Lone Parents/Worklessness Little Hulton

Contents of presentation 2. The baseline and the story behind it 3. Our current response 4. Key issues and principles for a reformed approach 5. Improving outcomes - The key challenges 1. Rationale, process and stakeholders 6. Questions and answers

Week Stage Key Products & Tasks (up to) 1 Planning Agreed case for SPOTLIGHT; Team established; Resources secured; Methods planned; Stakeholders engaged; The issue Analysis of the issue and its cause and effects on families, individuals, neighbourhoods The response Analysis of the systems, structures and incentives in the delivery chain Delivery Agreements Immediate, medium and long term commitments to improve delivery – made to high level panel of LSP Exec. Monthly Stock takes Regular high tempo checks on delivery against commitments ‘Quick wins’ – supporting local ideas The SPOTLIGHT process

Little Hulton: A changing area, where the challenge of Connecting People is critical

2. The baseline and the story behind it 3. Our current response 4. Key issues and principles for a reformed approach 1. Rationale, process and stakeholders 6. Questions and answers 5. Improving outcomes - The key challenges

Employment – The comparative picture Source: Average & National employment rates: Annual Population Survey 2006/7 Little Hulton: Census 2001

Benefits – Highlighting the issue LITTLE HULTON Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study May 2007

Definition of a Lone Parent Census definition: ‘A parent living without a spouse (and not co-habiting) with his or her never married dependent child or children aged either under 16 or from and undertaking full-time education’. Income Support definition: ‘The person responsible for a child under the age of 16 who lives in their household. The "living in the household " is usually determined by the person who actually receives Child Benefit for the child as there is no provision in the system to spilt Child Benefit between parents/carers who live apart’.

Lone Parents – The big picture Significant increase in the number of lone parents between 1981 – 2001 census Little Hulton 3.3% 10.4% 13% Salford 2.4% 5.9% 8.6% Source: Census 2001

Lone parents – Who are they? Lone Parents 709 Little Hulton: 8%Male 67.2%Work full time 5.2%Work part time 92%Female 17%Work full time 19.9%Work part time Little Hulton: 72% Income Support claimants (508) ?JSA claimants ?IB claimants Census 2001 DWP May 2007 Lone parent Income Support claimants in Salford: Age: 25% Aged under 25 40%Aged 25 – 34 Family Size: 1.9Average number of children DWP May 2007

Benefits – Highlighting the issue Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study Aug May 2007

Benefits – The impact on children Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study May %

% % % % % >9.5% Break Points:

Lone Parents – Who are they? Source: DWP GIS mapping tool 2008

Skills - What the data tells us Census 2001 High estimated level of skills for life need

Lone parents – Causes of worklessness ‘Hotspot’ for teenage pregnancies Second highest number of year old NEET in Salford – 59 Low educational attainment –4 out of 8 Little Hulton primary schools operating below national average at Key Stage 2 –Low levels of educational attainment e.g. Harrop Fold only 19% achieving 5 A-C grade GCSEs inc. Maths & English

Lone parents – Other causal factors Declining marriage rates Little Hulton38.5%34.2% Salford41.6%36.8% Increasing divorce rates Little Hulton6.7%10.9% Salford5.7%9.2% Source: Census 2001

A highly complex issue - Different perspectives LONE PARENTS EMPLOYERS DELIVERY PARTNERS Lifestyle choice Unaware of services Postcode Skills Lack of confidence & stigma Confusion Fear of debt Benefit trap Skills shortage Value local employees Lack of social skills Inflexibility part-time jobs Peer pressure/ role models Low level skills Benefit trap Perceived fraud Barriers to training Workless culture WORKLESSNESS Benefit trap Poor perceptions Crime Transport Childcare Engagement

Crime in Little Hulton 1,627 incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB): –Constitutes 8% of all ASB incidents in Salford –Third highest area for ASB in Salford 2,009 criminal offences recorded: – Constitutes 7% of all crimes in Salford – Third highest area for crime in Salford 724 incidents of domestic violence reported: –Constitutes 11% of reported domestic violence incidents in Salford –Highest area in Salford Period April 2007 – March 2008:

Crime in Little Hulton 1 3 2

2. The baseline and the story behind it 3. Our current response 4. Key issues and principles for a reformed approach 1. Rationale, process and stakeholders 6. Questions and answers 5. Improving outcomes - The key challenges

