APPENDIX 12
Supplementary Memorandum submitted by
Reed in Partnership (OP21A)
1. BACKGROUND
This paper provides supplementary information
to the initial evidence and key learning points provided by Reed
in Partnership in December 2001 for the Work and Pensions Select
Committee.
The additional information provides further
clarification surrounding the client group, performance and service
innovations in the ONE service in North Nottinghamshire.
2. CLIENT GROUPS
The current client flow profile is 64 per cent
JSA and 36 per cent Non JSA clients of which 19 per cent are Incapacity
Benefit clients and 5 per cent Lone Parents. The balance includes
Widowers, Carers, Income Support only clients or those claiming
Council Tax or Housing Benefit.
The profile differs across our offices with
the highest proportion of Non JSA clients being 48 per cent at
the Ollerton office. The lowest Non JSA client flow is found at
our Alfreton office, 26 per cent.
3. PERFORMANCE
Our performance has improved considerably in
2001 the year 2000 was significantly affected by the introduction
of full participation. Non JSA placings accounted for 4 per cent
of all placings in the first quarter of 2001 and this has increased
to over 19 per cent in the final quarter.
Lone parents comprise the majority of these
Non JSA placings accounting for 60 per cent with Incapacity Benefit/Income
Support clients accounting for the balance.
Our performance across the range of other key
indicators include:
— 99 per cent of clients attend a PA
meeting within four days;
— 96 per cent of benefit claims forms
are completed to 100 per cent accuracy;
— 80 per cent of clients are seen at
Start Up within 20 minutes of being seen at reception; and
— only 15 per cent of clients have
their work focused interview deferred as it is inappropriate at
the initial PA meeting.
4. INNOVATIONS
Detailed below are some of the other innovations
introduced and the supporting business reasons and successes:
| Innovation | Business Reason
| Success |
| Ex-Offender Project | Improve release process and help client to obtain benefits and accommodation and undertake job search on release.
| Clients are impressed with the service as they are also seen at pre-release stage while in prison.
|
| Women's Refuge Project | Provide a named contact for female clients who have been subject to abuse and have relocated as a consequence.
| Both staff and clients recognise the service provided which has eased the distress levels of clients.
|
| Non-JSA Specialists | Lone Parent and Incapacity Benefit specialists have been developed to provide a more personalised and informative service.
| Clients obtain a service from client specific advisers who have a greater knowledge and appreciation of the barriers affecting these groups.
|
| Hot Listing | Increase active caseloading of clients and highlight those clients who have none or few barriers to employment.
| This has ensured that staff are constantly assisting the clients they have recently seen and are providing a constant job matching service face to face or over the telephone.
|
| Floor Walking/Job Point | Increase job search activity with clients waiting to be seen by an adviser. Clients are offered job search assistance prior to their PA meeting.
| Clients have been placed into work before their PA meeting. For others they have considered what is available and been able to make decisions on current vacancies and also their travel to work area.
|
| Industry Specific Days | Some industries have tended to have a poor public image. Bringing together the employers, training organisations, councils and LSC has bridged this gap.
| This has been very successful for the call centre industry which is growing in Nottinghamshire and which has difficulty filling vacancies.
|
| Christmas cards to Non JSA clients | Christmas cards were sent to those Non-JSA clients who could not find work at the initial PA meeting to increase the awareness of employment focused support available.
| Led to a number of clients requesting appointments to discuss employment, in work benefit support or CV development.
|
| Joint Recruitment | Supporting local authority regeneration activity a co-ordinated recruitment approach was developed for a large UK company.
| This successfully brought together the employer, LA, Economic Development Teams and the supporting agencies together. Exercise very successful in obtaining employees. The success is being used to market the area to other employers considering relocation.
|
| Utilising other Recruitment Agency vacancies
| To increase the employment options and vacancy information to clients. Alternative to ES vacancies.
| Recruitment agencies provide information and posters on current vacancies. They also undertake talks and one to one's with clients within the ONE office.
|
| Negotiated free transport with employers for ONE clients.
| Overcome client transport barriers and assist employers with difficult to fill vacancies.
| Large employers have been able to provide transport subject to ONE helping them to fill a level of vacancies. Distance to the employer can be in excess of 30 miles which is costly and often difficult for clients.
|
The above innovations are in addition to our Outreach Service
and Discovery Programme, a voluntary programme for Non JSA clients.
Both are funded through the innovation element of the contract
and covered in our earlier paper.
January 2002
| 
