Westminster City Council Employment Plan (Draft)

Transcription

1 Westminster City Council Employment Plan (Draft)

2 Contents

3 Draft Employment Plan Introduction 02 Summary of the plan 04 Where we are now 08 Our vision for employment 14 Putting the plan into action 16 Collaborations and Partnership 24 Conclusion 28

4 2 Draft Employment Plan Introduction Apple Store the Recruit London programme works with employers such as Apple to unlock vacancies and opportunities for local unemployed people

5 Draft Employment Plan This plan looks ahead to the next four years and has been developed in response to the current and impending financial constraints on local government. The key issues regarding worklessness in the City and the intention for Westminster to lead from the front in making Central London an area that not only attracts business and growth but also ensures that its residents and local communities benefit from this positive change in the long-term. It details the five key priorities for the council and examples of how they will be delivered. Actions will be driven by the Employment and Skills team and delivered in partnership with the diverse range of internal colleagues and external businesses, providers and organisations operating within Westminster. Delivering on these priorities will enable the residents, businesses and visitors of Westminster benefit from the rewards of economic growth and prosperity anticipated for the borough. The direction of travel for the council will be to reduce spend on traditional commissioned employment support services, redesign the delivery of frontline services, tackle key barriers to employment and work closely with other government partners to prove the case for local control of finances and services relating to employment.

6 4 Draft Employment Plan Summary of the plan

7 Draft Employment Plan To benefit from future growth opportunities and to make a significant impact on worklessness in Westminster, the council will need to deliver services and work with central government, partners, service providers, business and residents in a different way than before. Aligning strategies across key council departments, redesigning frontline services, using its unique position as a purchaser, employer and landowner to maximise value and investing in areas where it will make the most difference to the employment agenda: one Priority 1: Complex dependency and local service integration For a significant minority of residents their lives are complex and at times chaotic, leading to a high level of dependency on local services and an increased chance of unemployment compared with the majority. These residents can have an impact not only on themselves and their families but also the businesses and communities they live in e.g. higher than average use of public services or anti-social behaviour. Residents in this situation are likely be in touch with a range of public services such as social services, housing, GPs, the Police and benefit agencies each service providing a varying level of support and resource but few knowing or understanding how the others are intervening and the total sum of their efforts. We will look at how services aimed at people in these situations can be combined, aligned and where necessary transformed to provide a holistic and employment focussed approach to intervention.

8 6 Draft Employment Plan two three Priority 2: Shaping mainstream provision: The local council has played a part in commissioning and delivering employment provision in the borough and these have yielded good results with over 600 residents going into work in 2013/14. However comparing these figures with the scale of those achieved by national mainstream programmes and the number of residents still looking for work, our efforts do not have as much significance. Long-term unemployed residents are likely to be more impacted by the activities of the Job Centre Plus and the Work Programme due to their link with benefits and mandatory nature. Consequently, if we are to effect real change for long term unemployed residents, local government and our network of delivery partners need to be financially viable, influential and heard within Whitehall. We will develop locally delivered programmes that strengthen the case to central government regarding what works for unemployed residents in central London. We will work collaboratively with external organisations and other local authorities to share and implement best practice across Central London with regards to addressing worklessness and building a supply of labour suitable for the growing economy. Priority 3: Tackling key barriers to employment through core Council and partner services and functions: The barriers to employment hindering or preventing unemployed residents from accessing, securing and sustaining in employment are diverse in terms of their nature and the support needed to address them. However this work is imperative, in the first instance to progress people from unemployment and closer to the labour market and secondly to sustain a resident in employment. We will work collaboratively across departments and with external partners to find solutions to long-withstanding issues that we know affect those residents we are targeting through this plan e.g. health and wellbeing, childcare and core and additional employability and sector specific skills. The number of residents claiming Job Seekers Allowance has reduced significantly within the last year

