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1 Intowork is a hub in a range of networks that enable it to support clients, influence and develop policy, and foster sustainability. This case study explores some of the ways in which Intowork maximises influence and support via best use of networks. Context Intowork has two supported employment teams who work with different client groups; the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Team and the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Team 1. Both teams follow the same supported employment model and work in an open plan office that allows staff to share contacts and working practices easily. The Intowork teams have regular full team meetings to discuss caseloads, as well as joint team meetings that facilitate cross team sharing of knowledge and skills. Intowork clients follow the model of Supported Employment with a case management approach for all. The aim of the Intowork supported employment service is to support people through the five stages and into work. Once a client is in employment the relationship will taper off slowly changing to a more episodic relationship where people receive support if and when they require it to maintain work, progress in work or change job at a future date. Few people drop out of supported employment. In 2011, Intowork received third party grant funding (currently 11K per annum) from Midlothian Council for the provision of supported employment services, and it is distinct from the internal service STEM (Services for Training for Employment 2 ) offered by Midlothian Council to clients with learning disabilities. Intowork services include both Edinburgh and Midlothian. The funding arrangement in Edinburgh is similar where Intowork receive third party grant funding (currently 50K per annum) through City of Edinburgh Council s City Development Department (Economic Development). Intowork does not have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with either Midlothian or City of Edinburgh Councils, and does not receive direct funding from Social Work / Health and Social Care Departments in either local authority. This lack of a strong core funding base has made life difficult and indeed the organisation nearly went out of existence in 2007, but was saved by emergency bridging funding (provided by City of Edinburgh Council) to enable it to get to the next tranche of ESF funding. One could say its dependence on ESF and ability to lever in funds from other sources including the Big Lottery has been a saving grace, but also a hindrance in terms of generating longer term stability. The predominant service delivery focus on ASD and ABI has also put it at a disadvantage, in terms of generating an SLA arrangement with the councils. ASD and ABI are not statutory client groups in the way that learning disability and mental health client groups are. ESF priority eligibility and contingent travel to work area technical requirements dictate that that 90% of services should be provided in the Edinburgh area and 10% in Midlothian however, in reality, the split is more like 80:20 as work is focused where the where the need is. ESF is a difficult source of funding to work with because of technical issues and payment in arrears through a complex claims system, however it remains crucial to organisations like Intowork as it is the only funding show in town. What happens after the current ESF programme ends appears to be a major worry, as extensive work on making expressions of interest to potential Work Programme prime contractors have proved disappointing. Having received minimal feedback from these potential primes, the feeling is that there is a preference for sub contracting or forming supply chain arrangements with larger organisations i.e. national voluntaries and local authorities, as they appear more financially stable given the financial and payments model which will be deployed on this national programme. 57% of the Midlothian workforce works in Edinburgh as Midlothian has a high commuting population but commuting happens in both directions. People from Edinburgh who commute to work in Midlothian tend to do so for managerial jobs while the same trend does not happen in reverse. 1 With new funding this team is diversifying its client group to include other disabilities. 2 STEM Team 1

2 Networking Employability Midlothian is one of the smaller local authorities in Scotland. There are challenges inherent with this in terms of scalability and sustainability in the face of the requirement to make savings in the current environment. The strong gravitational pull of Edinburgh in economic and social terms cannot therefore be discounted, and Intowork have shown themselves capable of bridging the political and logistical difficulties that cross-border working can often present. For this case study we have attempted to map some of the networks Intowork use to drive client services and to share knowledge and influence to maintain services provision and develop supported employment in Scotland. We have used for domains to describe the networks Intowork have developed. These are: The Third Sector, which describes a matrix of third sector organisations in the local areas which coordinate referrals between each other, and thrive on the shared commitment to a third sector model, and the personal and professional networks of the staff involved. Statutory, which describes the formal and informal links Intowork has developed with the statutory service providers in health, social care and the DWP agencies in the area. Community, which describes the links into work make with community organisations, civil society, employers and providers of Lifelong Learning. Strategic and Policy, which describes Intowork s connection to national, regional and local policy activities The network diagram below (figure 1) summarises some of the key links present for each of these categories. Commentary below then discusses some of the success factors and challenges for each. 2

