London Employment and Skills Policy Network
Wednesday 11 May 2011
10am – 12.30pm
Venue:
Voluntary Action Islington
200A Pentonville Rd
London N1 9JP
Chair: Peter Lewis, LVSC
Introductions
Peter Lewis welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked the primes for coming. He highlighted the synergies between the private sector and the voluntary and community sector as far as the Work Programme is concerned. Both groups want to get the hardest to help into work, albeit for different reasons.
The London Skills and Employment Board held its final meeting in April. Peter encouraged everyone to look at its legacy report which summarises the LSEB’s achievements and sets out the future employment and skills challenges that London faces. The inclusion of targets in the document for closing employment and skills gaps for disadvantaged groups is a credit to the work of the network.
Peter asked attendees to indicate if they had been included in the bids of unsuccessful primes (approx three quarters were). He asked how many think they have Work Programme subcontracts (approximately half). He asked how many had subcontracts finalised and confirmed (five said yes). He asked how many had turned down subcontracts (five said they had).
Sarah Tovey, Ingeus
[presentation available at http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=102738]
Michael (Crisis) asked for clarification of the statement that 70% of the Ingeus supply chain is from the voluntary sector. Sarah confirmed that this figure reflects the number of groups in the supply chain, not the value of the subcontracts or customer flows.
Peter (chair) asked whether Ingeus will be publishing outcomes for equalities groups as part of its performance monitoring. Sarah was not sure but the Ingeus policy team would probably be tracking this.
Glen Zimmer, Maximus
[presentation available at http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=102738]
Lisa Charalambous (CLCVSN) asked where Maximus and CDG would go to get volunteers for their expert volunteer programme. Glenn said that CDG could give more information on that.
Peter (chair) asked about monitoring outcomes for disadvantaged groups, and Glenn said that Maximus would share what they could. Louise (A4e) said that the GLA were very keen to see equalities outcomes data and that there would be some agreement on supplying this data.
Graham (Groundwork London) said that differentials in performance of the Work Programme in different geographical areas within CPAs needed to be tracked, as well as outcomes for disadvantaged groups.
Simon Feeney and Georgios Fella, Reed in Parnership
[presentation available at http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=102738]
Kathrine (Cardboard Citizens) asked whether organisations who had been included in Reed’s bid for East London would automatically be included in their Service Catalogue for the West London CPA. Simon said yes.
General questions (West)
Caroline (Rocket Science) asked how the primes will manage groups who are in the supply chains of more than one prime. Glenn (Maximus) said that they had asked all their subcontractors to explain how they will deliver and they are satisfied with responses. Simon (Reed) said that their end to end partners are working in different boroughs so they don’t expect overlap. Sarah (Ingeus) said they had asked all their subcontractors for implementation plans and that they had worked with many of their partners previously.
Rosie (Old Ford Housing) asked the primes how they will work with social housing tenants. Glenn (Maximus) said they are meeting with housing associations to discuss this. Srah (Ingeus) said they are having a wider stakeholder meeting in June to take up these issues. Georgios (Reed) said they are also talking to housing associations.
Kibru (EETC) asked whether primes are making any upfront payment to their subcontractors. Sarah (Ingeus) said that Ingeus are passing on the entire attachment fee to their ACE (Accessible Community Experts) providers. Other providers will get a start fee too. Glenn (Maximus) said that their subcontractors will get 80% of the attachment fee that Maximus get. Simon (Reed) said that end to end subcontractors get paid according to the same structure that Reed do, and specialist providers get a start fee.
Graham (Groundwork London) asked how the primes intend to support innovation. Georgios (Reed) said that Reed is forming a Community Forum, a regular strategic stakeholder meeting which will look for examples of good practice and successful innovation. Glenn (Maximus) said that their main innovation was the use of expert volunteers. Maximus will develop solutions to issues with their supply chain as they arrive. Sarah (Ingeus) said that they have established a Third Sector Advisory Panel, and have internal structures for their frontline advisers to identify and share ideas for successful delivery.
Peter (chair) noted that a major concern for the sector was the disappearance of many funding streams – LDA, boroughs, etc – which could previously have funded innovative programmes.
Jo (CITE) asked primes if they had had any update from DWP on customer volumes expected from 1 June 2011. Sarah (Ingues) said no, but DWP have said that it won’t be a ‘flood’.
[Coffee break]
Louise Duncan, A4e
[presentation available at http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=102738]
Jonny (Community Links) asked for clarification on the 28% VCS subcontracting figure. Philip (15billion) asked about the role of local authorities. Louise replied that A4e is trying to tap into any local authority resource available in the CPA, and access their local supply chains.
Hamish Robertson, CDG
[presentation available at http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=102738]
Peter (chair) commented that a lot of frontline groups and expertise will be lost, and primes must engage and talk to groups now to fill supply chain gaps. Hamish agreed, and asked groups to be proactive. Primes are incredibly busy at present and need to be reminded.