9 Draft Employment Plan four five Priority 4: Leveraging our position as an employer, purchaser and landowner This priority looks at the ways in which we can leverage and utilise our position as a major employer with a diverse set of relationships, purchaser of services and landowner in the wealthiest local authority in England. This will involve a refreshed approach to working with our partners, business and supply-chain and leading by example when it comes to appraising and transforming services and processes in order to offer work-related opportunities to our residents. The Employment and Skills teams will work across the council to advise, encourage and collaborate with departments to ensure we collectively maximise opportunities for unemployed residents and also make it easy for business to get involved. Priority 5: Working to ensure as much clarity as possible for residents, employers and providers through coordinating, influencing, signposting and monitoring There are numerous activities, labels, programmes and providers relevant to the discussion of employment and skills provision. A complex landscape, it can sometimes be daunting and confusing for commissioners, providers and jobseekers alike when trying to understand how a particular provision may interact or link with others We will explore how we engage with our key stakeholders from residents, internal departments to providers to develop processes, groups and platforms to enable the sharing of accurate information and the provision of clear advice with regards to employment and skills.

10 8 Draft Employment Plan Where we are now Cardinal Place the Recruit London programme works with employers such as Cardinal Place to unlock vacancies and opportunities for local unemployed people

11 Draft Employment Plan There a number of financial, economic, social and political drivers of local employment support and provision within Westminster. Key issues and challenges currently faced by the council are: > > Reduced central government funding > > A recovering economy > > High number of long term, unemployed residents who are out of work often due to complex issues and circumstance > > A need to shape mainstream employment provision as so to effect real change for unemployed residents With these challenges the Council needs to operate, collaborate and spend in a different way than before focussing on areas of work that will ultimately enable residents to be better prepared and able to compete for and access the increased number of employment opportunities expected in the coming decade. In recent years, Central government funding has decreased significantly leading to the council having to reduce its spend across departments in order to meet the gap. Due to continued funding reductions, over the next three years Westminster will need to make a further 100m in savings. This sizeable drop in income has led to significant organisational change and a microscopic look at areas of the business where there is high demand for services from residents, high associated costs for the council and its local partners and as a result a high need for a revised approach to delivering these services. London is coming out of the recession and as a consequence the opportunity for growth has increased and the chances of economic prosperity for residents and business restored. The GLA has projected an increase in output and employment across a number of sectors in the short and long term. Growth sectors most aligned to the types of activity and business in Westminster are construction, food and hospitality services, transport, finance and business. This growth is fertile ground for our residents and communities who will live on the doorstep of opportunity. In May 2014, the number of residents claiming out of work benefits in Westminster was 18, 170 people, with the majority (10,720) being accounted for by those with physical or mental health as a barrier to employment who claim Employment Support Allowance (ESA). The number of residents claiming Job Seekers allowance (JSA) has reduced significantly within the last year in line with national trends. Between May 2013 May 2014 the JSA claimant count fell by approximately 25%, with latest figures indicating 3250 residents were claiming the benefit. Benefit classification is not the only way to understand our challenge nor our out of work resident population research carried out by the Centre of Economic and Social Inclusion show this group are also more likely to be older, be a single person or single parent, to have little or no qualifications, been out of work for a long time and living in social housing. In comparison to the London average the employment rate of residents living in some areas of the borough is 20 percentage points lower than the average. In terms of claimant numbers and the out of work population characteristics, the effect of mainstream employment provision (such as the Work Programme) has been minimal in making sustained change. Additionally, the impact upon these numbers of council or non-mainstream employment programmes has been relatively small due to the scale of provision available. Council funded provision has historically been delivered in partnership

12 10 Draft Employment Plan Intervention: Work Place Coordinators broker jobs with businesses in Westminster and the West End Sourcing suitable candidates from local referral organisations Candidate screening and submission for vacancies in range of sectors including retail, hospitality and catering In work support to help job sustainment. Achievements: Recruit London has supported over 500 Westminster residents into work since delivery began in the borough 2009.

13 Draft Employment Plan Recruit London Summary: On going council job brokerage programme Aim of supporting local, job ready candidates into range of sectors by brokering vacancies in West End and around Westminster Partnership investment of Westminster City Council and local Business Improvement Districts 11