3 Figure 1 IntoWork Networks Diagram 3

4 Key Success Factors Some key success factors in Intowork s networking are discussed here by category: Third Sector 1. Formal and Informal Partnership Between Organisations Intowork has benefitted from formal and informal partnerships with other third sector providers. Formal links with Autism Initiatives 3 were established in previous years when shared funding enabled formal sharing of staff capacity. When this funding ended informal ties continued, and Autism initiatives project Number Six continues to provide client referrals for Intowork, and to be a source of support for Autistic Spectrum clients. This enables Intowork staff to concentrate on employment related activities, knowing that the other needs of the client can be met in a trusted partner organisation. Intowork has taken a lead in the formation and development of key local networks including the Lothian Employability Forum, which has charitable status and is the local area network affiliated to SUSE. It undertook a similar role in the formation and development of the Lothian Employers Network on Disability (LEND), which also had charitable status and provided peer learning and training opportunities for local public and private sector employers as the DDA was rolled out. In recent months, Intowork has taken a lead role in the ongoing development of the West Lothian Employability Alliance, a group of voluntary sector intermediaries who will potentially link into delivering elements of West Lothian CPP s P5 ESF programme. Intowork has been a long term member and contributor to Edinburgh s Joined Up for Jobs Partnership Forum and has recently implemented use of Caselink 4, part of the Joined up for Jobs Strategy. This is a common client database for employability providers in Edinburgh and enables sharing of relevant data with client permission between voluntary and statutory providers with which a client is in contact. As a key part of it s ESF funded activity, Intowork has taken a lead role in developing a public / third sector partner High Support Needs Consortium. 2. Recognition of the Boundaries Between Supported Employment and Other Needs Intowork have a strong grasp on the boundaries of their work. This is in part because of the excellent third sector links they have which enable committed staff to let go knowing that a client s important but not employability related need will be met. Intowork staff refer with confidence to a wide range of providers for health, benefits, life skills and other needs at every stage of the Supported employment process. A common problem in employability services is that dedicate staff hold on to clients and exceed their remit because of a real or perceived lack of support for that client from other agencies. 3. Individual and Organisational Networks Intowork have a very low staff turnover rate, with employment advisors typically staying for several years. When vacancies do arise or staff move on, the staff often remain in contact with Intowork in new roles, and vacancies are filled by staff from complimentary or familiar services. This has enabled the transference of Intowork awareness into other organisations, and the pollination of the Intowork team by new members arriving from other organisations. This has two effects. Firstly a wide range of organisations are aware of Intowork, and refer into it and back it up with their own services. Secondly the wide personal networks of long serving staff add to the cumulative organisational knowledge of

5 Intowork itself. Staff themselves often highlight the advantage of being able to call on very experienced managers and supervisors for advice or ideas. 4. Co-Location of Organisations in a Third Sector Hub IntoWork is based in Norton Park 5, a former school converted by the Albion Trust into offices and a conference centre for the Third Sector. A number of health, social care, advice, advocacy and disability organisations are based in the building, and there is a strong community of inter organisation working in Norton Park. This enables links and informal networking, and also direct referrals and joint work with clients on site. It also provides a welcoming, non-clinical but action focused environment for service users to visit. Policy and Strategic 1. MEAN Partnership Intowork are key third sector members of the MEAN partnership discussed above. This enables them to connect with other partners in Midlothian at a strategic and operational level. Intowork s Edinburgh base means that they are well positioned to nourish the MEAN partnership with input from their connections in West Lothian and Edinburgh. 2. SUSE Board Membership Intowork s Director, Peter Purves is a member of the board of the Scottish Union of Supported Employment. In this capacity Peter is able to bring and receive input from across Scotland to and from Intowork s practice and networks. Peter has taken part in working groups at national and regional level in employability, and it is clear from talking to Intowork staff that the learning from these opportunities is cascaded within the organisation. 3. Understanding of European and Other Funding Intowork have shown skill over nearly 20 years in leveraging funding opportunities from a range of sources. They have benefitted and made full use of opportunities presented by EU Structural Funds and count their experienced finance and administrative staff as a key asset in enabling them to work efficiently across the range of funding sources. Because a variety of funders require a variety of data on outcomes, Intowork have an extensive range of data and information at their fingertips, which greatly facilitated the recent Fidelity Review. This expertise in funding makes Intowork a valuable partner and source of advice. 4. Continuity and Experience Community Similarly to point 3 above under third sector, the continuity of senior management at Intowork has enabled the accrual of a great deal of organisational knowledge and experience. The knowledge and experience of the senior staff make them popular additions to working groups and conference/dissemination programmes. 1. Work with Families 5 5

6 Intowork staff, especially on the Autistic Spectrum side, point to work with families as critical to achieving employment outcomes. Staff are willing to assist a disabled person in making the financial case to families for working, and to refer on to specialist advice on benefits. Staff also make efforts to involve family where a young person is in transition from school or college to employment. 2. Employer and Partner training Statutory Intowork staff provides training to employers, most often in pre-employment preparation for supporting a person in work. This creates a strong relationship with a company, which may then seek further advice, and become more comfortable with the concept and practice of employing disabled people. Staff also provide training to other agencies and have undertaken this type of work with organisations as far afield as Jersey in the Channel Islands. 1. Anticipatory Connections Intowork have shown a particular interest in forming anticipatory connections with statutory services, to enable them to plan for future caseload and to build links between recovery/transition and employment. Staff have strong working relationships with the Occupational Therapy team at the Head Injuries Rehabilitation Service at the Astley Ainslie Hospital (NHS Lothian). This enables OTs to anticipate recovery of patients with brain injuries and to make links to Intowork when the time is right. The Autistic Spectrum team have good links with transitions teams in schools and in colleges. They make presentations in schools in good time to enable links to the service to be made in anticipation of seeking employment after education has finished. ENDS Mental Health Foundation,