LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON. Supported Employment Service SERVICE SPECIFICATION

Transcription

1 LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON Supported Employment Service SERVICE SPECIFICATION 1

2 SERVICE SPECIFICATION 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The London Borough of Sutton People Directorate intend to commission a Supported Employment Service for vulnerable adults (hereafter referred to as service users ) with a mental health need, a learning disability or a physical disability who want to work. 1.2 For the purpose of this specification employment or work is defined as a real job in the open labour market that is paid the prevailing wage or self-employment. Training, education, volunteering or work experience may be essential elements for delivering this aim if they are part of a genuine pathway to real work. 2. AIM OF THE SERVICE 2.1 The aim of the service is to support adults to obtain and sustain paid employment through the delivery of effective and innovative models of employment support. 3. PURPOSE OF SERVICE 3.1 The purpose of the service is to provide an evidenced outcomes-based and personalised Supported Employment Service to support adults with a mental health need, learning disability or physical disability living in the borough to access employment, where they can fulfil their work aspirations and achieve social and economic inclusion. This service will target adults who meet the eligibility criteria 1 for adults with care and support needs under the Care Act 2014 and whom the Council has a duty to provide a service. 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 This new Supported Employment Service will provide opportunities for adults with a mental health need, a learning disability or a physical disability to access paid employment in the open market or another form of meaningful employment related activity, such as volunteering, work experience, training to access employment, vocational education or another appropriate option towards employment. 4.2 The provision of supported employment is not a statutory requirement, however, the benefit to the user, their family, employers and society as a whole is well documented; it enables the service user to build relationships and participate in the community, family members acknowledge that their child/relative has something positive to contribute and employers benefit from loyal, reliable and enthusiastic workers who are an inspiration to other members of staff as well as to society as a whole. 1 Three conditions to be considered when determining eligibility: 1) The adult s needs for care and support arise from or related to a physical or mental impairment or illness and are not caused by other circumstantial factors. 2) As a result of the adult s needs, the adult is unable to achieve two or more of the outcomes specified in the regulations and outlined in the section. 3) As a consequence of being unable to achieve these outcomes, there is, or there is likely to be, a significant impact on the adult s wellbeing. 2

3 4.3 Data available in June 2016 from the Council s Frameworki system indicates that approximately 560 eligible adults with a learning disability, mental health need or a physical disability could potentially use the supported employment service. 5. SERVICE PRINCIPLES 5.1 The Council intends to commission a service that contains the following characteristics: Target service users who meet the eligibility criteria and have a support package from the Council and clients receiving a service from the South West London Community Mental Health Service Delivers evidenced outcomes for service users so that their journey towards employment can be tracked and their progress measured. Provide a targeted, time-bound and structured supported employment service for service users to become work ready, access employment and sustain their job. Provides a range of innovative employment options and meaningful employment activities to meet the employment needs of service users. Delivers a sustainable service that levers in alternative funding streams to deliver the service and maximise work related funding for service users. Applies good practice models of supported employment e.g. Individual Placement Support and Supported Employment Model etc. to suit the needs of the individual. The service is located where maximum referrals from referral agencies can be obtained and service users can easily access There are good links with other related services to make best use of all available resources and services for service users 6. OUTCOMES: 6.1 The Supported Employment Service should achieve the following commissioning and individual outcomes, as set out in Appendix 1: Commissioning Outcomes for the service 6.2 The service will be expected to deliver the following commissioning outcomes: 1) Employment is viewed as a realistic aim for individuals, their family, employers, health and social care services and the wider community. 3

4 2) Individuals have developed skills to enable them to gain employment. 3) Individuals are supported in selecting a job compatible with their interest, skills, experience, aspirations and background. 4) Successful relationships with businesses provide inclusive work opportunities. 5) Individuals are supported to obtain meaningful employment related activities to enable them to gain employment. Individual Outcomes 6.3 In delivering the commissioning outcomes for the service, the Supported Employment Service will be expected to demonstrate the impact on individual service users. This should include, as a minimum, the following individual outcomes: 1) Service users gain paid employment or a meaningful employment related activity. 2) Service users are able to sustain employment. 3) Service users understand their employment related skills and development needs. 4) Service users are able to make an informed choice about their employment options. 5) Service users are equipped to carry out job search and job interviews 6) Service users independence is maximised. 7) Service users have improved self-confidence and self-esteem. 8) The income of service users is maximised 7. SERVICE STANDARDS Referrals and eligibility for the service 7.1 A clear and visible description of the service will be publicised to ensure that the service options available are accessible to service users and referral agencies. 7.2 The service will target and prioritise service users who meet the eligibility criteria, whilst also providing a support for service users with a lower level of need, applying a ratio of 80% eligible users and 20% non-eligible users in Year 1 moving to 100% eligible service users by Year 3 of the contract. 4

