Third Sector Employability Form – Meeting of the Executive Group
Monday 28thJanuary 2013
Attendees: Dughall Laing (Chairing),Tommy McDade, Blyth Deans, Gerald Wilson (note-taking), Pauline McNally, Donna Mackinnon, Margaret Wallace, Caryn Robertson, David Cameron, Joanne Farrow, Alastair Cameron,Alan Boyle.
Apologies:Liz Catterson, Finlay Laverty, Jeanette Hagerstrom, Robin Turner, and Fraser Kelly.
1. Welcome and Introductions
Dughall welcomed everyone to the meeting. He also welcomed Pauline McNally, who is taking over from Jeanette for 6 months. Then brief introductions were made around the table.
2. Executive and wider forum remit and purpose
Dughall asked for members thoughts on both the forum the and the executive group and if the purpose of the group was still correct.
Some of the main points of the discussion were:
- Although the TSEF Executive Group is reactive in the work it undertakes - over the next year the group needs to be more proactive and aware of the issues affecting the sector.
- The Executive Group has achieved good results on working with Scottish Government relating to European Structural Funds (ESF) funding.
- The Executive Group were given the chance to input to the Challenge Fund.
- The Group has started to give the Third Sector a voice, and this is more important than ever. But in the current climate this voice could be louder.
- The group needs to look at way of publicising the work of the group and what they are doing to support the Third Sector.
- There is a need for the group to link better with the local Third Sector interfaces.
- Jeanette sends out information relevant to the Third Sector to the wider forum for information and people find this useful. Members should sign up to the monthly e-bulletin of the Employability in Scotland website.
- The forum is the leverage to strengthen the role of the Third Sector in the eyes of local CPP’s.
- The group could do better at linking with the National Delivery Group (NDG) and the work they currently do. It was discussed that the agenda of the executive group meetings could tie in with the agenda of the NDG and Scottish Employability Forum (SEF). Liz and Dughall currently attend the NDG on behalf of the executive group.
- There needs to be a refresh of the mapping of Third Sector organisations in Local Areas, as this was last done a few years back. There is a small budget available to allow this work to be undertaken by a consultant.
- Members would like the group to establish a direct line with Job Centre Plus and Skills Development Scotland.
- The group were disappointed that they were not consulted with in the creation of the employability fund.
Actions:
Members of this group will be added to the NDG distribution list - SG
Minutes of the meeting of the SEF on 31 January 2013 will be sent to the group - SG
Meetings of the Executive Group will tie in with the meetings of the NDG (held the month after – April, July, October, January) – a doodle request will be sent out with suggested dates for these meetings - SG
Minutes of the last NDG will be sent to the group (minutes can be found on the Employability in Scotland website- )
Contact the Third Sector Division to discuss ways of better linking with Third Sector interfaces.
There should be an awareness raising exercise of the TSEF with all local Third Sector interfaces.
The group should consider inviting Voluntary Action Scotland to sit on this group.
Job Centre Plus/DWP and SDS should be approached to invite a representative on the TSEF Executive Group - SG.
There should be a TSEF representative for future SLAED meetings – SG to discuss this with Pamela Smith.
A representative of the TSEF should be a member of the Rural NDG Sub Group – SG to speak with Dawn Redpath to organise this.
3. Executive Structure, sub groups etc. or other model.
Dughall asked for members ideas on the way that the Executive Group is structured, and if any more sub-groups should be created.
The main points of discussions were:
- The ESF sub-group have only met once so far (next meeting after this one). This group are pulling together a paper on behalf of the sector.
- If new sub-groups are to be created then these need to be issue led with clear objectives and timescales.
- Virtual groups (communicating mostly by email) is something that could be considered.
- At the next meeting of the wider group, an agenda item should be included that makes people aware of the executive group’s existence and if anyone would like to join the group. This will need to be monitored to make sure the group does not end up too large.
Actions:
An item on the next TESF wider group agenda should be about the work of the Executive Group and consider if members should be invited to join.
4. Welfare Reform, TSEF Position
The issue of Welfare reform was briefly touched on.
The main points of the discussion were:
- Should there be a Welfare Reform sub group. The consensus was no as it may duplicate some of the work that is already being done. The group were made aware of the work that SCVO have been involved in with the Scottish Government and relevant papers had been circulated to the group previously.
- Lots of work is being done on this area but proper connections need to be made. Members of this group should be on the distribution list for the SCVO welfare reform updates.
- Lynn or John Dowie, SCVO, could come to the next meeting of the group to discuss the work they are currently doing.
- At the last meeting of the wider Forum, it was mentioned that the Child Poverty Action Group Scotland (CPAG) had published fact sheets on Welfare Reform. These can be found on the CPAG website-
5. Wider Forum Communications
An apology was issued for the late sending out of the changed agenda on Friday night.
6. Agenda Items for the Coming Year
Dughall gave members the chance to recommend any agenda items they would like to be included over the next 12 months.
The main parts of the discussion were:
- Views should be sought by an independent source on how the Prime Contractors, Work Choice and Work Programme schemes are progressing. A proposal could be put forward to progress this.
- Future agenda items could be ‘The Employability Fund’, information on qualifications for practitioners, and influencing what happens after the work programme.
- There is the need to develop an action plan for the forum to outline its future work.
- Dates for the NDG meetings for 2013 are: 19 March (Trades Hall, Glasgow), 18 June (Atlantic Quay, Glasgow), 17 September (Atlantic Quay, Glasgow), 10 December (Atlantic Quay, Glasgow).
- The PDA Pilot ,which was mentioned in the Supported Employment Framework, is currently being funded by the Scottish Government and is being run within Motherwell and Stow college is due to finish in November 2013 (
- Also raised was the qualification for Employability practitioners
Actions:
Group to be made aware when the next data on the Work programme will be available. (These will be available on 28th May 2013)
Information to be shared around the group on these qualifications and any others that may be of relevance.
7. Agenda for the next Executive meeting
This meeting is due to take place on 25th February, and this will still be going ahead. Current agenda items are feedback from the ESF Sub Group and members are asked to review notes from the last wider forum ( and feedback ( as this will be part of the discussion.
Actions:
Members have been asked to review notes from the last meeting of the wider forum for discussion.
8. AOB
There is a chance to develop the group’s webpage and short bios for each member of the group so that people are aware of the groups interests. This is a way of publicising and sharing what the executive group are doing on behalf of the TSEF, so should include any groups they are sitting on of advising or advising on behalf of the Third Sector. These can be sent to Gerald (before the next meeting on 25 February 2013) to be uploaded to the website (
Action:
Executive Group members to write a brief biography for inclusion on the website and circulation to wider forum membership.
The next meeting is on Monday 25th February 2013, 13.30 - 16.00
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