Mark Smith, Seetec
[presentation available at http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=102738]
General questions (East)
Judy (Hackney EDN) asked about primes’ approaches to customers having undergone work capability assessment. Louise (A4e) said that over the next year they would get to know the different customer cohorts. If primes find they are receiving lots of customers who are not ready to work, they would get together and lobby government to change that. Hamish (CDG) agreed, the Work Programme will be an evolutionary process, Universal Credit is another unknown, and primes would need to lobby together. Mark (Seetec) agreed.
Graham (Groundwork London) asked the primes to explain the single key aspect of their delivery model that would allow them to meet minimum performance levels. Louise (A4e) said that A4e’s experience delivering flexible New Deal had shown them what really works. A4e’s relationships with employers was also crucial – they are partners in this too. Hamish (CDG) said that they are looking at creating vacancies by supporting the development of social enterprises and SMEs to grow. Mark (Seetec) said that it’s not about focusing on a customer’s barriers, but focusing on that the are able to do. A joined up approach across all 6 primes, JCP, etc will be essential. Louise (A4e) added that for the first time all the primes are talking to each other, and looking at collaborating in the way they engage with employers, local government, etc.
Maeve (Community Links) asked about the impact of skills conditionality and the JCP claimant commitment on the relationships between primes, subcontractors, and JCP. Louise (A4e) said that primes will be completely responsible for the relationship with JCP. There must be a consistent approach with JCP, this hasn’t happened in the past. It will be an evolutionary process getting the working relationship with JCP right. Hamish (CDG) said that JCP are a key stakeholder. Their staff need to understand what primes need to know about customers. Primes will lobby against any measure, including conditionality, if it looks like it will discourage people from moving into work. Louise (A4e) said it will take about 18 months or so to understand how to get the model working well. All the key stakeholders need to be talking to one another.
[Meeting closes]
Attending:
Alison Luker, Broadway
Andrea Chott, East London CVS Network
Andy Cross, St Giles Trust
Angela Heap, Home Training CIC
Barbara Deason, Wise Owls
Brendan Tarring, Red Kite Learning
Caroline Masundire, Rocket Science
David Northfield, Urban Futures
David Palfreman, Training for Life
Debby Didsbury, HAVCO
Don MacDonald, St Mungos
Gary Burgess, Action Acton
Geoff Robinson, LVSTC
Graham Parry, Groundwork London
Helen Key, Camden Society
Jeremy Barker, Citizens Trust
Jo Barter, CITE
Jo Oxlade, Circle 33
Jonny Boux, Community Links
Judy Harris, Hackney Economic Development Network
Karen Hart, North London CVS Partnership
Kathrine Quiller-Croasdell, Cardboard Citizens
Kevin Moore, Future Path
Khalid Sadi, Penrose
Kibru Mekonnen, Enfield Education and Training Centre
Kim Lovell, First Fruit
Layla Hazeldon, Bromley By Bow Centre
Lisa Charalambous, Central London CVS Network
Maeve McGoldrick, Community Links
Michael Fothergill, Crisis UK
Natalie Turner, Age UK London
Nathalie France, Princes Trust
Paul Winyard, NCVO
Peter Lewis, LVSC
Philip Mathew, 15billion
Rajvant Nijjhar, Women and Manual Trades
Rebecca Brown, Elthorne Learning Centre
Rosie Hewson, Old Ford Housing Association
Sameen Rushdie , Open College Network London Region
Slava Fomenko-Hassan, Urban Futures
Steve Kerr, LVSC
Syliva Francis, Third Age Foundation
Toyin Fagbemi, London Training and Employment Network
Tutu Adebiyi, HCT Group
Veronica Mulenga, Kingston Community Furniture
Victor Harrison, Immanuel House Community Training Centre
Yesenia San-Juan, Praxis
Primes:
Bella Kang, A4e
Georgios Fella, Reed
Glenn Zimmer, Maximus
Hamish Robertson, CDG
Louise Duncan, A4e
Mark Smith, Seetec
Sarah Tovey, Ingeus
Simon Feeney, Reed
Stellar Chen, A4e
Apologies:
Alan Marchant, BTCV
Alison Blackwood, LVSC
Asi Panditharatna, Catch 22
Aysegul Yesildaglar, Alpines Consultancy Limited
Beryl Randall, Employablity Forum
Clare Kennedy, DeafPlus
David Newbold, Action for Blind People
David Palfreman, Training for Life
Harbi Farah, Help Somalia Foundation
Hilary Nightingale, Cardinal Hume Centre
Rachael Bailey, Women Like Us
Rosie Ferguson, London Youth
Sean Risdale, ITMB
Wondwossen Tadesse, CEMVO
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