5 7.3 The service will be sufficiently flexible to provide an ad hoc support service to service users who have left the service, following a move into employment, but who require support to manage a work related issue. Individual Support Plan and working with service users 7.4 The service will assess all service users to determine their future job and career aspirations and skills needed to gain employment and these will be included the individual support plan that is produced by the Supported Employment Service. 7.5 The individual support plan will be personalised, involving the service user and key stakeholders, with a strong focus on delivering tailored support based on individual needs. 7.6 The individual support plan may include the following employment options: Job search assistance and support Work-focused skills training Structured work experience Structured voluntary work Internships Apprenticeships Work trials Social enterprise 7.7 The individual support plan will include clear milestones for achieving employment and be updated regularly with progress against targets. 7.8 The service will support eligible service users to find and sustain paid employment for a time-limited period as outlined in their individual support plan. 7.9 The individual support plan will include an exit strategy for the Supported Employment Service that outlines how the service s input will reduce to the service user over the period of the support plan Supported Employment staff will take responsibility for guiding and assisting service users through all stages of their support plan towards employment For service users for whom paid employment is not a realistic option in the short term, the service will support them to gain meaningful employment related activities such as volunteering, work experience, training to access employment, vocational education or another appropriate option to enable them to gain employment Evidence of the outcomes for each individual service user must be recorded and maintained in a format agreed by the Council to enable the robust management of the contract and to inform other statutory returns e.g. Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework. 5

6 Working with partners 7.13 The service will work with Adult Social Services and the Transition Team to identify eligible individuals who will benefit from this service The service will utilise all existing mainstream supported employment services where appropriate e.g. Jobcentre Plus programmes, Adult Education and Further Education etc. and report barriers to access to the Council A good working relationship and knowledge of other employment support agencies and general support agencies is essential so that the provider can signpost as necessary The service will work with the London Borough of Sutton to utilise opportunities emerging from a supported internship scheme that may be developed in the future. The model can be promoted to other employers as appropriate The supported employment service should be located where maximum use can be made of the service by service users and referral agencies. Working with employers to secure employment opportunities 7.18 The service will develop and participate in existing employer networks to maximise access to local employers The service will liaise with employers to identify jobs that match the needs of individual service users and meet the needs and interests of employers The service will target the Council s key partners in the public, voluntary and private sectors to provide advice and support to encourage appropriate opportunities for employment for people traditionally excluded from the workforce The service will actively engage with employers to improve their understanding and attitudes towards people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and physical disabilities Employers will be encouraged to adopt recruitment and selection approaches that support service users e.g. use working interviews rather than formal interviews. Future funding 7.23 From the commencement of the contract the successful provider should have in place a business plan for making the service sustainable by sourcing alternative funding streams. 6

7 8. REFERRAL CRITERIA 81 Eligibility for the Supported Employment Service will be determined by the following criteria: The applicant will have a mental health need, a learning disability or a physical disability. The applicant must be aged 18 to access the service or aged 17 for the purposes of planning a move-on service in collaboration with the Council s Transition Team. The provider must accept a ratio of 80% eligible (and whom the Council has a duty to provide a service to) and 20% non-eligible referrals in Year 1, moving towards 100% eligible by Year 3. The applicant must be a resident of the London Borough of Sutton or be a person that Sutton Council have a statutory responsibility towards. The applicant must be a person who wants to obtain paid employment or other meaningful employment related activity that will lead to employment. 9. PERFORMANCE MEASURES 9.1 The Supported Employment Service will collect information that will report on the performance of the service, including the following data by eligible and non-eligible users of the service: Age and date of birth Gender Ethnicity Primary disability Referral agency Number of assessments regarding employment related needs carried out Number of individual support plans in place Number and description of paid jobs gained by service user group, including the numbers of hours worked per week Number of paid jobs sustained for 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months for each service user, including the number of hours worked per week Number and description of training activities delivered and undertaken Number and description of unpaid voluntary work undertaken by each service user Number and description of unpaid work experience undertaken by each service user Description of engagement activity carried out with employers 9.2 The provider will develop and report on outcome measures for individual service users as per the individual outcomes in section 6 of the specification. 7

8 9.3 The performance data will be presented quarterly in a format agreed with the Council. Cumulative annual returns should also be provided. 9.4 All performance data will be returned to the nominated Category Manager. 10. CONTRACT VALUE AND DURATION 10.1 The Supported Employment Service will commence on 1st April 2017 and will be commissioned for a period of 3 years with a budget of 180,000 in year 1. Contract savings of 10% is built in for each subsequent year of the contract, as outlined below. Year: % of funding Value of funding 1 100% 180, % 162, % 145, The service will be expected to produce a plan of action outlining how it will sustain the service financially. 11. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 11.1 Providers will be expected to have policies and procedures in place to comply with relevant legislation as set out in the tender documentation. 8