Appendix 1
Employment case studies
Examples of good practice from local authorities
1) New Deal schemes—general
2) Local authorities as New Deal employers
3) Environmental Task Force
4) Training and education
5) Intermediate Labour Market schemes
6) LETS (Local Exchange and Trading Systems)
7) Community Resource Centres
8) Job Brokerage schemes
9) Partnership in employment delivery
10) Links to housing and training schemes
1) NEW DEAL RELATED SCHEMES
Wolverhampton MBC—"Enhancing the employment
option: the Black Country"
The Black Country Pathfinder Joint Venture Partnership
(JVP) wanted to find a way of using complementary funding to enhance
the Employment Option. At the same time, Wolverhampton MBC was
looking to spend its capital receipts funding to create local
job opportunities. All four local authorities represented on the
JVP Board obtained SRB funding and Wolverhampton MBC used SRB
funds and capital receipts, provided centrally for use by local
authorities' housing departments, to set up the "Wolverhampton
Project", an ILM project in the construction sector to benefit
the wider community.
— A building company was contracted to
undertake a programme of construction; half of the employees on
the site are employed directly by the building company and half
by a new company, Wolverhampton Build, formed by Wolverhampton
MBC Training to operate the ILM.
— The building company's contract reflects the need for
accommodating any initial lack of skills or experience, and devoting
time to vocational and personal development training.
— Wolverhampton Build provided New Deal clients with a one-year
period of employment, which will offer personal development and
support, training and job search activity, as well as experience
of a real job.
— A similar scheme is operating in Walsall, with a new company,
Steps into Work, performing a similar function to that of Wolverhampton
Build.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
Brighton and Hove Council "Engaging disadvantaged
people in the options"
Brighton has areas of severe deprivation and a high
number of disadvantaged and socially excluded people. Brighton
and Hove Council's Social Services Department and the Employment
Service New Deal team developed a scheme to offer disadvantaged
young people work-based opportunities with a degree of security
which other employment could not realistically match.
The scheme offers a half way house between unemployment
and a job. Participants have employed status for six months and
obtain work experience and training in care work, general maintenance,
catering, groundwork/gardening in homes run by the council. Clients
have the advantage of working for a supportive employer who understands
their problems. Participants are paid a £120 weekly wage
and given a bus pass They are also supported while working towards
NVQs as well as life and basic skills. At the end of six months,
participants will find work with the council or will be helped
to find a job elsewhere.
Source. Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
Hertfordshire CC—"Links with other
funding: engaging young people from ethnic minorities"
Hertfordshire is an affluent area and enjoys above
average employment rates. It became apparent that a small proportion
of young people from ethnic minority groups were not using Jobcentre
facilities, claiming JSA or participating in New Deal, if eligible.
Hertfordshire County Council, in partnership with the voluntary
sector and the Community Development Agency for Hertfordshire,
highlighted a need to target these hidden young people and make
them aware of the opportunities available to them. In partnership
with the voluntary sector, the council used SRB funds to pay for
an outreach post based in the voluntary sector. The project was
designed to target the 18-24 year olds at their own level. The
outreach worker introduces the New Deal to the young people and
highlights the benefits. They identify barriers to them getting
jobs and the outreach worker attempts to assist them overcome
the problems.
Source. Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
Taunton Deane BC—"Links with other
funding: tackling pockets of high unemployment"
The Employment Service contributed to the development
of a local SRB bid for a project in Taunton East, which centred
on the Halcon Lane and Lambrook estates. Particular emphasis was
given to training and enhancing the employability of the high
percentage of unemployed people living on these estates.
The Employment Service worked closely with Taunton
Deane Borough Council, which is responsible for refurbishment
of the council properties on the estate and they negotiated an
agreement to provide employment opportunities for New Deal clients.
When tendering for refurbishment of properties in the borough,
the council included a clause in the contract requiring the contractor
to recruit New Deal trainees from the Taunton East community.
