeply entrenched issues suchas low basic skills or poor work history will require more lengthy interventions. The menuof support offered in the INspire stage includes: a)Mentoring: The Mentorwill provideongoing support, working with the customerto turn the CPP into meaningful interventionsand arranging all necessary activities, connecting the customer with the right personwithin the INspire team or specialist support partner; b)Employability Training: a rollingprogramme of courses including Employability Skills, Labour Market Awareness, SoftSkills and Confidence and Motivation; c)Employment RelatedSkills for Life Training:

rolling programmes of Skills for Life, ESOL and IT Skills courses.All customers will beprovided with an email account and also have unlimited access to VLE containing freeonline learning materials; d)Attitude, Confidence and Motivation further mid-pointINfit courses building on work done during the INvigorate stage and delivered using a mixof in-house and specialist provision; e)Support Fund we have created a fund to covercustomer costs such as travel to and from provision or childcare and to provide materialsolutions to barriers, such as purchasing interview clothes or safety boots and uniformsetc. Clear delegated authority limits will be established to ensure operational teams haveappropriate empowerment to ensure swift but efficient and auditable usage of the fund;and f)Local Support Agencies we know that in Shard End, Birmingham, there aremore than 3 times the UK average of Lone Parents at 5.5% compared to 1.7% across theUK (Nomis May 2010). We have therefore selected premises to serve Birmingham thatare in close proximity to schools, nurseries and Sure Start centres. We also know thatthere are higher than UK (6.7%) and West Midlands (6.8%) average number of IB/ESAbenefit claimants in the CPA- particularly in Sandwell where the rate is 8.8%- equivalentto around 16,000 people. Within Sandwell the worst affected wards are West Bromwich(WB) and Soho and Victoria (SV) with rates of more than 12%. Within these areas themost common causes for claims are mental health issues (nearly half in WB, and over athird in SV), and musculoskeletal problems (a fifth in both wards). To address this we willlink customers to local specialist providers including Remploy and Rathbone, the QueenElizabeth Foundation for Disabled People and Freshwinds. For those customers

identified as having majorbarriers to employment and or likely to require specialistintervention we have agreed terms with the following organisations: 1) Disability WorksUK a consortium of nine of the largest and most experienced disability supportorganisations including Mencap, MIND, Leonard Cheshire, Scope, Action for Blind Peopleand Pluss. DWUK are able to provide a comprehensive personalised service to WPcustomers across BSBC with moderate to severe physical and mental health issues aswell as people with learning difficulties. This service will be particular relevant for IB/ ESAcustomers but will be readily available for any WP customer regardless of their benefittype; 2)RehabWorks UK have successfully managed and treated individuals withmusculoskeletal and mental health conditions for the last 23 years. They have a trackrecord of securing sustained outcomes in pain reduction, improved function and return to

work. They will provide clinically certified interventions, physiotherapy and conditionmanagement for any customers with health conditions including IB/ ESA customers; 3)Barnardos The UKs leading childrens charity have a BSBC presence includingBirmingham, Solihull, Dudley, and Stourbridge, and has developed an exclusive work

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placement scheme for young WP customers (18-24 JSA), building on the successfulBarnardos Works model which achieved 83% job outcomes beyond 26 weeks; and 4)Salvation Army will provide support for customers with multiple and complex barriersfaced by all customer groups but particularly IB/ESA, early access JSA and IncomeSupport customers including those with drug and alcohol addictions, and the homeless.Other options during the INspire stage will include: a) INdustrious for customers who

wish to set up their own business delivered through the National Federation ofEnterprise Agencies and their local network in BSBC providing access to specialist selfemployment support; b)ImagINation musical and cultural routes to employmentdelivered by Armstrong Learning; c)Social Enterprise Social Firms UK will create newwork opportunities for harder to help customers including IB/ESA and Income Supportcustomers using their network of 120 Social Firms in the UK including Recycling Links inWalsall; and d) The Mentoring and Befriending Foundations(MandBF) mentor matchingscheme will match customers with mentors who will provide additional support both preand post employment. The INspire stage ensures that every customer will havereceived personalised and tailored solutions designed to overcome barriers to work.Stage 4: INtensify The INtensify stage has been engineered to generate greater levels

of performance by creating a tangible shift in the offer and support we provide toemployers and customers. To achieve this, we have invested heavily in a new approachto employer engagement, employing a team ofBusiness Advisors (BA) to workproactively with the labour market in BSBC. The BAs will take a consultative approachto employer engagement andform long-term, multi-service partnerships with employers.They will provide new solutions to recruitment and retention needs by not only providingpre-recruitment training and pre-screening, but also consulting on HR processes such asinduction and workforce development. BAs will also work with recruitment companiesspecialising in high quality temporary work to develop job-to-job solutions in areas such asBirmingham- particularly around the NEC, the Bullring and the airport, where there is highpercentage of flexible employment. They will also work closely with employers toencourage family friendly and disability friendly job opportunities for our customers.We know that businesses within the area are reporting significant skills gaps - particularlywithin the engineering, manufacturing, hospitality, leisure services and social care sectors.The skills gaps most frequently reported include lack of business and sector-specificskills, as well as softer generic skills such as customer handling, problem solving andteam working. (WMRO State of the West Midlands) so the BAs will link into other NCGemployer related services such as our Service Academies and Workforce Developmentwho provide services to employers including Construction Apprenticeships across the UKto maximise employer links and opportunities to find hidden vacancies and promote jobcreation through our skills escalator. This will ensure we have the volume and scope of

vacancies demanded by our customers. The INtensify Team will link our WP customers tothe jobs sourced by the BAs as well as sourcing other vacancies that are advertisedelsewhere e.g. local papers, JCP, internet etc To maximise the impact of INtensify, we willsee customers more frequently and will provide every customer with access to a widerange of job finding activities and resources including: one-to-one and group job searchsessions (online and traditional); mini jobs fairs and employer or sector open days; workplacements; and work place tasters. To add value to this activity, we will provide a largevariety of short, accredited courses based on the needs of recruiting employers. Pre-Recruitment Trainers will work with the BAs to develop training schemes that result inguaranteed job interviews and guaranteed jobs. These will be designed in conjunctionwith employers and the Sector Skills Councils, and is built upon our Skills for Jobs model

which since June 2008 has helped more than 220 people find sustained employment withNEXT, Tesco, Spirit Group and Travelodge. In work support: NCG will offer allcustomers who have found a job a further pre-start INfit intervention, ensuring thecustomer is psychologically and emotionally job ready, with the confidence to make a

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positive re-entry to the workplace. This will also build self-belief by reinforcing tocustomers the distance they have travelled since starting the programme, and contributeto sustainability. The Mentor will also provide a Sustainability Risk Assessment (SRA) forevery customer. This enables us to gauge the customers likely In Work Support needsusing a simple Red Amber Green (RAG) process from which we can then identify, plan forand agree the right level of in-work support.