14 12 Draft Employment Plan with local, community based providers enabling the council to reach its residents in a different way to mainstream services. It is upon this model we will build new, targeted intervention at the same time as utilising quality intervention from other sectors including Further Education and business. Traditionally, local government has had little influence on centrally commissioned employment provision, which for the majority of those with complex and long term barriers to employment has had minimal positive effect latest statistics from the Work Programme show a low into work rate for ESA claimants with % finding work between 2011 and By nature of their circumstance, this group of residents would also have multiple touch points with council services and external partners often requiring a high level of spend across an extended period of time and an increasing dependence on the council and its partners. These conflicting situations has led to a group of entrenched, unemployed residents with high need for support but little resilience, tools or resource to support themselves economically. A key part of better preparing this group of residents will be the council working with other central London boroughs who face similar challenges to those outlined above to influence, advise and shape mainstream employment provision provided by the Department of Work and Pensions. As a part of Central London Forward and individually with local delivery partners, the council will pilot a small number of programmes aimed at the longest term unemployed and the lessons learnt provided to the Department of Work and Pensions to be incorporated into new provision in particular, subsequent iterations of the Work Programme. This approach will also enable local government to prove to Central Government that local areas are in a better position to understand the needs of their residents and address them accordingly utilising the expertise, resource and influence of the council and external partners from the further education, voluntary, community and private sectors. This proof of concept will further support the argument for a devolution of fiscal control of services from Whitehall down to the borough level. As a part of Central London Forward and individually with local delivery partners, the council will pilot a small number of programmes aimed at the longest term unemployed

15 Draft Employment Plan Residents by complexity of their barriers to employment and correlation to cost and potential impact upon services and communities. Costs and impact on services and community Residents with complex and longterm barriers Residents with specific barriers General barriers

16 14 Draft Employment Plan Our vision for employment London Victoria Westminster is the destination for business, enterprise and employment

17 Draft Employment Plan Our vision for Westminster is to have a working age population who have the opportunity to develop their work related skills and are effectively supported to address their complex barriers to work. In addition, our younger residents will have the right skills, experience and career aspirations to benefit from the expected growth of the next twenty years. Through this plan we will have: > > A range of effective, focussed intervention programmes for residents with complex and long-term barriers to employment including e.g. health and family circumstance > > A co-ordinated and active network of local funding and delivery partners working together in partnership with the council to share resource, expertise and influence in order to maximise outcomes for young people and long-term unemployed residents from the renewal areas > > Established, effective relationships, monitoring and reporting lines between council departments to ensure a cost-effective and where appropriate, client-centred approach to business planning, commissioning and service delivery placing employment and economic wellbeing at the centre of business as usual > > A significantly reduced commissioning budget complimented by improved methods of maximising the impact of available services delivered by us and our partners e.g. improved communications and sharing of best practice > > A strong and influential voice within the local business sector that will release and create work-related opportunities for our working age and younger residents > > Provision of clear and accessible routes to employment for residents regardless of their age, circumstance or career aspiration > > Developed a clear case for Central Government regarding the effectiveness of borough level delivery of employment support provision.

18 16 Draft Employment Plan Putting the plan into action Construction in Victoria through partners and executing our role as a landowner, the construction training programmes in Westminster are an example of connecting local unemployed to long term careers

19 Draft Employment Plan The plan details five key priorities and broad areas of work for the council which will cut-across benefit, age and circumstance classifications. We understand this to be the most effective way to reach the full range of residents requiring support e.g. young people, families, adults with complex barriers and older working age residents. The basis of these priorities has come from the learning of the past decade observation of mainstream programmes, lessons learnt from council commissioned activity and best practice shared by our network local delivery partners. These priorities will need to be implemented across departments, driven by all levels of service and supported by key external partners from across the sectors in order for it to succeed: 1. Complex dependency and local service integration 2. Shaping mainstream employment support provision 3. Tackling key barriers to employment through core Council and partner services and functions 4. Leveraging our position as an employer, purchaser and landowner 5. Working to ensure as much clarity as possible for residents, employers and providers through coordinating, influencing, signposting and monitoring one Priority 1: Complex dependency and local service integration We will look at how services aimed at people in complex situations can be combined, aligned and where necessary transformed to provide a holistic and employment focussed approach to intervention. We will do this by: > > The continued development of the Families and Communities Employment Service (FACES), which builds on the Family Recovery/Troubled Families model. Led by Children s Services and delivered in partnership with local Job Centre Plus, the programme provides a multi-agency approach to supporting parents, families and young people with a criminal record into employment or other work-related progression routes.

20 18 Draft Employment Plan Intervention: Soft hand over from Social Workers, Family Recovery, Gangs, YOT, Children s Centres and Early Help staff. Support from assigned employment coach. Specialist job brokerage support. Co-location with JCP colleagues to troubleshoot client benefit issues quickly. Achievements: Supported 26% of participants into employment.