The council also agreed to continue employer subsidy payments
for a further 26 weeks if necessary funding this themselves. Clients
from the community will be offered work and training to acquire
the skills necessary to sustain employment.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
Somerset CC—"Links with other funding:
tackling disaffection and social exclusion"
A prime objective of the New Deal partnership in
Somerset has been to ensure that there is synergy between New
Deal and the many other projects working with disadvantaged communities
and tackling disaffection and social exclusion. As a largely rural
county, an emphasis is given to seeking ways to ensure the inclusion
of those in isolated rural areas. Some of the activities have
included formation of local "Community Task Forces"
in five areas to discuss social and economic needs of local areas,
a joint survey of activity and sharing of labour market information,
joint presentations to local employers, marketing exercise, outreach
vacancy and setting up a training and recruitment grant to encourage
rural employers to recruit local people.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
Sandwell MBC—the employment option
The aim of Sandwell's scheme is to overcome the barriers
and constraints on local authorities becoming involved in directly
recruiting 18-24 year old New Dealers under the employment option.
The barriers faced by Sandwell Council are similar to those faced
by most local authorities including a legal obligation to only
recruit staff on merit, strong equal opportunities policies which
prevents positive discrimination in favour of any particular age
group, limited recruitment opportunities due to cutbacks in public
sector services and pressure on departmental budgets.
Working closely with Employment Service staff, council
officers developed a six month programme to maximise the chances
of New Dealers obtaining permanent and full time employment. Launched
this summer, the scheme identifies existing opportunities in the
council which clients would have a good chance of getting on merit,
creation of co-ordinator's post to support clients and their line
managers in ensuring suitable work experience and training, registration
of clients on EDU "Job Link" and "Think Local"
job matching databases. Sufficient funds are already available
for the council to offer 20 six month placements in each of the
next 3 years and an ESF bid has already been submitted to fund
up to an additional 20 places.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
City and County of Swansea
The City and County of Swansea has developed strategies
and programmes to support the long-term unemployed. Such policies
include anti-poverty action, equal opportunities, child care provision
and life long learning, to name but a few. The council also possesses
the resources to activate such policies, including an Employment
Training Centre with 50 trainers providing training and support
to the unemployed. The council is also seeking ways to maximise
funding and fully utilising other resources by supporting waged
option schemes which are seen to be comparable and often superior
to mainstream subsidised employment options.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council, a member of the JVP, has been
involved in partnership working for many years and has strong
links with both public and private sector organisations. They
also have a thorough grasp of the needs and characteristics of
the client group in the city through their training department.
They are contracted to deliver the Gateway and were determined
to improve it.
The council opened seven gateway centres—three
in the city and four in Family Learning Centres. They ran introductory
New Deal courses, gave an undertaking to take people within 24
hours of referral. They made childcare available to every participant
who needed it, allotted each client a caseworker. In addition,
they arranged for one referral point for homeless clients and
set up a bank of short term tasters and placements with large
employers.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service, 1999
Portsmouth City Council—"Help for people
from ethnic minorities"
The Ethnic Pride Project came about as the result
of a partnership between Portsmouth City Council and the Employment
Service. The aim of Ethnic Pride is to help people from ethnic
minorities to access the services that are available in the local
area, eg education, training, employment or a combination. Although
the ethnic pride service is not New Deal specific, New Deal Personal
Advisers are encouraged to benefit from the available expertise
by maintaining close working relationships.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service, 1999
Tameside MBC
Tameside MBC is involved in the New Deal initiative
as part of the local City Pride Partnership. The authority is
strategically involved in the voluntary sector and Environmental
Task Force options of the New Deal and as a direct employer via
the employer option. In April 1998, Tameside MBC created eight
area committees called District Assemblies to improve local democracy
and along with them eight Street Force Teams. Their role being
to improve the appearance of the District Assembly areas and to
work to specific programmes set by the District Assemblies. It
was decided to use the New Deal for Young People to recruit the
Street Force Teams in line with Tameside MBC initiatives to improve
employment in the local communities.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service, 1999
2) LOCAL AUTHORITIES AS NEW DEAL EMPLOYERS
Knowsley MBC
Through an innovative package of financial and training
measures, Knowsley MBC aims to give real hope to young unemployed
people. At least 140 young unemployed people from Knowsley will
be the first to benefit from the Employment Option of the New
Deal for Young People. Knowsley's scheme is designed to give every
young person an opportunity to train for permanent employment.
Knowsley will invest more than £340,000 of its own resources
over the first 18 months of the scheme. The council is also building
an £80,000 Estate Team Depot to act as a base for a further
10 New Deal trainees and a supervisor concentrating on the development
of a country park, under the Environmental Task Force option of
New Deal.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service, 1999
Liverpool City Council
The City Council has recently embarked on a recruitment
programme within one of the largest initiatives by a local authority
under the Government's New Deal employer option. 125 unemployed
people have joined a 20 month work and vocational training programme
which is uniquely funded through the imaginative matching of New
Deal wage subsidies, ESF and SRB funding.