The INtensify stage ensures that every work-ready customer will have access toemployment related activity designed to engineer progression into suitable jobs.Stage 5: Independence We have developed a structured process to provide ongoingsupport to our customers once they have found a job. Firstly, the Mentor will continue toprovide the Golden Thread of support, seeing each customer on a regular basis to checkin on their progress and to iron out any potential issues. If a customer loses their job orwishes to look for a different one whilst still in work, they will still be given support fromtheir Mentor. This is available at all times to all in work customers. Additionally, ourcallcentre will deliver in work support calling customers at predetermined times (dependingon their RAG rating) and taking incoming calls from customers who need instant supportand advice. The BAs will provide a third line of support, using their relationships with

employers to monitor each customers in work progress and provide support to bothemployer and employee when necessary. Finally the Mentoring and BefriendingFoundation will develop an employee mentoring scheme to match WP customers withwork-based mentors. This four-way approach to in work support will ensure that ourcustomers have every opportunity to sustain their jobs and indeed to progress to richerand more rewarding careers. The INdependence stage ensures that every customerwill receive the right level and correct type of support to sustain and succeed inemployment. Exit Review: at week 104 an exit review will review the customers journey,the activities undertaken and their progress towards employment using Empro allinformation will be documented in the Exit Report which will be forwarded to JCP.IB and IS ESF Customers will be offered the same inspirational WP journey deliveredthrough a unique collaboration between NCG and 3SC in the community. NCG and 3SCOutreach Workers will engage IB/IS customers through a network of more than 55community organisations including Impact for Life and Create a Future. The NCG five-stage model will be delivered either through 3SCs members, or where members lack thenecessary capacity through referral to NCG to deliver core elements such as INfit or skillsprovision. This will overcome capacity and scale issues whilst retaining services atcommunity level, for example when an organisation well placed to engage IB/IScustomers such as a disability self help group is not capable of delivering the full WPmodel. Our financial model is designed to accommodate a variety of payment scenariosto reflect this innovative and flexible approach to delivery, and to protect the concept of

customer-centred delivery in the community.Continuous achievement throughout the term of the contract . As an OutstandingOfSTED provider, we are fully committed to continuous improvement. At policy level, wewill form a National Operational Committee containing independent sector experts,psychologists and others - to review ongoing feedback on the customer journey and makepractical, expert recommendations for service improvement. We will also invest in strongsystems and structures for quality management in BSBC, to ensure we receive extensivefeedback from all stakeholders, and act quickly on findings to deliver consistently the stepchange in outcomes required from the WP.

[4.1a] Customer Journey - Rationale

Please describe in detail:

your rationale for your proposed Customer Journey(s) detailed abovein 4.1 within this CPA; and

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the benefits to the individual customer groups of this approach.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to four sides of A4.

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4.1a NCGs unique delivery model has been designed by subject specialists within NCGand external consultants, taking a clinical approach to solution design in which specificchoices at each stage focus on a) maximum impact through interventions proven tocontribute to job outcomes; and b) lower costs by eliminating redundant activities thatdo not. This ensures the highest possible impact at each stage of the journey to work:

The Golden Thread NCG has supported more than 10,000 people into sustainedemployment since March 2009, evidence that the relationship between customer andsupport worker (in our WP model, the Mentors) is a critical element of any job-focusedprovision. The 2007 Hasluck & Green DWP Research Report no 407 and the Adams &Carter DWP Research Report No 522: Focus Groups with New Deal and EZ customersboth highlight the importance of continuous support from a single mentor within acontinuous programme. Every WP customer will therefore have a dedicated Mentor tosupport them in to sustained employment. The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation(MandBF) will enhance the skills of our Mentors by delivering a bespoke Mentoring Skillscourse. Their interventions are tried and tested in over 3600 mentor matching schemesand they have trained more than 598 people in the past 12 months to become mentors.

Stage 1: INvite Having delivered numerous mandatory and voluntary programmes,such as New Deal, Pathways to Work, Flexible Routeways and FND, we know thatcustomers will be feeling anxious and concerned as they approach the transition fromJobcentre Plus to new external provision. The DWP Research Report no 624, JobSeekers Regime and Flexible New Deal Evaluation, highlights that a seamless referral isdependant on the JCP advisors knowledge of the provision and that they often feel at adisadvantage when it is unclear who they are referring to. Layers of support and clearprocesses such as the Welcome Brochure and 0800 freephone number will maximisetake up and overcome potential first barriers. DWP Research Report no 475, Qualitativeresearches exploring the Pathways to Work sanctions regime cites accessibility as a keyreason given by customers for failing to attend their appointment. We also understand thatpeople living in Brownhills or Cradley Heath will generally be unwilling to travel to Dudley,preferring instead to go to Walsall. We also know there are some significant accessibilityissues particularly for Lone Parents and people with disabilities. Our premises strategyensures we have offices in the key urban areas of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Solihulland Dudley as well as establishing outreach facilities and supply chain partners in areaswith the highest levels of unemployment such as Sandwell. We have also brokered aunique deal with the Third Sector Consortium (3SC) which has a network of 55 communityorganisations in BSBC that will work with IB and IS claimants whom we must engagevoluntarily onto the programme. Small community organisations, such as CrisisBirmingham who are strongly positioned to engage with customers who have housing

problems, so we will work with them, through the 3SC, to ensure we engage thesecustomers effectively. Additionally we have re-designed our offices to be more welcomingas well as fully compliant with DDA rules.Stage 2: INvigorate Our model has been specifically designed to overcomeperceptions, enable customers to identify true barriers to employment and then co-design,with a dedicated Mentor, a personalised solution to move them into employment. Thisprocess starts with a comprehensive assessment and psychological intervention INfit -the main aim of which is to quickly effect a change in the mindset of each participant andto identify their underlying needs. The Skills4Success pilot - which will inform the samepsychologist's work on INfit - provides an example. This programme delivered a 90%retention rate and 70% outcome levels amongst a diverse group including "hard to help"

customers with criminal records, substance abuse problems and ESOL needs. Key tothis success level was the shift in attitudes occasioned by the programme, helped by amotivational intervention at the critical 8 week point from a trained, non-persecutingadvisor, and a mixing of groups to prevent collective group think. Instead of believing it