21 Draft Employment Plan Families and Communities Employment Services (FACES) Summary: Initially 1 year pilot; allocated two year funding from April 2014 Aim of reducing number of workless Troubled Families households, single parents claiming Income Support, young people who are unemployed and engaged with gangs and those effected by housing benefit cap. Bi-borough multi agency approach between council and Job Centre Plus

22 20 Draft Employment Plan two Priority 2: Shaping mainstream employment support provision We will develop employment and skills support programmes that strengthen the case to central government regarding what works for unemployed residents in central London. We will work collaboratively with external organisations and other local authorities to share and implement best practice across Central London with regards to addressing worklessness and building a supply of labour suitable for the growing economy. We will do this by: > > We will work with, and challenge our partners, to reduce by a third the 10,000 residents who are long term unemployed within three years > > Increasing the level of work conducted at a sub-regional level with Central London Forward to leverage economies of scale and develop our credibility as a borough and region that understands the needs of its residents and how best to deliver programmes to them such as Working Capital. This programme aims to provide intensive employment support to approximately 4,000 residents across the CLF footprint, claiming Employment Support Allowance (ESA) who have left the Work Programme without finding employment > > Continuing to invest in programmes like Recruit London, that provide quality routes to employers, employment and work related opportunities for unemployed, inexperienced or economically inactive residents > > Working with a range of local partners and stakeholders to understand their appetite for risk and reward and develop joint investment agreements to ensure financial sustainability of ambitious plans proposed to Government > > Development of a consistent approach to council commissioning with standardised rates, outcome expectations and caps applied to funding resulting in a clear understanding of outcome value > > London Councils-led development of further devolution propositions for London and parallel, aligned discussions with DWP on future of Work Programme and London s role in influencing successor programmes.

23 Draft Employment Plan three Priority 3: Tackling key barriers to employment through core Council and partner services and functions We will work collaboratively across departments and with external partners to find solutions to long-withstanding issues that we know affect our local population of unemployed residents e.g. health and wellbeing, childcare, core and additional employability skills, and sector specific skills and awareness. We will do this by: > > Supporting and developing One EBP the Education Business Partnership for Westminster under the council s Economic Development team. This team will work with local schools to build up career awareness, appetite, knowledge and core personality traits in school children up to the end of secondary school. This exposure to the practices and nature of employment and careers will help to curtail the risk of future adult unemployment > > Increased partnership work with the FE sector and our network of partner employers and employment services to help create a clear path from learning to working addressing potential barriers such as functional skills, language and sector-specific skills, experience and permits > > Working with colleagues from Children s Services, Public Health, Research and Intelligence and external partners to design and implement a range of childcare solutions fit for the mixed needs of residents; enabling parents to better access and utilise childcare as a means to sustain in employment > > Implementation of the Public Health and WCC Health and Wellbeing Board priorities regarding employment as detailed in their recent strategies. This will include delivery of nine employment and workplace health related pilots within WCC.

24 22 Draft Employment Plan three four Priority 4: Leveraging our position as an employer, purchaser and landowner Setting an example to other large organisations and businesses, we will work across relevant internal departments to advise, encourage and collaborate them to ensure we collectively maximise opportunities for unemployed residents and also make it easy for business to get involved. We will do this by: > > Working with HR to develop the current apprenticeship offer and looking at ways of widening the placement offer to better provide training and work experience for young people in Westminster who are not in education, employment or training and who may not have high-grade GCSEs > > Working with Adult Services to deliver a range of quality work opportunities such as work experience/shadowing, carved positions, and work-interviews for young people and adults who have supported employment needs such as those with a learning disability, homeless or recovering from addiction > > Supporting the work of Procurement with Cross River Partnership on capacity building, opening up opportunities to small suppliers and on-going work to achieve local employment outcomes (and wider social value benefits) through the procurement process > > Supporting businesses to develop and deliver in-work progression training programmes for local residents consequently increasing resident s chance of progression to permanent/fixed term or more advanced roles > > Working with Planning to inform future planning processes and their implementation so they are in line with the Westminster employment and skills plan and City Plan. Through the Supplementary Planning Document we will use our leverage as a local authority to encourage and commit large developers to supporting the employment priorities of the council and provide routeways into construction and associated sectors for local unemployed and economically inactive people. Working with local schools to build up career awareness, appetite, knowledge and core personality traits in school children up to the end of secondary school

