Tuesday 25th March 2014 2-4pm
Job Centre Plus Offices, Bognor Regis
Present:
Tony Bradford (TB), Sussex Learning Solutions
Jane Chew (JC), Learning Service WSCC
Charlotte Chessell (CC) WSCC DWP
Julian Dixey (JD) Chichester College
Jan English (JE), Horsham District Council Work Experience Co-Ordinator
Elizabeth Flegg (EF), WSCC (Chair)
Richard Lamplough (RL), South East Employment Network
Judith McManus (JM), Aspire Sussex
Jane Lewison-White (note taker)
Rachel Smither (RS), WorkAid at Aldingbourne Trust
Paul Stoggles (PaulS), Independent Member
Chris Tuke (CT), Think Family, WSCC
Ivan Western (IV) WSCC
Steve Wood (SW), Job Centre Plus
Andrea Green (AG) Job Centre Plus
Apologies:
Debra Balfour (DB), Public Health, WSCC
Clare Ballard (CB), National Careers Service (high levels of staff sickness)
Sally Booker (SB)
Claire Cherry, Ways to Work (organisation moving out of West Sussex)
Steph Fisher (SF)
David Grant (DG)
David Harper (DH) Southdown Housing Association
Maureen Haywood (MH), Work and Learning Opportunities
Penny Heater (PH) Women’s Wisdom
Steve Hill (SH) Chichester District Council
Karen Kingsland (KK), Brighton and Hove CC
Sue McLaren (SM), Surrey/ Sussex Probation Service
Lise Sorenson (LS), Crawley Borough Council
Ioni Sullivan (IS), Mid Sussex District Council (now on Maternity Leave)
Chris Tuke (CT) WSCC
Graham Whatley (GW) Probation Service
Jane Williams (JW) Rewards Training
Mel Shaw (MS), Adur and Worthing District Council
Philip Speed (PS), Northbrook College
Maxine Thomas (MT), Impact WorkAbility
Wendy Walker (WW) Sussex Partnership NHS Trust
1 / Welcome introductions and ApologiesEF welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made around the table.
2 / Minutes of Meeting on 28th January 2014 : Matters Arising
RS made a correction to the minutes on page 5 under Work Aid heading to read as follows: The New contract will come into effect from 1st April and the main contract is focusing on learning disabilities but there is an additional part including aspergers and autism….etc
Feedback on European Job Day in March (EURES) and National Apprenticeship Week 2014:
SW reported this was a very successful Job Fair event with an attendance of 600. There was a real buzz and interest in the jobs. There were 50 employers with over 1000 vacancies. Northbrook did a presentation on social media and generally we were pleased with result. There are only 4 Job Fairs across the country. No confirmed figures of who went into those jobs yet. The Hilton did exhibit and only employer missing was McDonalds – shame as they are a good employer who offer a good career path.
Some group members shared that they had heard positive feedback around this.
National Apprenticeship Week 2014
EF explained a small group of employers run by the county council ran some assemblies. 8 assemblies joined Apprenticeship Week. Regis School have one next month. 5 employers in all have delivered these assemblies which is very positive. Central Sussex College and Northbrook had Jobs Fairs which went well.
Job Club Map Update
EF reported that no progress has been made so far as draft map was developed as a favour rather than through an official channel unbeknown to us, which explains the delay. We have now put in a proper order to complete this work and waiting for it to begin.
EF has booked Crawley Library for the next meeting who will have access onto the WSCC website to view the map.
SEEN Updates
RL shared that about 70% of SEEN members sent in updated information about who they are and what they want it to say and RL has sent out 2 reminders. RL has his synchronise members but welcomes up-coming events that he can plug – getting there.
16 to 18 Apprenticeship Funding
JC has received a grant from National Apprenticeship Service to provide to 16-18 year olds where take up is low and looking at anyone up to 24-25 – a little in conjunction with Brighton and Hove. The hope is to get young people to speak to someone with their CV. Brighton was overwhelmed by an attendance of 110. First event is Horsham on 1st May and flyers are printed and circulated. Group agreed to circulate information.
There is a range of training providers and a couple of employers and there are links with schools, Horsham Matters, youth clubs etc. We are just beginning to talk to a similar planning group in Adur to do similar to get the show on the road for them. Brighton did theirs in Oceaners Night Club and they do have a sister night club in Crawley but not sure if we would use that venue – may bring in young people, but issues are it’s very dark.