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their customers sustaining independent employment after 26 weeks. They havedeveloped an exclusive work placement scheme for young people building on the successof their Barnardos Work model; 50+(JSA 25+): We will know there are large clusters of50+ JSA claimants in areas of BSBC including Halesowen South in which 23.7% of JSAclaimants are aged over 50. We will work with the National Federation of EnterpriseAgencies who, in 2009 alone, supported nearly 25,000 businesses to start up. The

Labour Force Survey2010 highlights that self employment is more common amongstthose aged 50-64 compared to younger workers; Lone Parents (JSA and IS): there arelarge clusters of lone parents in a number of wards throughout BSBC such as Low Hill inWolverhampton. We have worked with a number of local specialist organisations suchSurestart to ensure all customers have access to high quality and reliable childcaresolutions. We will also promote the services of Gingerbread who provide a helpline and anumber of courses such as Marks and Starts designed for Lone Parents which hasresulted in at least 40% of customers into jobs; Offenders & Ex-Offenders (JSA EarlyAccess): We know that specialist organisations such as NACRO are currently achievingin excess of 40% of customers back into work. As such we will work with NACRO toadvocate offender rights, link offenders to housing and provide access to Resettlement

Plus Advice Helpline and locally we will work with probation teams including WalsallProbation Services. All Mentors will be trained in the effective disclosure of criminalrecords; Health (IB / ESA): Our partnership with RehabWorks whos recent contractwith South Yorkshire Council resulted in 96% of customers reporting that their treatmenthad helped them return to work means the people with chronic health conditions will beable to access clinically certified interventions to help them manage their condition whilstin work. Additionally, our strategic relationship with Disability Works UK means thatcustomers with any physical and mental health issues or learning difficulties can accessspecialist health related employment support from one of the 9 specialist, high performingorganisations in their consortium; Debt / Benefit Trap (JSA, IB/ESA and IS): WithinBSBC Walsall has the highest bankruptcy. Each customer will therefore have access todebt advice through our links with the Citizen Advice Bureau, and similar organisations ifthe CAB is forced to close due to funding cuts, and we will promote access to communitybased credit unions such as the Walsall Money Advice Project; Homeless: No job, nohome identified the complex link between unemployment and homelessness. We havetherefore formed strong links with local hostels and private social landlords such asAccord Housing,particularly inDudley, to resolve immediate housing issues. Ourstrategic partnership with 3SC also brings the National Housing Federation to ourdelivery model, as they are a core member of the 3SC consortium. We will also draw onour specialist delivery partner - Salvation Army who have 83 LifeHouses across the UK,with 12 centres located in BSBC; No Work Experience (IB/ESA & IS): we know from our

contracts such as Community Task Force, that providing a work experience placementcan significantly increase employment prospects and overall outcomes. We will thereforelink customers to work placements with key employers in BSBC including BirminghamAirport, Carillion, Marstons Brewery Group, Goodrich, and BT and support them throughthe placement to maximise the opportunities for on-the-job training. We will also connectcustomers to local volunteering opportunities through community projects and socialenterprises including projects such as Growing Links, Re-cycling Links and Top BitesSupport Fund: we know from our contracts such as FND and Pathways to Work that it isoften practical monetary issues that prevent customers entering into work, therefore wehave included a flexible discretionary fund to provide further options for our customers.Stage 4: INtensify It is vital that customers believe they can find a job despite ongoing

gloomy economic forecasts. Our approach therefore is to give all WP customers animmediate sense of opportunity regarding the local labour market together with anunderstanding of how they can enter and progress within it. This strategy builds on theself fulfilling prophecy ensuring we channel positive energy to secure employment. It

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has been widely documented indeed the 2010 Nobel Prize for Economics was for athesis entitled labourmarket and search frictions which looked at the disconnectbetween supply of jobs and unemployment that when recruiting, companies rely moreheavily on their current employee networks to avoid the flood of unqualified candidatesthat come with high unemployment. We will address this firstly by having a team of 2Business Advisors (BAs) who will undertake strategic employer engagement across the

region. Their objective will be to source new and hidden vacancies and create schemes collaboratively with the employer that will enable our WP customers to have directaccess to jobs that previously they would not. We have already been undertaking thisactivity in BSBC and we know, for example,that sectors such as health and social careare predicted to grow due to both the aging population and increasing demand forchildcare as parents return to work. Employers such as Cadburys also continue to offeropportunities, while the planned high speed rail link is predicted to create 10,000construction jobs during its build, as well as 8,000 permanent jobs in and aroundBirmingham. Secondly, we have developed a unique Skills Model which will be deliveredcollaboratively with local colleges, such as City College Birmingham and BirminghamMetropolitan College. As the leading skills FE provider, rated outstanding by Ofsted, and

in its role as a leading member of the 157 Group and AOC, NCG has strong links to othercolleges across the UK. We will lead the development of a skills programme for BSBClinking colleges SFA funding priorities to provision in the interests of WP customers. Thiswill raise skills levels generally amongst our customers, and enable BAs to offer acomprehensive pre-recruitment solution to employers. As a result of similar work we didwith TESCO, 86% of customers went into employment and 52% remained in jobs after 13weeks.Stage 5: INdependence We have developed our in work support method via our FNDcontracts which are currently achieving 13 and 26 week retention rates of 78% and 84%respectively. From talking to our customers we know that most people, once in work, onlywant light touch interventions, and most are keen to progress independently. Our inwork support is therefore subtle but robust with a four-way approach including input fromthe Mentor, Call Centre, Business Advisors and work place mentors trained by theMentoring and Befriending Foundation. All in work customers can return to us for supportat any point. The CPP that we develop will ensure each customers activities contributetowards their long-term career plan and that, wherever and whenever possible, we will beable to provide ongoing support through our or our subcontractors WBL contracts. NCGis in the final stages of being assessed for Foundation Degree Awarding Powers, meaningthat we can develop, deliver and award Work Based Foundation Degrees anywhere in theUK. This level of capability means we are one of the only organisations in the UK that candeliver a truly integrated, end-to-end, employment and skills solution.