UNIVERSAL SERVICES LOCALITY PROVISION ‘COMMUNITY FOCUS’ Local engagement & support services e.g. One Stop Shop, ICT in the Community, Salford Foundation, Age Concern, CRIIS, FACL Local enhanced provision e.g.IAG - Skills & Work Children’s Centres, Health Services, Welfare & Debt advice, Learn Direct, Youth Service JCP/DWP/ LSC provision, Sure Start, Connexions The current delivery system for lone parents (in Little Hulton) – an overview

The current Jobcentre Plus advisory system: Work focused interventions for lone parents Date of claim 12 mths Initial Work Focused Interview 6 mths Age of Youngest Child? 2 nd Work Focused Interview 1 st Work Focused Interview Annual Work Focused Interviews 6 mthly Work Focused Interviews Quarterly Work Focused Interviews

The Jobcentre Plus advisory system: New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) Lone parents are eligible to participate in NDLP if they: Are aged 16 or over Have a dependant child under 16 Are not working or Working less than 16 hours a week Are not an asylum seeker (unless they have exceptional leave to stay or have refugee status)

Jobcentre Plus – Support for Lone Parents Training for up to 52 weeks per 2 year period Access assistance with: –Childcare & registration fees costs for min 16 hrs per week –Travel costs –Training allowance £15 per week for min 6 hrs training per week –Course fees & equipment on approval

The Jobcentre Plus advisory system: Increase in Lone Parent Obligations – Nov 2008 Date of claim 12 mths Initial Work Focused Interview 6 mths Age of Youngest Child? 2 nd Work Focused Interview 1 st Work Focused Interview Annual Work Focused Interviews 6 mthly Work Focused Interviews Quarterly Work Focused Interviews

The Jobcentre Plus advisory system: Additional incentives Guaranteed Job Interview - where possible Options & Choices Events Greater flexibility in the use of work trials In Work Credit - £40 tax free per week up to 52 weeks In work Advisory support In work emergency discretion fund

Jobcentre Plus – Support for lone parents Many lone parents face multiple barriers: Confidence Childcare Debt Victims of domestic violence Mental health conditions Alcohol and drug dependency Skills

Finance issues: A lone parent case study Out of Work In Work 16 hrs+ CHILD BENEFIT Income Support Working Tax Credit Inc. childcare element CHILD TAX CREDIT

Financial issues for lone parents Sonia gets a job on 1 November 2006 Lone parent with one child aged 10 Job 35 hours per week. Gross annual salary £15,000 Childcare costs £40.00 per week Rent is £50.00 per week Council Tax £15.00 per week Passported benefits e.g. free school meals

Finance issues: A lone parent case study Tax year Tax year Tax year Gross income£6410£15,000 Previous yearNil£6410£15,000 Weekly Tax Credits CTC £44.38 Max WTC £ CTC £44.38 WTC £ CTC WTC £39.10 Weekly better off in work by: £99.71£91.81£30.86

Real lives: What it’s like to be a workless lone parent in Little Hulton Case Study: –Single parent aged 25 years –3 children aged 3, 5 & 8 –Lived in LH all her life –Left school no qualifications –Became single parent after separating from a violent partner –Attempted to get back into training & employment without success

We have mapped our current response using the stages of commissioning Quantitative Data Perception Data Community Engagement Strategy Operational Planning Procurement Performance Monitoring Evaluation Learning Changing Delivery Operational Delivery Understanding need Planning & deciding Reviewing Delivering

Understanding need Accurate DWP claimant count data available at SOA level and some other local data Accurate Crime statistics Feedback from consultations Salford Childcare Sufficiency Audit Strengths DWP data is currently 12 months out of date and does not segment lone parent claimants Reliance on Census data for overall lone parent population, skills levels and family composition No sense of levels of new claims or churn in the system Unable to measure the true level of need due to family support and ‘other’ networks Unable to share data between agencies No detailed management information on impact of lone parent provision at small area level e.g. Little Hulton Weaknesses

Planning and deciding Clear governance and accountability at Sub-Regional and City-wide levels (Team Manchester, City Strategy, EDLSP) Established and emerging structures at local area level (Neighbourhood Partnership Board, Little Hulton Task Group) The new system for lone parents defines where additional service delivery is required Strengths Lack of locally focused provision due to bulk service commissioning arrangements (DWP/LSC) Lack of integration and devolution around planning and decision making Lack of co-ordination and management of engagement activities Weaknesses