DBS Checks for Work Placements
JE stated the letter to LEP has been approved and sent out for the attention of Ron Crank explaining the issues being experienced by a lot of job seekers. If we want to place in jobs in care homes or other places where there are children or vulnerable adults the costs of the DBS is preventing these placements as it costs £64 and concern is people may drop out. If you are a volunteer DBS is free only a 14 pound administration fee applies. In the letter all local government employees will be required tohave a basic DBS check if they access IT which will have a knock on effect and longer process times and will lead to disengagement with the job seekers which was also raised in the letter. Also mentioned the traineeships and 16-18 year olds will be seeking placements and this would have an effect on them. Hoping this will start ball rolling for talks in the government.
There are difficulties dealing with people in 30s plus out of work for 3 or 4 years who don’t have driving licences, birth certificates etc and the costs of applying for replacements and some are not able to afford a car so wouldn’t have reapplied for their driving license. The Flexible Support fund may be able to support these people.
Letter will be circulated with the minutes and comments welcome.
3 / Potential Scraping of Welfare Funding Ivan Western
Until last year DWP delivered Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans as part of the benefits system. Discretionary help in a crisis situation was available and a situation moving from being dependent to independent was the Community Care Grant – furniture, white goods etc. At beginning of April last year, this all came to an end and a chunk of money was allocated under the Local Assistance Network and our intention was not to replace those 2 forms of assistance. We took a view that with respect to DWP they were not benefits particularly well used and we thought as a local authority with voluntary sector we could use this funding better. Set up this network across the county and CAB were at the top of this and below that we put in a network of providers who gave more substantive types of assistances. Stone Pillow, Worthing Churches, Horsham Matters and Crawley Open House had main chucks. Also allocated to our 54 Family Centres and gave them a fairly free rein to use that funding in ways that would prevent crises situations and not many rules. Main rule was you can’t give actual money. Feedback prior to launch was the fact it was a cash based system which lead to a perverse demand. That’s the direction we took. Had to satisfy the need was there and not available anywhere else. Providers have a free rein to run it creatively. Our view is total pot was £1m and we haven’t spent all of that, been prudent. Thought demand would spike in winter (no heating for example) but demand didn’t change resulting in an underspend for the year.
Benefits are that we have been able to target assistance. Under old system mostly single people were participants. Most important thing is that by removing this from the benefit system we are giving people a more holistic approach. Our providers are willing to listen to individual circumstances and try to help in some way. This might mean assistance in kind e.g.free furniture or tesco vouchers and this is not a hand out but a hand up. Not in the business of continually helping the same people, no strict rule how many times we can help out but want to break dependency. The first year of this Local Assistance Network has been fairly successful. Initially DWP members were twitchy. We have plugged some of the gaps, it’s not perfect but no system is. Still a gap in Mid Sussex but Littlehampton’s gap is now filled. Through social enterprise there are a number of benefits. We are effectively putting money into furniture reuse and Stone Pillow recycle in Terminus Road Chichester who have a good business – work related benefits. There have been some incidences where assistances has enabled someone to purchase boots and get back to work on a construction site.
The concern around local assistance is that originally we were allocated 2 years of funding which would have been within DWP and allocated through Job centre. What the government has indicated so far is that from 2015 we are not going to have an identified pot to do this. Nationally the Local Government Association has flagged up the value in lots of areas what local government have been able to do with schemes like ours. Louise Goldsmith has sent a press statement saying “this funding is important for us and doing things for people who if not helped would cost local government in relation to social care and house, there will be a knock on effect if we can’t help”.
End of first year of this programme with funding for next year and hopefully better targeted and fewer gaps but question is what will happen post 2015. We welcome feedback positive and negative from this group.
SW – only negative feedback has been from a few CABs as they were the hubs.
IW answered that CABs always had a slight issue with this as they have been concerned that their involvement in this somehow compromises their position and they don’t like to judge and prefer the role of advocacy. Some CABs are less involved in handing out the store cards and we have better ways of meeting those needs. When Worthing CAB moved to the Town Hall they saw demand rise.
Guy Rodgers the coordinator is the best person to direct any comments to () EF will circulate in the notes. IW welcomes comments within the next week, but always happy to receive feedback.
There is no eligibility criteria around this assistance and there are some people in work who get help from time to time e.g. if wages are delayed. You don’t have to be on benefits as sometimes the hardest needs to meet are for those who are not on benefits. It’s about preventing crisis.
The word is being spread, CAB has lead role in this and direct people to Horsham Matters.