Continuous achievement throughout the term of the contract NCG will continuethroughout the contract term to test our rationale, evaluate the effectiveness of eachintervention, and improve outcomes and progression rates by continuously refining, re-focusing and re-engineering our methodology. Soft data will be collected throughsupplier and performance reviews at cluster, CPA and national levels; informal feedbackfrom customers; and post-recruitment feedback from employers. This will be cross-referenced to hard MI on progression rates and job outcomes to create a picture of theeffectiveness of the programme for each customer group, to help refine our businessprocesses. This bottom up process will be triangulated with top down findings fromcurrent research in the field to create an evidence-based, what works model of deliveryoffering continuously improving customer experiences and outcomes.

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[4.1b] Service Requirement

DWP expect all customers to receive a minimum level of service. Please clearly define:

Your minimum service delivery levels for all customers within this CPA;

Your rationale that supports your approach:

How it addresses the needs by customer groups.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to two sides of A4.

4.1bOurMinimum service delivery levels(MSDL) for every WP customer are:INvite: 1)Joining Support we will provide a Welcome Brochureto every customer; 2)Jobcentre Plus will have the opportunity to offer the customer a warm handoverto NCG

via our dedicated customer support centre; 3)Dedicated Support each customer willbe assigned a personal, dedicated Mentor to work with them throughout their journey intosustainable employment and throughout their retention period; 4)Prompt Engagement we will contact 100% of customers within 2 working days of referral from Jobcentre Plus;and 5)Rapid Appointment we will offer 100% of customers an appointment within 14days of referral and 100% of customers will receive a reminder before their firstappointment. INvigorate: Every starter will have: 1) Undertake a rigorous inductionproviding detailed, relevant information on the journey ahead, including: an overview ofthe WP experience, and details of the support we provide during employment; informationon domestic arrangements and housekeeping; health & safety; Equality & Diversity andintroduction to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE); 2) Receive a copy and explanationof the Customer Charter; 3) Have the opportunity to participate on INfit our 2 daymotivational course based upon psychological principles within 10 working days of theirinduction; 4) Complete an on-line diagnostic assessment to establish the employability,vocational and personal skill needs of each customer to ensure a fully personalisedexperience; 5) Receive a Career Progression Plan (CPP), with clear steps and targets tomeet their individual needs; and 6) Receive a discount card entitling the customer todiscounts off relevant goods and services within their locality conditional uponcontinuing programme participation. INspire and INtensify: Each customer will have 1)A personalised plan of interventions, accessed from our comprehensive menu whichincludes: specialist provider support (Executive, Graduate, health, disability, learning etc);

e-learning; vocational qualifications; self employment; employability skills; better off in-work calculations; money management etc; 2) Access our IT suite including structuredjobsearch and assistance with all job applications, help with IT skills, free email addressand on-line storage; 3) Unique log-on to NCGs e-learning environment which can beaccessed from any internet connection during programme participation and whilst in work;4) Options and support agreed with each customer in response to identified need and co-ordinated by their Mentor; 5) Ongoing contact from their Mentor, with minimum fortnightlymeetings during programme participation, with agreed personalised support duringemployment; 6) Access to a range of appropriate vacancies (from hidden job market;exclusive links with employers; dedicated national account management team;apprenticeships; pre-recruitment courses) generated by our Business Advisors.

Rationale behind the MSDL Our MSDL for BSBC have been based on 1) DWPsstrategic objectives, critical success factors, and overall vision for the Work Programme;2) NCGs business objectives to drive success e.g. positioning of NCG in the topquartile of quality and performance league tables; 3) Alignment to local and national

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strategies and consultation with key local stakeholders; 4) Extensive evaluation ofprogrammes such as Pathways to Work, FND and Flexible Routeways currently deliveredby Intraining; 5) Published best practice; and 6) An extensive mapping exercise of thecustomer journey to identify core measures and associated activities that underpin thecustomer experience. Each staff member (either direct or supplier) will be fully trained inmeeting the MSDL. All MSDL are contained within each suppliers Service Level

Agreements (SLA), will be regularly monitored by the Supply Chain Manager and will befeed into NCGs Performance Management System which we use to monitor and managetotal business performance.How our MSDL address the needs of customer groups: Our delivery solution for theWP is underpinned by two key elements. Firstly we will assess, diagnose and thenovercome each customers barriers more efficiently and effectively. At the same time wewill deliver a broader and more deeply penetrating employer engagement serviceproviding easy access to a greater range of vacancies. Also integral to our model is thebelief that each customer should be treated as an individual. All customers will have aunique WP experience, the course of which will be designed by the customer who willhave a broad menu of options from which to choose. The examples below, however,

provide an illustration of how a WP journey may evolve based on a range of customercharacteristics and barriers formulated through years of experience and from the indepth evaluation and customer consultation we undertook in preparation for WP: JSA 18 24 our INfit programme will be delivered to mixed customer groups and as suchprovides a unique environment for young people to engage with and learn from a widerange of people. We will recruit staff from the 18-24 group to support relationshipbuilding. Our INspire tutors will deliver a range of employability and skills for life coursesusing a variety of engaging media built around popular subjects such as sport and music.We are developing innovative IT communication tools that mirror popular applicationssuch as Facebook. Our partner Barnardos will work with us throughout the contract toevaluate and inform youth provision. Barnardos have also designed an exclusive workplacement scheme for our harder to help young people which will provide guaranteed jobplacements with employers such as Royal Mail and Morrisons; Incapacity Benefit / ESA may have health issues ranging from mild depression or slight back pain to severemental health problems or musculoskeletal conditions. Our INvite stage provides aplatform for us to quickly identify any obvious major conditions and, for those identifiedwith moderate to severe issues, a fast track route to specialist support eg from DisabilityWorks UK, Clarion and Remploy- will be provided. The INvigorate and INfit stagesprovide further opportunities for these customers to consider their condition from adifferent perspective e.g. although a customer has back pain, is it reallythe reason theyare not working? As these customers enter the INspire stage they will receive further

ongoing support from specialist providers, such as RehabWorks, and our uniquepartnership with Social Firms UK will provide supported work placement and jobopportunities through organisations like the as Accord Housing,particularly inDudley;Income Support we have designed our WP provision to be flexible for customers suchas Lone Parents and Carers with extended opening hours, home visits and peripateticstaff as well as designing our centres to be child friendly. We have also factored inprovision to cover travel and childcare costs for those that face such barriers to accessingprovision. Each customer will be provided with an In Work Better off Calculation thatdemonstrates the positive financial benefits of working. Our partnership with 3SC meansthat we have more than 55 community based organisations e.g. Reach Volunteering andCrisis Works- available to either directly deliver WP provision or to provide community

engagement and outreach facilities; Early Access / Returners / JSA 25+ - for long termunemployed customers and those that have been on provision for many years we havedesigned our WP model to be refreshing and new. The INvigorate stage immediatelyestablishes a new feeling for customers and our key messages regarding labour market