Delivering Some locally based services e.g. Skills & Work, Children’s Centre, One Stop Shop. Learn Direct New delivery opportunities in healthy living centres, extended schools, libraries, RSLs Increased support for lone parents through legislative change from November 2008 Strengths Numbers of workless lone parents are increasing Significant issues with engagement with service provision Short term funded projects and initiatives, unstable service provision Impact of service provision unknown or limited Lack of third sector presence/ no community anchor Low take up of Salford based provision Inflexibility to take up provision in Bolton Low level referrals for Skills for Life diagnostic assessments – are skills needs being met? Limited skills and work provision located in Children’s Centre Poor performing schools and low levels of educational attainment Lack of in work and ongoing support for lone parents Lack of integration between delivery agencies Finance including childcare costs seen as a major barrier to moving into work Weaknesses

Reviewing and Learning Claimant count performance monitoring city-wide and by ward Some services measured for impact on lone parents Through Spotlighting: have developed a better understanding of how the Little Hulton community has evolved Services have learned the impact of their policies through engaging in the process e.g. housing Strengths Performance monitoring city wide not by neighbourhood and ward (except for LAA & CS targets) Impact of mainstream contracted provision not understood at local area level or systematically shared Impact of some lone parent provision unclear DWP contracted & Skills and Work provision currently only tracked to 13 weeks in work Distance travelled not measured Weaknesses

2. The baseline and the story behind it 3. Our current response 4. Key issues and principles for a reformed approach 1. Rationale, process and stakeholders 6. Questions and answers 5. Improving outcomes - The key challenges

UNIVERSAL SERVICES LOCALITY PROVISION ‘WRAP AROUND’ Local engagement and integrated services: LA level additional provision JCP/DWP/ LSC “An integrated system that can engage, remove barriers and supports lone parents into skills and jobs” Flexible & integrated system A collective approach Right services for the right people Clear referral routes Services to scale Everyone on board – an urgent service and community priority Pre-conditions: Support from Government, Communities & Employers

2. The baseline and the story behind it 3. Our current response 4. Key issues and principles for a reformed approach 1. Rationale, process and stakeholders 6. Questions and answers 5. Improving outcomes - The key challenges

Summary of the key strengths Legislative changes Community venues Some good local & 3 rd Sector provision Governance Employment opportunities in Salford Lone Parents in Little Hulton

Summary of the key issues for lone parents Lone parents/ Worklessness in Little Hulton Measuring impact of provision Understanding the lone parent cohort Integration of planning & delivery Culture of worklessness Weak third sector Community identity Finance Childcare & Transport Crime Employer perceptions Skills

The achievements so far 1.Improving understanding of needs Extensive local stakeholder consultation including: 63 lone parents; 50+ strategic and front line workers; and 5 employers 2. Strategic commissioning of new services Successful ESF bid for short course provision LSC allocated additional £458K for Personal, Community & Development Learning prioritising Little Hulton Financial Capability worker recruited for Little Hulton New and innovative wraparound provision commissioned

The achievements so far 3. Improving capacity of local delivery IAG front line worker capacity building sessions delivered in Little Hulton Re-launch of Skills and Work service to increase engagement and improve IAG

The remaining challenges in reversing the spiral of dependency 1.Use of real time data Segmentation of lone parent data to inform planning & commissioning Lack of skills data 2.Raising aspirations & changing perceptions Break cycle of inter-generational worklessness amongst lone parents & raising ambition Improving employer perceptions of Little Hulton Address low community self-image

The remaining challenges in reversing the spiral of dependency 3. Developing the Delivery System Establishing shared approach to planning, commissioning & performance management (EDLSP) Market development & capacity building to establish a diverse delivery system (including the 3 rd sector) Review location & access of provision 4. Responsiveness & Personalisation Engagement, outreach & flexible ‘wrap-around’ support Ensuring skills for life assessment & diagnostic for all lone parents Review childcare sufficiency & appropriateness Financial inclusion strategy & ‘independent support’

The remaining challenges in reversing the spiral of dependency 5.Crime Consider action to address Crime issues linked to worklessness

Questions and answers