Transcript Slide 1

The Work Programme in Greater Manchester
Summary
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Major change to employment support services and benefits
Increasing incentives to work and improving the support available
Emerging Jobcentre Plus offer to high volume ‘flow’ JSA claimants
Avanta, G4S and Seetec selected by DWP to become preferred
bidders for the Work Programme in Greater Manchester & Cheshire
DWP estimates that at least 150,000 long-term claimants in GM will
enter the Work Programme in the next 5 years
DWP expect a third of the Work Programme customers to be recent
or current claimants of health-related benefits, such as ESA or IB
Payment by results (again) – a share of the benefits savings that
accrue when an individual enters and remains in employment
Context of changes to benefits and the shift to Universal Credit by
2013
Why are we interested?
• We have no statutory role and we aren’t co-commissioning
• But GM has a shared priority to move large numbers of people from
long term benefits into sustained work
• Economic inactivity is a key drag on productivity….and is critical to
narrowing inequalities
• Local authority responsibility to all residents
• 320,000 GM residents claim the key benefits – majority are long-term
and can enter the Work Programme on a voluntary or mandatory basis
• We are already spending heavily in the same neighbourhoods and
families – this is a shared client group
• Context of benefit changes and incentives to work
• Opportunity to support the development of more effective, efficient and
better integrated service offer to this priority customer group
What we’ve learned from past provision
Policy and intentions right, some real successes…but
Client journey often fragmented - wider support services needed
Employer side underdeveloped – sustaining work for 104 weeks?
Lack of join up between DWP/LSC/local programmes (competing?)
Limited ability to tailor mainstream provision to best fit local need
Limited integration with local services (see client journey)
Scope for developing supply chains further, especially in relation to
specialist provision
Black Box + funding climate + incentive alignment = opportunities
to think creatively
Greater Manchester’s approach
Ensuring that the Work Programme and DWP-funded activity:
- Are high quality programmes that have the capacity to meet the
needs of local residents
- Build on existing good infrastructure – both client and employer-facing
- Build on experience of what works (and what doesn’t)
- Combine all our efforts to get the most efficient and effective service
to residents, particularly the most vulnerable
What GM partners have done so far
• Extensive briefings/events to raise awareness of the Work Programme
and wider changes to DWP, SFA and Council commissioning amongst
local partners
• Local strategic partnerships:
• Set out local priorities for the Work Programme – building on what we know
local residents need
• Share information on what’s work and what hasn’t
• Identify what local infrastructure could be relevant to the Work Programme –
local ‘asks’ and ‘offers’ showing what can be:
• Aligned (for free)
• Co-located
• Co-case managed
• Co-commissioned
• Info & support to local providers considering joining supply chains
Challenges – plenty!
Getting the right supply chain in place and managing its performance
Retaining flexibility in delivery – no ‘one size fits all’
Creaming and Parking – the offer to those with more complex needs
In-work support and the employer relationship: 104 weeks!
Building capacity in related services – NHS waiting lists, depleted
advice services etc
Avoiding duplicating and achieving integration with local services –
identifying the ‘win-win’ scenarios with housing, health, reoffending
Risks of payment by results for supply chain partners (and primes!)
Ability of all 3 primes to work together on shared priorities
Future role
• Alignment/sequencing of activity with other related funding streams
– ESF, Community Budgets and neighbourhood activity
• Service integration and co-location – piloting new ways of working in
priority services (eg drugs/alcohol, mental health etc)
• Understanding performance: where is it working well? Where (and
for who) is it not working well?
• Provider engagement to jointly address barriers and maximise
performance at sub-regional and local level (economic partnerships)
• LEP employment and skills partnership: sharing labour market
analysis, job growth opportunities and shaping GM E&S activity