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optimism, long term goals and broad choice delivered during the INspire stage aredeliberately designed to engage and inspire customers that have become complacent andsceptical of such provision. Additionally, we have established links with organisationssuch as The Salvation Army who will support customers with major personal issues.Continuous achievement throughout the term of the contract NCG will review MSDLsregularly to ensure they align to local strategies and contribute directly to the customer

experience and overall contract performance. MSDLs will be benchmarked againstcurrent service standards and performance levels through monthly CPA-level suppliermeetings; and reviewed and updated quarterly at the NCG National OperationalCommittee.

PART 5: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

[5.1] Delivery Strategy

Please describe in detail your delivery structure for all elements of the Work Programme

provision across this CPA and explain why you consider your delivery strategy to be thebest approach for customers in this CPA. You should clearly state how you intend to workwith your sub-contractors and how you will ensure the needs of all your customers,including the hardest to help, are fully addressed from within your supply chain includingvoluntary sector organisations where appropriate.Please also complete:

Annex 2 to show the structure to be put in place within the supply chain todeliver the Work Programme provision in terms of overall percentage ofdelivery, specialism and geographical coverage; and

Annex 3 (Sub-contractor Declaration) for your proposed sub-contractors asappropriate.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to three sides of A4.

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5.1 NCGs delivery strategy is built on the principle that every link in the supply chainshould contribute to a step change in job outcomes. NCG will establish a deliverystructure combining a high quality local supply chain with direct delivery by NCG wherethe market alone cannot deliver improved outcomes. This is complemented with NCGssharp focus, as the not for profit bidder on Work Programme, on building the capacity ofthe third sector to deliver cost-effective, targeted support. Local Design Factors-Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country (BCBS) is an area of contrast. While it ishome to the second largest city in the UK, and is a major urban area, it also contains

many smaller traditional industrial communities which are reducing in size. The area hasgood transport links that are affordable and reliable, and there are high commuting levels-particularly into Birmingham. The CPA also has some marked differences in levels ofworklessness and deprivation; for example Solihull has an unemployment rate of just8.2% (against a West Midlands average of 9%), compared to Sandwell (13.4%),Wolverhampton (12.9%) and Birmingham (12.9%). Within BSBC worklessness isparticularly concentrated within certain demographic groups such as BME groups (theState of West Midlands 2010). This is particularly true in Birmingham where 44.13% ofJSA claimants, or 20,105 people, are from a BME group (NOMIS- 31st Jan 2011). Thearea also has a high level of people with low levels of qualifications this is particularly truein Bilston East and East Park wards in Wolverhampton where around 60% of people,c9,000, have no known qualifications. This level of need and challenge requires a diversebut tightly integrated supply chain working to a common philosophy of high quality,market-leading performance, sustainable outcomes and exceptional customer care.WP Delivery Structure - We will deliver WP in BSBC through a blended approachcomprising: delivery of 53% of the end to end service; 2) Subcontracted delivery of 47% ofthe end to end service; 3) Specialist provision for customers identified with complexneeds; and 4) Specific Interventions procured on a spot purchase basis from a portfolio ofproven local specialist providers.End to End Providers - We have divided BSBC into 5 cluster areas. End to endproviders, selected on the basis of credible presence, historical performance and potential

for ongoing improvement, will provide full geographical coverage adopting the NCGdelivery model and performance standards.

BirminghamIntraining, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Ingeus, Nova,Pathway Group, Bourneville College

Dudley Intraining, Juniper

Wolverhampton Intraining, Nova, Remploy

Walsall Juniper, Nova

West Bromwich Juniper

A unique feature of our WP strategy is our agreement with the Third Sector Consortium(3SC) who represent over 55 local third sector organisations in BSBC. Through the 3SCbrokerage we can deliver WP through experienced local providers such as Crossmatch,

Best and Nacro who are providing specialist services to disadvantaged customer groupincluding JSA early access customers such as ex offenders.As a strategic partner 3SCwill work with us over the life of the contract to continually broker and grow strong thirdsector delivery capability. As a champion forThe Big Society, 3SC can support the

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development of this concept within the context of the WP whilst also ensuring that we canflex and adapt our WP approach based on the varying communities of BSBC.Specialist Provision Barnardos will deliver an end to end service for disadvantagedyoung people (JSA 18-24) (e.g. those leaving care, with mental health issues or lifestylechallenges) based on a model currently delivering sustained employment (26 weeks)outcomes of 83%. Barnardos regional presence in BSBC includes Birmingham, Solihull,

Dudley, and Strourbridge, and builds on strong CSR links with employers such as RoyalMail and Morrissons. Salvation Army has centres across the West Midlands, including inBirmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton delivering end to end solutions particularly for IB/ESA and early access customers including homeless and those with substance misuseproblems. Social Firms UK, through members in BSBC including All Formats: SignMaking in Birmingham and Growing Links Walsall, will create job placements andsustainable jobs for hard to help customers including ex-offenders and the homeless.NCG will partner with other specialist providers such as Blue River, The Crossway andthe Bangladeshi Womens Centre to support customers with significant barriers toemployment. DWUK through its local members has 4 premises in the CPA (see tablebelow) from which a peripatetic outreach service can be delivered, this is particularly