4 / Flexible Innovation Fund
RL really endorses any scheme where providers can get money direct for Job Centre Plus and thinks the flexible support fund is fantastic. However, he had found the process confusing and asked that in future it would be helpful if things could be transparent.
SWunderstands RLs frustrations. SW is the conduit for all funding bids. The grant funding panel will always look at what the predictions are. The panel have to be really convinced that what is proposed will be better than what the Job Centre Advisors will offer. As an individual you need to come to SW for discussion. Procedures are now even tighter and SW is required to do business cases for approval before adverts can be put out. It is unclear how much funding will be available. An individual does need to have a lead accounting body which is a non-profit company.
JE had some funding and had to agree targets. This year JE is committed to place 80 people and her targets are higher than Horsham Job Centre Plus.
SW clarified that because of the reductions in JSA, now moving towards ESA. Carers and lone parents are where JCP are looking to support and not just the unemployed. Areas are more specialist. SW will ask the District Office if it is possible to share information on who was successful for funding and who was not. SW will have more information around this by the next meeting.
5 / Feedback from Traineeships and Funding Conference EF
EF attended a conference in London around Traineeships and funding regimes to learn a bit more about what is going on and think about a programme for our care leavers and their journey to work. Traineeships in January were in a state of chaos. What became obvious at the conference was how that fitted with the benefit rules. The 16 hours per week rule hadn’t been considered and some initial Traineeships had to be quite low hours. EF brought back slides from the conference which resulted in a course being postponed.
SW attended a meeting where it was identified that sector based academies are far more likely to get referrals onto those.
Latest on the 16 hour rule is DWP is removed the 16 hours rule from traineeship programmes for 16-23 year olds living in England. From 3rd March they can work up to 30 hours per week within a traineeship without affecting their JSA. This will give providers and employers more flexibility.
SW stated that workplacement would be 25-30 hours per week over 8 weeks would be acceptable. Northbrook are delivering a traineeship for Health and Care which is a pilot
JD confirmed that Chichester College are running them through the Workwise programme over 8 weeks as a taster programme. A lot turn into apprenticeships.Group discussed links and EF will circulate map of south central with the minutes.
EF explained that other barrier that was identified in the January conference is the eligibility criteria e.g. if you are 19 plus and you have a level 2 qualification you are not eligible to do a traineeship. If you are 16 to 19 with a level 3 you are not eligible either to do the traineeship.
JMchighlighted the fact that people need to be aware that some providers are not government traineeships.
EF stated that the EFA fund 16-18 year olds, then the SFA fund the 19-24s. Ofsted are planning to put in a specific measure.
SW asked EF what is going on with care leavers in Hampshire. EF answered they pay a bursary scheme to their care leavers and there is a reward element and there are thoughts around that is income and could compensate the benefit system and within WS we would want to give them a wage but need to be mindful not to affect their housing benefit. We are looking at this for our care leavers. We did an impact assessment and got to look at what the pool of people looked like and do we pay the bursary or do we make them an employee. Employment council will scope how this will look.
6 / Update from Job Centre Plus - AG
Universal Credit and Child Care – it was announced in March that child care will increase to 75% to help families move off benefit and into work for any hours. There will be half a million working families receiving this and on average £65 better off. £646 for one child and £1108 for two per month and this is capped.
Claimant commitment is bedded in and helping to roll out universal credit. Claimants have a work coach rather than a personal advisor which they prefer as they feel guided rather than told.
SR13 is a new regime to be rolled out on 28th April 2014. For pre work programme Job Seekers Allowance customers they will do day 1 conditionality and will be linked to how to set up email account register on Universal Job Match and create a CV – direct them to the National Careers Service. They can access the JCP pcs if they book in.
They will receive a quarterly review at 13, 24 and 39 weeks. Work Coaches have their own flexibility within that.
For post work programme customers at the moment they are on a mandatory prevention regime. 33% of that case load will come in daily for 3 months. 33% will go on placement of 30 hours of work experience for 26 weeks of the year.
With pre work customers’ programme – screened in Job Centre for an English test at level 2 and will be required to complete an English course for 6-8 weeks if they do not pass.
SW shared that with regard to Digital Job Centres there is a very fluid start date but summer and autumn are target times. The front podium will be removed together with thetelephones and there will be no customer service manager to meet and greet people. There will be banks of pcs with some staff to assist customers to use the pcs and security will be in place. If that person is a vulnerable person then we would give them an appointment and deal with them individually.
Cc emphasised that this is the mainstream service and provision will be in place for people with learning difficulties and disabilities.
Group discussed how this will look and the impact.