The programme is part of the City's on-going commitment
to address the high unemployment in the area—not only in
its role as a strategic planning authority but as one of Merseyside's
largest employers. Elected members across the political spectrum
felt that the city council should lead by example and offer high
quality work and training opportunities through the New Deal.
Source: Policy to Practice, Employment Service 1999
THE
FOLLOWING LOCAL
AUTHORITY RELATED
EXAMPLES WERE
ALL SUCCESSFUL
IN THE
1999 NEW DEAL
AWARDS SCHEME
EcoActif, London and South East region—
An award for improving the employability of New Deal
participants.
The scheme—EcoActif is a consortium of local
authorities, probation services, the Environment Trust and a charity
contracted by the Employment Service to deliver the Environmental
Task Force option in the Sutton area.
Hyfforddiant Ceredigion Training, Wales—
Award for improving the employability of New Deal
participants.
The scheme—Hyfforddiant Ceredigion Training
is a training provider within the local authority and has contributed
significantly to New Deal particularly in raising employer levels
of New Deal participation. It has displayed linkages with other
local provision to offer well balance holistic range of training,
providing hard and soft employability skills.
There were also a number of "special awards"
with which a number of local authorities were involved. These
were:
Boroughskills, East Midlands region—
Award for providing support and/or an innovative
approach to the New Deal.
The scheme—this is a local authority training
centre which has set up a reduced rate bus pass system for New
Deal participants using public transport. It has given participants
another/easier option to travel to work.
The Gateway Partnership, London and South East
region—
Award for improving the employability of New Deal
participants.
The scheme—a partnership of employers, local
authorities, service providers and disabled people's organisations.
The Partnership has attracted a large number of commercial partners
and was awarded the contract under the first round of innovative
schemes under the New Deal for Disabled People.
Camden IteC Ltd, London and South East region—
Award for providing extra support and or an innovative
approach to New Deal.
The scheme—voluntary charity organisation providing
IT and related training to unemployed young people and adults,
and is led by Islington Council.
Into Work (Sunderland) Ltd, Northern region—
Award for improving employability of New Deal participants
from the Pennywell area of Sunderland which has a very high unemployment
rate.
Birmingham City Council, West Midlands region—
Award for providing extra support and an innovative
approach to the New Deal.
The scheme—the council was recommended for
the variety and scale of its innovation and involvement in New
Deal. It has revamped jobs in order to encourage New Deal applicants,
created waged opportunities in the ETF option and voluntary sector
option and supported development of the Gateway for ethnic minority
communities.
Rotherham MBC, Yorkshire and Humber region—
Award for overall commitment to the New Deal Scheme—the
council was given special recognition for extra funds they have
contributed to New Deal, support for partnership working, comprehensive
approach and personal commitment of officers.
Carmarthenshire County Council, Wales—
Award for providing extra support and/or innovative
approach to a New Deal Scheme—as well as delivering the
requirements of the New Deal, the council demonstrated a breadth
of content in addressing the needs of participants in an innovative
way eg Participant of the month, mix of trainees and extra curricular
activities.
3) ENVIRONMENTAL TASK FORCE
The ETF option: Cambridge City Council
The Employment Foundation Scheme, a non-profit making
organisation, was given the lead on delivering the ETF option
in Cambridge. The scheme has a high profile within the City and
is experienced in offering training provision for long-term unemployed
people with a policy of addressing the needs of the disadvantaged.
The Employment Foundation Scheme offers a holistic package which
is supported through the programme and has continually tried to
find creative ways of using ETF to support the community.
The ETF option: Nottinghamshire County Council
Nottinghamshire County Council acts as the strand
leader for the whole of the ETF option across North Nottinghamshire
and has formed a partnership with District Councils and Groundwork
Trusts to support delivery. This activity, combined with a waged
option for 50 people in Greater Nottingham, has provided 415 ETF
opportunities across the county to date. Projects include energy
conservation, countryside management and landfill restoration
and the waged ILM projects have been particularly successful in
terms of permanent job outcomes.