relevant to IB/ESA customer groups but any customer will be able to access this support.National Federation ofEnterprise Agencies(NFEA) will provide anend to end service forcustomers seekingself employment.NFEA have a nationalnetwork of 120 selfemployment specialistEnterprise Agencies including Birmingham Chamber of Commerce in BSBC. Similarly wehave arrangements in place with Armstrong Learning who will deliver ImagINation, ourunique provision for people who wish to pursue musical and cultural careers.Specific Intervention Suppliers - We have agreements with a number of specialistproviders who can support our WP customers. These services will be procured on a spotpurchase basis for example, Rehabworks will deliver condition management forcustomers with chronic health conditions including IB/ESA participants from theirBirmingham centre and deliver clinically certified interventions through effective outreachand community based delivery. In addition to the employability and general pre-employment skills embedded in the WP model, we will also work with local trainingproviders and colleges such as Bourneville College to design and purchase bespoke

training solutions for our customers, based on employer needs.Contingency Plan - In the event that a supplier withdraws from our supply chain orvolumes significantly increase in BSBC we have identified sufficient cover from within ourPreferred Supplier Network to provide coverage for 400% of the current volumes.Why this is the best strategy for WP in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country-In BSBC we have chosen to directly deliver the majority (53%) of the customer volumesbuilding on our business growth strategy and our existing infrastructure in the regionincluding 2 centres in Birmingham, and our experience of delivering employabilityprogrammes that target some of the hardest to help groups- including unemployed youngpeople with a wide range of barriers through CTF. We have chosen suppliers due to theirlocal presence and credibility. Birmingham Chamber Training deliver self-employment

programmes across BSBC including for FND and Nova already deliver pre-employment training across the Black Country. Our suppliers have also shown their abilityto deliver outcomes eg Bourneville College hold a number of contracts including Skills forJobs which has achieved 3,300 starts, and 3,000 achievements, while Juniper deliver

DWUK Local Partner Disability support Locations

Advance, Mencap, Mind Mental Health (MH) 2 xBirmingham1 x SuttonColdfield1 xWolverhampton

Action for Blind People Visual Impairment

United Response Physical, Learning & MH

Pure Innovations Learning & MH

Scope Physical & Learning

Leonard Cheshire Pan-disability

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SFA Foundation Learning and achieve 63% positive progressions against a target of 60%.In terms of total delivery, 69% of this contract will be delivered by public sector ornot for profit third sector organisations demonstrating outstanding value formoney for the British Taxpayers and ensuring, during times of austerity, that mostsurpluses generated from the WP in BSBC will be reinvested in the people of the BSBC.Meeting the needs of customers in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country

NCGs delivery strategy will fully address the needs of all customers including the hardestto help such as: a) Customers with health conditions particularly relevant for IB/ESAparticipants - Work Capability Assessments will increase the number of customers withhealth conditions accessing WP. IB/ESA claimants in the West Midlands count for 6.8% ofclaimants and the WP can expect to see a marked increase of customers originating fromsuch benefits. Disability Works UK (DWUK) and RehabWorks UK will support thesecustomers together with local providers; b) Alcohol/Drug related problems There aresignificant numbers of customers with alcohol or drug related problems in BSBCparticularly in central Birmingham and Wolverhampton. These customers will besupported by The Salvation Army together with local support groups such as Cipher,Crossmatch and Aquarius; c) the West Midlands Regional Observatory identify that

unemployment is concentrated in certain demographic groups such as young people,people from BME groups, those with disabilities or those lacking qualifications. As anexample the proportion of BME individuals claiming JSA compared to total claimants is ashigh as 44% in Birmingham, while 2.9% of claimants are Lone Parents. 3SC providesaccess to a wide local network of more than 55 community and voluntary organisationswho can support us in signposting customers for advice and support. Ingeus also haveextensive experience in tailoring support to meet the needs of BME communities; d)Young People - As a result of the recession there has been an increase in 18-24 JSAclaimants in BSBC from 23,675 in December 2008 to 27,005 in December 2010.Barnardos will provide post assessment end to end specialist support; and e) Hardest tohelp including ex-offenders, homeless. We know that in BSBC the number of unfilled JCPvacancies has decreased from 17,799 in December 2007 to 12,373 in December 2010.Social enterprises provide an alternative employment opportunity for some harder to helpcustomer and we have therefore partnered with Social Firms UK.How we will work with our subcontractors. We recognise and embrace the vital rolethe Prime Contractor has in the effective engagement, management and development ofour supply chain. We are wholly committed to working with suppliers, partners and keystakeholders including DWP to share good practice and to develop the capacity of thesector as a whole in pursuit of the step change in performance required for WP and futureWelfare to Work programmes. We have aligned our approach to working with supplierswith the values of the DWP Code of Conduct and mapped to the Merlin principles. This is

evidenced by a number of unique elements of our model including: our INfit andmentoring train the trainers courses to drive up the capacity of our supply chain. Wehave modelled a clear and transparent meshed management and supply structure. InBSBC we will have a dedicated Supply Chain Manager who will work directly withsuppliers on a daily basis and will ensure the quality across the entire supply chainthrough regular formal meetings with each supplier and a monthly Supplier NetworkMeeting involving all delivery partners from across BSBC. Each supplier will nominate amanagerwith whom the SCM will liaise on all contract issues. The will also be a Qualityand Compliance Manager (QCM) to support performance management and monitoring.Qualitative and quantitative data will be used and shared with suppliers throughoutdelivery of the WP. The SCM and QCM will develop clear action plans with suppliers to

ensure performance and quality standards remain high. We have created a structure thatworks with the supply chain to create data driven performance systems that provideaccurate and real time performance information. In addition we will look to develop therelationship with each of our suppliers with the objectives of improving service levels to

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customers and identifying solutions to customer issues or to address changes that willundoubtedly occur during the WP contract period such as changes in volumes orcustomer groups. We will mirror DWPs performance monitoring system and market shareprinciples to enable us to allocate customer volumes to our best performing suppliers.

[5.2] Management Structure

Please provide:

a description of the proposed management structure and how the requiredmanagement skills and expertise, including working with local stakeholders, havebeen identified and will be delivered. You should also include a description ofassociated responsibilities and reporting lines ;

a description of how you will work with the management teams of any supply chainorganisations and key delivery partners; and

explain why your management structure is appropriate for the Work Programmewithin this CPA;

Please include an organisation chart (attach as Annex 4) showing the proposed managementstructure for the Work Programme for this CPA.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to three sides of A4.

Note: Format requirement and page limit does not apply to the organisation chart(s)which you must insert as Annex 4.

