Merits and Challenges of the consortium approach to delivering Supported Employment
A Working Life for All Disabled People Supported Employment Framework for Scotland (2010) “creating a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish… ensuring that people who can work and want to work are given the opportunity to do so… for many disabled people there continue to be barriers which deny them this opportunity.” www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Supported Employment …is an intervention which is aimed at supporting people with disabilities within the world of work and employment recent years has shown a trend towards the inclusion of people with disabilities within the open labour market, rather than within sheltered settings.” www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Three principles The job should be in an integrated work place The job holder is paid the rate for the job, and All individuals have the right to end their reliance on welfare benefits www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Paid work, support and in work career progress Edinburgh Employability and Skills Disability Review – Supported Employment Paid work, support and in work career progress One-to-one service (personal) An integrated service for all disabilities One gateway entry point More say in development and delivery Employer engagement www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Edinburgh market 23,000 people out of work disabled people in Edinburgh of working age at the time of the review 1,000 engaged in employment support 400 with CEC supported providers CEC ring fenced budget of £1, 079,000 pa to support people with disabilities into work www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Other factors… Compliance Operational ESF requirements to work cross agency Changes in Government policy on benefits (JSA/ESA) Supported Employment Framework (Scottish Government) Reducing nos of ESA and IB claimants Need to cut costs/increase engagement Integrated, one door service Improve performance Pan disability service Improve engagement with employers/ opportunities Link to JU4J www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Supported Employment Edinburgh Providers Network www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Edinburgh Supported Employment Consortium www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
CEC Commissioning www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Consortium Structure www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Delivery Model www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Merits and Challenges Merits Challenges One top entry point Better quality of support to service users Strong commitment from partners Open procurement enabled ESF leverage (+40%) Retained and built on expertise Unifying four organisations Loosing some providers Employers uncertain about employing people with disabilities www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Process, Partners, Resources… No route map for process CEC supported process well Memo of understanding important Starts with CLIENT NEEDS Partners opted in, bringing expertise Few resources (cash, legal, business) www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
Outcome so far… Consortium consolidating Fours years funding + extension of two Able to tender for other work Able to wider tackle issues (criminal justice) Able to create progression routes www.allinedinburgh.org.uk
www.allinedinburgh.org.uk