The ETF option: Tendring District Council
Tendring is one of four districts whose area comprises
the North Essex Employment District. Within Tendring, the steering
group overseeing delivery of New Deal is chaired by the leader
of Tendring District Council which also provides the ETF option
and employs clients under the subsidised employment option. In
order for ETF to be truly beneficial to the local population,
as well as the clients, the council decided that each project
they undertook would be in the heart of the community. Furthermore,
projects would be spread throughout the district to ensure that
as wide a proportion of the population as possible were able to
share in the benefits.
The ETF option: Leeds City Council
40 young people were employed during 1998/99 by Leeds
City Council's Department of Housing under the Environmental Task
Force option of the New Deal. This group of young people are employed
under the waged option of the Environmental Task Force as estate
workers with the main task of preparing void properties for habitation
and subsequent re-letting. Much of the work carried out to date
involves the clearing and cleaning of void properties and gardens,
along with simple maintenance duties and painting and decorating
tasks.
4) TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Leeds City Council—In November 1997, Leeds
City Council learned they had been successful in their bid to
the European Commission for funding for the Second Chance School,
the first to be established in the United Kingdom. It was opened
by David Blunkett in March 1998, and it fits comfortably with
New Deal. The project is aimed at young people (18-24) who did
not benefit fully from compulsory education and gives participants
another opportunity to become involved in learning—linked
to employment opportunities.
5) INTERMEDIATE LABOUR MARKET INITIATIVES
Nottinghamshire County Council developed a pilot
ILM during 1997, which focuses upon installing energy conservation
measures in local authority housing. Outcomes included 11 out
of 14 participants, all long term unemployed people, (some unemployed
for up to 6 years), obtaining full time permanent jobs and 180
houses having improvements made. This project proved the value
of a waged programme and stimulated the formation of a range of
other ILMs working in the environmental field, and under the umbrella
of the ETF, from which 43 full time jobs have been created.
6) LETS
Leicester City Council—the idea of having a
LETS Development Agency for the city area came from local LETS
members and staff at the City Council's Community Economic Development
Team. The Leicester Exchange, which successfully applied for National
Lottery Charities Board funding late last year, is the result.
The project has employed a Development Worker to help develop
LETS in Leicester over the next three years. This work has several
aspects eg publicity, training and advice In addition, as the
project develops it will be looking to improve LETS trading within
different identifiable "sectors", such as small businesses,
disability/mental health groups, women's groups, LETS basics (ie,
practical skills like repair work, building, electrical work,
etc), and children's groups (ie, the idea of developing a separate
"KidsLETS" system to allow young people to trade in
safety without cash).
7) COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRES
Birmingham City Council supports a network of 25
community owned and managed Employment Resource Centres providing
advice, guidance and support for local unemployed people. They
reach 8,000 people a year and help nearly 2,000 into jobs and
another 4,000-5,000 into further training. The model may merit
endorsement and replication elsewhere. The council is also developing
a corps of advocates who will motivate young people and help them
argue their case for getting a job.
8) JOB BROKERAGE SCHEMES
Barnsley MBC have helped set up the Fenix Project—an
integrated recruitment, guidance and training service programme
for the unemployed over 50s (interested in the New Deal for +
50s), partly funded by the ESF. Professional advice is offered
to all who qualify in the area including a place on the programme,
follow up support and assistance in getting a job, entry onto
a computerised job matching database, access and information about
main job options etc. The scheme has been set up as the older
person is often a particularly socially excluded member of society
and many people have stereotyped views, tending to recruit younger
people—Fenix aims to level the playing field for older people.
9) PARTNERSHIP IN EMPLOYMENT DELIVERY
Solihull and Birmingham Councils are working with
Birmingham & Solihull TEC and with the Airport company, the
NEC company, and Employment Service to establish a not-for-profit
employment agency which will provide temporary and seasonal workers
for a variety of big and small employers on the NEC/Airport complex;
drawing the workforce from North Solihull and East Birmingham.
Leeds City Council—The Seacroft Partnership
in Seacroft, Leeds was launched in July 1999 at the East Leeds
Family Learning Centre. Seven organisations, including the City
Council, Tesco, Asda and the District Employment Service are in
the partnership and over 500 jobs are being provided at the new
Tesco store—there will be more opportunities as other shops
open for business. Through the initiative, the partnership will
seek to regenerate the community which is severely affected by
long term unemployment. The New Deal scheme is being customised
by the partnership to match local skills available with the jobs
on offer. George Mudie, MP and Dr. Jack Cunningham launched the
partnership in JuIy this year.