5.2 Our Management Structure NCGs management structure has beendeveloped through a ground up design process incorporating a detailed analysis of:workflow requirements; customer needs; skills mix; local circumstances; Critical SuccessFactors; risk management; and business processes. The result is an efficient andeffective structure that will deliver the clarity, accountability and leadership needed atevery level to drive a step change in performance. At the strategic level, NCGs SharedServices will bring the world class service levels in HR, ICT, MIS and EstatesManagement that have made NCG the sectors highest quality provider, rated by Ofsted

as outstanding across every division. At the delivery level, the Operational Team inBirmingham, Solihull and the Black Country (BSBC) will manage day to day activitythrough a focused, efficient structure that prioritises resources towards front line delivery.This is underpinned by clear lines of reporting to Intrainings Head of Employability and inturn to the company Managing Director, and supported by rigorous reporting and MIsystems linked to the continuous monitoring of outcomes and performance across thesupply chain.Identifying the Required Management Expertise We have undertaken adetailed exercise to match skills and roles closely to the efficient new workflow patterns ofour five-stage delivery model. Supplier selection has been based on evidence of similarskills, using a tried-and-tested skills matching system to cross-check supply chain

structures against industry standards, local value added and the demands of the NCGdelivery model. We have also assessed the strength and depth of the local knowledgethat suppliers can bring to the Work Programme. For example, through our workingagreement with Birmingham City Council, we will be directly linked with the LEPs in the

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CPA, as well as key strategic and operational partners. Further, we will carefully mapskills across TUPEd staff to identify current and latent leadership potential, andimplement clear development plans where needed - whilst also leveraging the knowledge,talent and expertise of transferring management. We will undertake regular skills auditsof our own staff, and of suppliers, throughout the contract as an integral part ofperformance management. This will ensure the necessary skills remain in place through

the lifetime of the contract. The table below provides a high level illustration ofmanagement roles, skills and responsibilities.

Regional Manager reporting to Head of Employability

Need Provide dynamic, locally informed and technically expert leadership tothe complete delivery structure in BSBC. Ensure high quality, cost-effective service delivery to realise a step change in job outcomes.

Skills Experience of: managing complex, multi-site and supplier operations;budgetary management; government and stakeholder relations; andoperational leadership of similar outcomes-based contracts.

Responsibilities Overall contract management and delivery of all CPA contracts;quality assurance and performance management across supply chain

and direct delivery; stakeholder and strategic employer relations.Supply Chain Manager reporting to Regional Manager

Need Provide strong performance management, quality assurance andcontinuous improvement of all elements of the WP supply chain.

Skills CIPS qualified; project management & negotiating skills; experiencein management of training; management of personnel and suppliers.

Responsibilities Maintain a responsive and resilient supplier base; manage andmonitor suppliers; and develop strong relationships with all suppliers.

Business Managers reporting to Regional Manager

Need To drive performance and quality of all Intraining delivered WP

provision be effective management and motivation of all operationalstaff contained within an Intraining WP business unit.

Skills Experience of personnel management; financial management &budgeting skills; competent in preparing reports & understandingbudgets; strong communicator; and good organisational skills.

Responsibilities The day to day activities, staff and resource allocation of Intrainingdelivery centre including liaison with local JCP.

Strategic Partnership Manager reporting to Regional Manager

Need To establish and maintain outstanding strategic relationships with keystakeholders and organisations throughout BSBC.

Skills Strong track record of effective engagement with partners at regional& local level; knowledge of the local stakeholders and partnerships;and knowledge of the BSBC economic and labour market conditions.

Responsibilities Engage with stakeholders; manage interfaces between partners;develop relationships and create new ones to maintain our position asa accessible and transparent Prime Contractor.

Quality & Compliance Manager reporting to Regional Manager

Need Delivery of outstanding quality, compliance, performance levels andminimum standards across both internal and supply chain delivery.

Skills Experience and practice of working to quality management systems;significant experience of using management information systems; and

experience of using balanced score card reporting.Responsibilities Co-ordinating activities to ensure contracts are meeting all quality

standards, undertaking audits & ensure performance improvementactivities are fulfilled.

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Employer Engagement Manager reporting to Regional Manager

Need Development and delivery of high level employer engagementstrategy, managing day to day relationships with key employersthrough a dynamic team of Business Advisors.

Skills Proven competence in a sales related role; knowledge of the localbusiness community; awareness of local labour market issues; good

communication skills, oral and written; good negotiation skills.Responsibilities Engaging with strategic employers and SMEs in BSBC with a focus

on the key priority sectors such as the: ICT, professional services,health care, construction, low carbon and green resources, and retailsectors.

To improve management skills across the CPA, NCG will implement a new managementand leadership programme for WP: The Leadership Academy. We will offer our WPdelivery partners access to the Academy in order to embed consistently high standardsacross the supply chain and to help build capacity amongst community organisations.Furthermore our local management team will benefit significantly from the experience andknowledge we have built up in BSBC through our Intraining division which is a prominentand strategic partner with excellent links to stakeholders and employers in BSBC acrossall sectors. For example, through the delivery of Community Task Force, we have builtstrong relationships with local and national community beneficial organisations such asVeolia, the British Heart Foundation and Barnardos.We have strong links with local and national employers with a solid track record ofeffectively engaging and working in partnership with stakeholders such as RegionalDevelopment Agencies and Sector Skills Councils.Working with suppliers and key delivery partners The Supply ChainManager (SCM) will work directly with suppliers on a daily basis and will ensure highquality and performance through regular formal meetings with the management team of

every supplier. These will involve a detailed performance review against measurableoutcomes for each customer group. Performance reviews will be informed by auditable MIand robust KPIs covering both hard performance and soft people-centred standards.Meetings will also cover risk assessment and collaborative planning for ahead. These willbe supplemented by a monthly Supplier Network Meeting involving all delivery partnersfrom across BSBC in strategic planning, data and knowledge sharing and issuemanagement. The Quality and Compliance Manager (QCM) will support performancemanagement and monitoring. Qualitative and quantitative data will be used and sharedwith suppliers. The SCM and QCM will develop clear action plans with suppliers toensure performance and quality standards remain high. We have created a structure thatworks with the supply chain to create data driven performance systems that provide

accurate and real time performance information. Our approach can be summarised in thefollowing diagram.