25 Draft Employment Plan five Priority 5: Convening, coordinating, influencing, signposting and monitoring to ensure clarity for residents, colleagues, employers and providers We will develop processes, groups and platforms to enable effective intervention at the right time and to the most effect, sharing of accurate data and the provision of clear advice for our key stakeholders. We will do this by: > > Change in commissioning approach to reduced and focussed spending and a move towards co-ordinated commissioning across departments > > Leveraging funding from other government or commercial sectors > > Continuing to develop more effective monitoring processes and oversight mechanisms to enable the Council to have oversight of an issue, its variables and impact even when it may not have direct influence over it and to provide a basis to prove the effectiveness of commissioned employment programmes > > Developing our use of technology to improve data sharing, service integration and performance monitoring > > Supporting external charity and third sector providers to meet shared objectives of supporting the longest term unemployed residents closer to work and/or into employment > > Providing clear, accessible information and guidance to young people aged about employment, skills and training via a range of resources including a new online resource > > Being transparent in our ambitions and processes, collaborating with variety of partners to achieve the best outcomes with the most impact within the confines of reduced council spend and reduced funding from Central government > > Supporting partners delivery through promotion and communications of their skills training services via the Westminster Work and Skills Provider Network.

26 24 Draft Employment Plan Collaborations and Partnership Church Street Market bustling market within one of the Council s renewal areas

27 Draft Employment Plan Sustained employment is affected by a number of factors including but not limited to physical and mental health, housing, skills, personal circumstance, and work experience. To increase the chances of effectively supporting our unemployed or inexperienced residents to achieve their employment and training goals, we will need to foster, broker and maintain effective working relationships and diverse partnerships both within and external to the council. We will build new relationships and continue working with established partners from across the sectors: Landowners Property developers Schools Construction contractors Start-ups and local enterprise Employment support providers Work Programme providers Housing Associations and providers Infrastructure development contractors Residents Job Centre Plus Charities and foundations Community organisations Clinical Commissioning Groups Volunteering services and brokers Further Education providers Universities Economic Development and Policy organisations SMEs Research organisations Advice and guidance organisations Department of Work and Pensions Other Local Authorities Children and Young People s Services Public Realm Community Safety Environmental Health Adult Services External organisations / services / businesses Council departments and services Communications Research and Intelligence Housing Planning Business and Enterprise Human Resources Public Health Procurement Policy & Strategy

28 26 Draft Employment Plan Measuring reward and success: Pilot has set a 15% job outcome metric for planning purposes. However success will be judged by a Job Outcome Target which is set at between 3 5 points above control. Success will unlock a series of progressive steps towards further local service integration. Intervention: Intensive caseworker model with outcome-based payments building on best practice approaches drawn from conventional welfare to work interventions and Troubled Families approach. Integrated and sequenced with wider public services designed, commissioned and delivered at a local level, including skills, health, debt advice and housing support. Hypothesis: Integration of employment support and wider public services can be better achieved at a local level for the very hardest to help. Approach will deliver better job outcomes and produce increased fiscal savings via a reduction in benefit expenditure (AME) and reduced demand for public services (DEL).

29 Draft Employment Plan Profile of Working Capital Summary: 5 year 11.15m Randomised Control Trial aimed at helping almost 4,000 Work Programme returners claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to find and sustain work. Aim of reducing benefit dependency via local service integration alongside intensive employment support across the 8 Central London Forward Boroughs. 27

30 28 Draft Employment Plan Conclusion Thistle Hotel Hospitality is a large industry within Westminster with up to 6,000 people working as employees within the sector

31 Draft Employment Plan Over the next four years, Westminster City Council will collaborate with a range of organisations and produce simple, innovative solutions that will deliver cost-effective and quality outcomes for working age long-term unemployed residents and young people.

32

33

34 Mervyna Thomas Employment Projects Co-ordinator Growth, Planning and Housing Westminster City Council 18th floor, City Hall 64 Victoria Street London SW1E 6QP T F mthomas@westminster.gov.uk Issue 1: March 2015