the jobs strategy in edinburgh - doing it our way, while working with multi-level government and...
TRANSCRIPT
The Jobs Strategy in Edinburgh - doing it our way,
while working with multi-level government and mixed messages
about localism
Matthew Crighton,
Jobs Strategy Manager, Capital City Partnership
Labour market policy in Scotland – multi-level governanceUK Government:
Employment Policy; Department of Work and Pensions – payments of benefits, Jobcentres, New Deals, employment law
The Scottish Government:
Education and Skills – universities, further education colleges, apprenticeships, careers advice and guidance (Skills Development Scotland). Funding from UK govt.
Local Authorities:
Schools, Community Planning, local employability partnerships (most funding comes from Scottish Government)
Some trends in UK policy
Broadening the target population from the unemployed to the economically inactive
Increasing conditionality
More partnership working
Centralisation
Devolution and localisation
Marketisation
Tightening budgets
Localisation vs Centralisation in the UKDepartment of Work and Pensions:
Local delivery through Jobcentres but District Managers have little discretion; national targets
Employment programmes shifted to national management
The Scottish Government and Local Authorities:
Community Planning requires the setting of local targets by local authorities and other partners and the creation of a plan to achieve them.
Local Authorities in England
A different, more complex, and changing relationship.
A Localisation Experiment by DWPCities Strategy Pathfinders:-
To test how to combine the work of government agencies, local government and private and voluntary sectors in a partnership (or 'consortium')
Whether local stakeholders can deliver more by combining and aligning their efforts behind shared priorities, alongside more freedom to innovate, and tailor services in response to local needs
In Scotland:-
Complemented by Workforce Plus policy
A Localisation Experiment by DWPThe experience of Cities Strategy Pathfinders from 2007:
•Positive benefits of working together locally.•Developed capacity for partnership working.•A more joined-up response to local needs•Limited progress on spending money together•Some involvement in commissioning by DWP•The promised flexibilities did not happen
•Main barriers to more progress:
•Policy inconsistency at national level•Fragmentation and lack of flexibility in funding streams•Silo thinking•Other barriers .....
WHY WE NEED LOCAL JOBS STRATEGIES
TAXATIONE. U.
UK governmentLocal authority rates
DWP,JCP
Scottish Government
SDS
Scottish Government
SFCcolleges
ESF
Local CouncilsAnd
Scottish Government
‘FSF’
CHARITIES, LOTTERY
JCP, WORK PROGRAMME, CAREERS SCOTLAND, COUNCIL Ec Devt, COUNCIL SW,
THREE FE COLLEGES, 80 OTHER PROVIDERS
JOINED UP FOR JOBS
Joined Up For Jobs,Edinburgh's Jobs Strategy
Launched in 2002
A partnership initiated by the City of Edinburgh Council and involving the main public sector agencies concerned with unemployment and the Chamber of Commerce.
Capital City Partnership is the organisation which co-ordinates.
'Demand-led, Client-focused and Joined-up'
When it became a City Strategy Pathfinder the colleges and the health board joined as well.
Agreed targets (within Community Planning), a development plan; and now an Operational Plan.
JOINED UP FOR JOBS
Infrastructure forjoined-up working
StrategyTargets
Joint investmentJoint MI
Operational Plan
Joint delivery projects
Website
Directory of organisations & services
Electronic Noticeboard
Communications
Partnership Forum:
Open to all providers
Meets every two months
Caselink – MI and caseloading system
Customer Charter
THE CHARTER PROMISE WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU
We will ensure that our service is accessible to all eligible jobseekers.
Our offices are accessible and our services free to jobseekers. Your access to some programmes may depend on how long you’ve been unemployed or where you live – we will give you guidance on this.
We will provide a professional and responsive service to employers.
Our organisation supports the Joined Up For Jobs offer of free services to employers. Our staff are trained to respond quickly and efficiently to enquiries and will assist employers to access the most appropriate service for their needs.
We will ensure that customers have up to date and relevant information.
We will help customers access the information they need, including job vacancies, training and educational opportunities, and services of statutory agencies such as Jobcentre Plus and Careers Scotland.
We aim to provide the most appropriate services to each customer’s needs.
We will provide advice, assessment and will agree an action plan with you which will help you achieve your objectives. Other specialist services may also be available.
If we cannot provide a service that customers need, we will refer them to an organisation that can.
The Joined Up For Jobs network includes more than 80 employability organisations, many of which provide community-based or specialist services. We will ensure that you can access the service best suited for your needs. With your permission, we will share your information with other organisations which can support you.
We will engage with customers to ensure that our services are of a high standard and meet customer needs.
Customer satisfaction is important to us. We seek comments on the quality of our services, and use customer feedback to inform the development of our services.
We will respect customers’ right to privacy.
Our staff adhere to highest standards of professional practice. We provide private space for confidential interviews and will keep your information secure. If we refer you to another agency, we will seek your written permission to share your information.
The Changing Landscape for Welfare to WorkThe Work Programme replacing (almost) all other DWP/JCP programmes
Shifting people from IB to ESA and JSA
The Coalition Government’s plans to reform welfare benefits – the Universal Credit
High (rising?) unemployment and reduced spending
The Work Programme
Overview (from DWP)Termination of FND, Pathways and P2W contracts • An “integrated, personalised welfare-to-work programme for a range of client groups”• Contracted out, almost all funding for additional sustained outcomes• Differential prices based on customer group• Two year programme with continuing provider support and payments
Other features of WP: Black box contracting Prime contractors bidding for large geographical areasTwo primes (plus sub-contractors) in each area
Concluding remarks
Doing it our way, while working with multi-level government and mixed messages about localism
Within the DWP's commissioning, actual devolution of decisions to prime contractors has replaced the plan to devolve decisions to local partnerships.
Local partnerships will need to work with prime contractors and their delivery networks.
Greater discretion for JCP District Managers is also planned.
It will be interesting to see what happens ....