Nottinghamshire CC—Some local authorities have
been very active in promoting partnership schemes. Nottinghamshire
County Council's "Bridge to Work" approach, developed
in 1997 and launched by Employment Minister Andrew Smith, has
a mission to develop through partnership an integrated range of
access, education, training and employment initiatives to help
unemployed people in Nottinghamshire back into work or other socially
useful activities. The guiding principles are empowerment, partnership,
coherence and motivation. Through analysis of its own recruitment
processes and in liaison with the Employment Service, it has also
put in place a number of measures to help New Deal clients succeed.
These include a simpler application form, job specifications geared
to training and development, more flexibility on interview panels
and references, and outreach work with New Deal clients to equip
them with specific knowledge of how to be successful in local
authority recruitment practices. In addition, it has been involved
with the local "Employer Alliance"—with which
many local companies have helped in some way over the last 18
months. All local companies were asked to use their best endeavours
to recruit unemployed people and have been awarded a specially
designed Business Commitment Charter which reinforces the New
Deal message.
10) LINKS TO HOUSING AND TRAINING
Kirklees MBC run the KHETI programme—Kirklees
Housing Employment and Training Initiative. The funding sources
for this scheme are FEFC, capital receipts, ESF grants, New Deal
for young people funds, work based training for adults and youth
training funds. The participants are Kirklees Council Housing
and Economic Development Services, Huddersfield Technical College,
construction contractors and local housing associations, The scheme
works through the housing capital programme which is assessed
for the type of works to be undertaken and the contracting process
includes information about the availability of local trainees
to help undertake the works, each attracting a wage subsidy of,
£75 a week, and an invitation to contractors to indicate
if they are interested in participating.
Trainees are recruited locally and they attend a
three-month block release course to gain a minimum of NVQ I. During
this period trainees are paid an allowance equivalent to their
previous benefit, or £52, whichever is greater. At the end
of three months, trainees go out on site and are given jobs on
industry terms and conditions with the contractor. They return
to college for day release to achieve a minimum of NVQ II.
All participants who completed the programme have now gained jobs
in the industry. The programme works because it uses a cocktail
of funding to attract as wide a range of participants as possible
and ties training into a skill shortage area and local regeneration
activity. Partnership between the council, private sector contractors
and the local college is also crucial.
LGA Circular to Chief Executives (local authorities)
Clerks to Police, Joint Fire and Passenger Transport Authorities
Please circulate to: Members and officers responsible
for employment issues
Inquiry into Employability and Jobs: Is there
a jobs gap?
Requests that authorities provide comments and case
studies to be included in the LGA's response to the forthcoming
Employment Sub Committee Inquiry into Employability and Jobs.
Responses to be sent to the LGA by 1 September 1999.
Contact: Gill Bolan (0171 664 3032)
Dear Colleague
You may be aware that the Government's Employment
Sub Committee is organising an inquiry on the theme "Employability
and jobs: is there a jobs gap?". The LGA has been invited
to provide written evidence to this inquiry in the autumn and
would very much like comments and feedback from local authorities
on the main areas the inquiry will be exploring, namely:
A) the extent and causes of any geographical
jobs gap—which groups might be affected;
B) how successful the official measures, such as the claimant
count areas statistics and those provided by the Labour Force
Survey, are at presenting the spatial disparity in UK unemployment;
C) the impact of any jobs gap on the effectiveness of supply side
policies, such as the New Deal, ONE and Employment Zones;
D) the extent of local, national Government and European sponsored
initiatives aimed at creating a better balance between the supply
and demand for jobs at the local level and whether these are sufficient;
E) examples of good practice in this area;
F) are there any areas which are not covered in the points above,
which you feel are relevant to the inquiry?
Please send your brief comments, clearly marked under the headings
above, for the attention of Gill Bolan at the LGA, to arrive no
later than 1 September 1999, noting the LGA's new address at Smith
Square, London, SW1P 3HZ. We look forward to receiving your response.
List of responses to LGA circular to Local Authority
Chief Executives
Employability and Jobs: is there a jobs gap?
— Bristol City Council
— Chester City Council
— East Staffs Borough Council
— East Sussex County Council
— Kennet District Council
— Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
— Lancashire County Council
— Leeds City Council
— Nottingham City Council
— Nottinghamshire County Council
— Plymouth City Council
— Richmondshire District Council
— Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council
— Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
— Hackney Borough Council
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