Why this management structure is appropriate - We have considered

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DWPs Strategic Objectives against the detailed, analytical approach to organisationdesign described earlier. The structure has been driven by the WP strategy for BSBC,where our proportion of delivery is 53% and our suppliers 47%. Given the highpercentage of services being delivered through the supply chain, our structureemphasises the need to ensure customer volumes are managed and quality assuredthrough an effective supply chain. We have a high proportion of the voluntary and third

sector organisations in the supply chain, for example Birmingham Friends of the Earth,Remploy, Syconium CIC and Fact 2006 and have allowed for additional investment incapacity building in the sector over time. Our national strategic partner 3SC will also buildour suppliers capacity. Our structure recognises the localised nature of BSBC and theneed to integrate strong local accountability through existing strong partnershiparrangements. We will build on this investment ensuring we work with partners in the bestpossible way through the emerging Local Enterprise Partnerships. We will recruitmanagement that have the skills to reflect the requirements of BSBC, ensuring they areable to manage the challenges ahead. We use our Leadership Academy to improve ourefficiency including long term skill needs, helping to continually evaluate our HR strategyand assist with planning. We have a rigorous structure, underpinned by our commitment

to control that will ensure monitoring management and of performance and deliveryremains at the heart of our service.Continuous achievement throughout the term of the contract NCG is a learningorganisation in which coaching, mentoring and staff development plays a key role. Wewill maintain a high quality of management personnel throughout the life of the contract by(a) enrolling managers and promising talent onto the NCG Leadership Academy as wellas an adapted version of the INfit personal development programme; (b) implementing theNCG performance management system that links career progression to personaldevelopment and clear objectives; (c) creating attractive career pathways both within theWork Programme CPA and across NCGs national business; (d) setting managementstandards for the supply chain that are regularly evaluated as part of performance review.

[5.3] Management of Delivery

Please clearly describe:

How you and your supply chain will manage and monitor the quality ofdelivery of the Work Programme to ensure that the whole provision within thisCPA is of a consistently high standard and meets your minimum service levels;

Your approach to performance improvement activities for your supplychain as a whole, outlining how you and your supply chain will act on the

findings of any monitoring activity including the resolution of issues from withinyour own supply chain, partners or other bodies.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to three sides of A4.

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5.3 Rigorous, multi-level quality management and a relentless drive for continuingperformance improvement across direct delivery and the supply chain will be critical toachieving the step change in outcomes required by the Work Programme. This pursuit ofexcellence is embedded into NCGs delivery and management structure and employsprocesses, practices and techniques identified as outstanding by Ofsted. NCGs Grade

one OfSTED report highlighted that, across a complex, multi-tiered group delivering awide range of services to a diverse customer group systems for quality improvement andmonitoring are particularly effective in securing improvement to the quality of provisionand achievement of standards.Managing and monitoring the quality of delivery: the pursuit of excellence. NCGis committed to the pursuit of excellence through detailed, rigorous performancemonitoring, comprehensive quality management, airtight quality control, continuousservice improvement and a commitment to building capacity at local level. This hasinformed the development of industry leading Quality Management Systems which ensureconsistent improvements in quality standards and service levels through principles of riskand intervention, both within our own organisation and our supply chain. We have

identified Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) mapped to Minimum Service DeliveryLevels and Critical Success Factors across each of: Performance; Customer Journey;Equality and Diversity; Employer Engagement; Quality & Compliance; Self Assessment;Marketing; Sustainability; Health & Safety; and Finance. These KPIs are used to identifycritical actions required to drive business success and are translated into SMARTcontractual targets for suppliers contained within legally binding Service LevelAgreements (SLAs). A Red, Amber, Green (RAG) risk performance dashboard isused to measure and monitor progress against every KPI: Green meaning no issues;Amber indicating satisfactory performance, with non-critical issues to address and ormonitor with a satisfactory plan is in place; and Red meaning issues unresolved and inneed of immediate intervention or escalation of breach procedure.Quality Reviews provide a pre-emptive approach to risk management, supported byrigorous verification processes such as unscheduled spot checks, desk top audits,staff observations, weekly Maytas MI Data Reports, and satisfaction surveys. Thefindings of each activity are inputted into the risk performance dashboard by the Qualityand Compliance Manager (QCM) who is responsible for assessing and measuring thequality of each step of the customer journey. The risk performance dashboard is reviewedand analysed weekly by the QCM to identify areas of best practice and underperformancefor both operational teams and suppliers. The QCM identifies local actions for operationalteams and our suppliers to address any underperformance or downtrends against KPIs.On a monthly basis the QCM, operational management team and Supply Chain Manager

(SCM) meet to review trends and evaluate the impact of local actions and if necessaryimplement strategies such as change control to mitigate risks against the contract.Evidence of our ability to deliver quality services is demonstrated by the PSL MonitoringVisit in Leicestershire, July 2009 which stated, Quality improvement at Intraining is highlyeffective in providing a good experience to the participants. Intraining critically evaluatesall stages of the participants journey.It also evident through the successful delivery ofcontracts such as Community Task Force - delivered across three contract package areasin partnership with 8 suppliers- which has supported more than 7,000 unemployed 18 to24 year olds and provided nearly 4,000 people in accessing a work placement. This highlycomplex contract has consistently met and exceeded performance and quality targets.Key to this is the Annual Self Assessment undertaken at every level of the organisation

and informed by national, regional and local strategies and priorities, with input from allkey stakeholders via quarterly DWP Quality Assurance Questionnaires and ProviderDevelopment Plans. Self Assessment is mapped to DWPs Quality Framework andCommon Inspection Framework. Every aspect of the organisation is Self Assessed in line

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with a Risk Performance Dashboard encompassing: organisational vision and mission,financial position and evaluation of business processes against fitness for purpose,organisational capacity and capability (strengths and areas for improvement).Performance is then mapped to market position and competitor analysis (opportunitiesand threats). Self Assessment results in the production of an externally verified andpublished annual Self Assessment Report are used to inform Business Strategy and

ongoing Business Improvement. A business improvement plan is produced which isowned by senior managers and implemented, monitored and managed by BusinessManagers and suppliers. Continuous Improvement is a key agenda item for all strategicand operational meetings and team, individual and supplier performance reviews. Theplans are reviewed formally on a quarterly basis, informed by MIS Data Reports and otherkey business tools including formal feedback from customers and key stakeholders andkey internal and external reports e.g. external audit reports, FAM and OFSTED andinternal quality monitoring reports undertaken by the Quality and Compliance Team.We have also prepared an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) to ensure the diverseneeds of all staff and customers are considered throughout delivery and will be measuringthis to e