Connect 2 helps people who live in South Lanarkshire and have experienced significant barriers getting back to work as well as offering training in Health and Social Care. Barriers can include previous addiction to alcohol or drugs, mental health problems criminal convictions, literacy and numeracy problems, physical and learning disabilities, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Connect 2 has consistently achieved outstanding results with on average 80% of participants completing interventions gaining work or training progressions. Its 3-stage Place & Train model is recognised nationally as an example of Best practice by the Scottish Government and has been a catalyst for further employability programme development.
PLANNING / · a clear rationale, defined processes and focus on stakeholder needs· contributes to organisation’s goals and addresses current or emerging challenges
Connect 2 interventions form a strategic routeway into employment as part of an ambitious £2.3 M package of support lead by the Community Planning Partnership and branded South Lanarkshire Works 4 U (SLW4U). Connect 2 delivery takes forward the Supported Employment Model backed by the Scottish Government and COSLA “A working Life for Disabled people” that promotes the merits of a systematic and joined up approach to the additional support needs of those facing significant barriers to entering and retaining work.
At a National level the programme links to the Government Economic Strategy (GES) themes of Solidarity, Cohesion and Sustainability. In particular it’s aims ofreducing Inequality and “providing the opportunities, and incentives, for all to contribute to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth”. The Project is also aligned with South Lanarkshire Council Single Outcome Agreement themes under National Outcome 2 (We realise our full economic potential with more and better employment opportunities for our people) through the creation of employment and vocational training opportunities for vulnerable people looking for a career in Social Care and most at risk of isolation and disconnection from the labour market.
Connect 2 aims to assist people move off welfare benefits, reduce or remove their reliance on statutory services and increase their disposable income, and in doing so, to increase social inclusion, informal supports and maximise opportunities for independence.
Connect 2 Services address the needs of major stakeholders including:
Participants – in addition to skills shortages, the effects of the economic downturn have been particularly acute in South Lanarkshire with the number of young people aged 16-19 claiming Job Seekers Allowance at its highest rate for 17 years. The current rate of 7.4% is above the Scottish average 6.5%. The barriers to progression towards employment for unemployed people can include previous addiction to alcohol or drugs, mental health problems criminal convictions, literacy and numeracy problems, physical and learning disabilities, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
South Lanarkshire Council - through the Connect Council plan council funded employability programmes are tasked with impacting on “support the local economy by providing the right conditions for growth”. Connect 2 meets this need in full by aligning vocational training and personal skills development with local labour market needs in the Care Sector;
Local Care Sector Employers - The care industry is a major employment sector in South Lanarkshire, currently experiencing growth in demand.Retaining employees is an increasing challenge, mainly due to the low level of existing skills in new employees and the competitive recruitment market which exists for skilled workers. Connect 2 provides a solution by creating a pool of motivated and appropriately skilled candidates whose training supports fast track career development
DELIVERING / · implemented in all relevant areas and across all the required stakeholders· carried out in a structured and logical way , using robust and sustainable methods
Delivery of Connect 2 Services is overseen at a strategic level by the Community Regeneration Partnership that brings together members from across the local community including NHS, Community and Voluntary Sector, Skills Development Scotland, South Lanarkshire Council, Jobcentre Plus, and Strathclyde Police. At an operational level, Connect 2 creates a forum for joined up working for a broad cross section of community agencies such as South Lanarkshire Council Social Work and HousingServices, Care Sector Employers,Routes To Work South (RTWS), and Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (LADP).
The programme has 3 main elements covering: Pre-programme employability assessment lasting 3/4 weeks-A key component of this course is Steps to Excellence which allows individuals the chance to develop confidence and self esteem ready for work;Care Specific Induction lasting 2 weeks-This provides participants with Care specific training in topics such as Moving and Handling, Palliative Care and Food Hygiene; Work Placement, SVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care and mentoring support lasting 26 weeks- participants on Connect 2undertake training and employment for 30 hours per week with specially selected care sector service providers including care homes, drug rehabilitation and criminal justice agencies, befriending services and supported accommodation providers. SVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care is delivered by MI Technologies on day release three days in every four weeks for the duration of their training. The fourth day of training each month comes from specialist agencies such as Doorway, Rape Crisis Lanarkshire Association for Mental Health etc
Connect 2 Placements are sourced through an open book approach to employers ond participant needs which includes frank discussions on previous barriers, progression achieved to date as well as vocational skills. This builds trust and long-term relationships and integrates employer needs into job matching from day 1. A model of excellence that has won over private, public and voluntary sectors as evidenced by the split of placement providersfrom 2008 to date:
Sector / Placement OpportunitiesVoluntary Sector / 35%
Public Sector / 22%
Private Sector / 43%
INNOVATION + LEADING PRACTICE / ·Demonstrates leading practice, and is capable of replication elsewhere
·Achieves genuine innovation or new ways of working
What makes Connect 2 leading edge is the manner in which employer feedback and previous “graduate”learning experience has been brought into the delivery model itself! Intraditional employability programmes learning and employer feedback tends to be specific to the aftercare phase i.e. after participant progression.
Examples of innovation include:
The Pre-Recruitment Phase- Monitoring activity alerted the project team early in Connect 2 delivery that participants could lack an understanding of the skills and expectations required in making the transition from benefit dependence into sustained Care sector employment. The Pre Recruitment Course was developed further to encompass employer expectations and presentations by previous Connect 2 participants,cascading learning experiences to give a real life insight on the world of work and the expectations of new employees;
Targeted Job Brokerage Support- On exiting the Connect 2 programme, participants receive specific support to help match them with opportunities available to the local job market. Integration of Connect 2 as a strategic routeway into South Lanarkshire Works 4 U (SLW4U) branded services maximises the pool of job vacancies and progression routes available and therefore the probability of a successful match.
RESULTS + IMPACT / · a convincing mix of customer and internal performance measures· clear line of sight to the delivery of better outcomes for communities
· a full range of relevant results– either already achieved or with potential to deliverover time
Connect 2 performance is rigorously monitored as part of its contribution to the SLW4U and its status as a strategic routeway into employment. Targets are set across a range of positive outcomes including: Trainees entering employment; Achieving SVQ Qualifications; Moving into Further Education; and entering Volunteering opportunities. During 2011-13 the programme is targeted to provide holistic support to participants facing multiple barriers to progression with 87% having a disability or overcoming a mental health difficulty, and around 47% with basic or no qualifications.
To date of the 125 people completing Connect 2 SVQ qualifications – 101 (81%) have entered employment, 4 (3%) have entered Further Education and 8 (6%) have moved onto volunteering opportunities. Given the complexity of issues involved and background of economic recession the 80% + job Outcome performance sets a standard for others to follow.
The success of the Connect 2 model has influenced new initiatives like the Youth Connect. This focuses specifically on young people aged 16-18 not in education, employment or training and replicates its three phase approach. Young people are placed with a local employer for six months and undertake an SVQ at Level 2. The sectors covered have expanded into Child Care with future courses planned in Retail, Catering & Hospitality, Customer Service and Advice & Guidance.
The impact of the programme on disadvantaged people and Single Outcome Agreement National Outcome 2 is perhaps best summed up by the LANADAT Annual Report 2009 which highlighting the role of programmes like Connect 2 in addressing the social exclusion of participants with a background of substance misuse. “By offering opportunity and a way out of poverty, Connect 2 is addressing the inequalities experienced by Lanarkshire residents whose lives and those of their families have been blighted by substance misuse.”
COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2012 Page | 1
COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2012 Page | 1