1. Improving Lives – Helping Workless Families Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Katy Pearson, Monica Bryce & Rob Harrod Priority Families Employment Advisors
Who are we
What are we presenting

2. Quick Quiz Before we start we are going to have a quick quiz
Can we just have a show of hands for what you think the answer is to the following questions

3. 2. Out of the 325,300, how many are claiming benefits?
1. Out of the 325,300 people within Nottingham City, what percentage are employed?
a) 21.5% b) 31.5% c) 41.5% d) 51.5%
2. Out of the 325,300, how many are claiming benefits?
a) 8.7% b) 10.3% c) 15.1% d) 22.2%
3. How many workless households are there within Nottingham City?
a) 17,100 b) 25,400 c) 28,500 d) 31,200
4. Within these workless households, how many children are there?
a) 6,800 b) 9,700 c) 11,400 d) 13,100
Employed – 130,600 (41.5%)
Claiming Benefits – 33,500 (10.3%)
ESA – 17,630 (52.63%)
Workless – 25,400 (7.81%)
Children – 13,100 (4.03%)

4. ‘Improving Lives Helping Workless Families’
In April 2017, The Department for Work and Pensions issued a paper named ‘Improving Lives – Helping Workless Families’.
This paper looked at how DWP are looking at the bigger picture when it comes to workless households, the other needs a family has due to being workless and the other needs being workless creates. It also looks at the impact of workless families on children and how they can try and make a difference.

5. Key Points in the paper;
DWP are looking at the bigger picture when it comes to workless households
Looking at the needs a workless family may have and the other related issues
The impact of workless families on children and how they can try and make a difference

6. Despite record levels of employment, the paper looks at how many families see worklessness as the norm and how there are many barriers preventing them from entering work
It talks about how worklessness damages lives, such as;
A reduced family income (resulting in problem debt)
damaged resilience
poor health (such as drug and alcohol dependency)
poor stability (such as homelessness)
parental conflict
poor mental health
all of which undermine child development.
As these barriers grow and combine, these families find themselves moving even further away from employment, which puts their children at a greater risk of repeating the poor outcomes of their parents.
Not only does it look at the evidence to support these concerns, but it also looks at what DWP are going to do to try and help parents overcome the issues they have in order to have a chance of moving into work.

7. So what is being done?
Commitment to the next phase of the Government’s Troubled Families Programme
Reduce parental conflict
Set new expectations for DWP
Tackle dependency
Commitment to the next phase of the Government’s Troubled Families Programme
so that it has an even greater emphasis on helping people back into work and tackling the disadvantages associated with worklessness.
Reduce parental conflict
through the launch of a new programme to support evidence-based interventions delivered by specialist organisations at a local level,
Set new expectations for DWP
to identify people with complex needs at the right time, to strengthen partnership working with local authorities and their partners, to share information more effectively.
Tackle dependency
They will bring forward a trial of the Individual and Placement Support approach to help those dependent on drugs and alcohol back into employment.

8. But what are DWP going to do?
Help people overcome their barriers to work
Ensure that people get the advice and support they need, when they need it
Go further to reflect the importance of work with all relevant local partners
Better join up its services with local Troubled Families teams
Helping people overcome their barriers to work is essential if we are to help parents to better support themselves and their families.
To do this we need to ensure that people get the advice and support they need when they need it. DWP has a major role to play in this work, but because it cannot tackle this complexity on its own it needs to work with local partners.
DWP will go further to reflect the importance of work with all relevant local partners.
To support the renewed focus on worklessness and the drive for transformed services through the next phase of the Troubled Families Programme, DWP will be involved at a strategic level and will better join up its services with local troubled families teams.

9. Our vision for joined-up services is based on these core principles:
Identification of people with complex needs/barriers
Properly trained staff to identify and tailor employment support
Strong partnership working in local communities
Information sharing between partners
Our vision for joined-up services is based on these core principles:
Identification of people with complex needs/barriers, at the right time
2) Properly trained staff to identify and tailor employment support and conditionality, and refer to other appropriate services;
3) Strong partnership working in local communities between DWP, local authorities, wider public services and the voluntary sector
4) Information sharing between partners so that they can share relevant information with each other and can more efficiently address the claimants’ barriers (including automated sharing of data).
To get there, DWP are:
 participating in the local authority self-assessment to see how effective we are at joined-up working with key partners (the self-assessment tool is known as the Maturity Model, developed by the Troubled Families Programme)
 Setting new expectations for DWP. To make sure DWP works well with partners to achieve the best results for families. They will also set an expectation that work coaches will take advantage of joint working with other services so that claimants with complex needs receive the best support possible.

10. What’s happening Locally?
Community Partners
Troubled Family SPOCs
Safeguarding Leads
Domestic Violence Specialists
Complex Needs Plans
What’s happening Locally?
Prison Coaches
Troubled Family Employment Advisors
Disability Employment Coaches
Community Engagement Advisor
(Gangs & Violence)
Schools Advisor
PF SPOCs
We have specific points of contact in each jobcentre to raise awareness of Priority Families, including identification and supporting work coaches with any individuals already identified.
They also support TFEAs with cascading information and highlighting any concerns. They have been a vital part of supporting TFEAs with obtaining outcomes
Safeguarding
Over the past year, over 200 work coaches in the city have been trained in safeguarding. They are the first work coaches in the country to have this training and already we have seen the benefits of this. It is through our constant monitoring and improving of this process that we are now in discussions with DWP senior leaders to agree a pilot in the city to have designated safeguarding leads within each office. If this is successful, we could see it being rolled out in other areas.
DV Specialists
Nottingham city has a high level of domestic abuse. Loxley House jobcentre noticed over a year ago, they were getting many people attending the office and disclosing they are survivors of DV. DWP already have easements in place for those experiencing or fleeing DV, but Loxley House went one step further and allocated 2 work coaches to become specialist DV work coaches (Nicola and Donna).
They have a close working relationship with Central Women’s Aid and have supported many customers from the city when they need it the most.
Following their lead, Nottingham Central Jobcentre has recently identified 3 work coaches who will be trained to become specialist DV work coaches.
We are now in discussions with Bulwell Jobcentre to look at rolling out a similar process there.
Disability Employment Coaches
We have 6 Disability Employment Coaches within the City who are trained in supporting individuals with disabilities in and out of work, sourcing disability confident employers and understanding what provision is available within the city for those with health needs.
They support our work coaches across the city with their customers, holding regular case conferences with them and undertaking joint interviews.
Schools Advisor
DWP has introduced schools advisors across the county to assist schools in England to deliver high quality, independent and impartial careers advice for school years 8 to 13 (aged ).
Nottingham City’s schools advisor is Laura and her focus is;
Providing advice on routes into traineeships and Apprenticeships
Sourcing and advising on work experience opportunities
Providing advice on the local labour market (including soft skills employers value, such as team work and commitment)
The support is demand-led by schools, responsive and flexible. She is happy to discuss any proposals or ideas that schools across Nottingham may have and would like to implement, so please speak to her today if this is of interest to you.
Prison Workers
We have 2 prison work coaches in our area, Delia and Fiona. They work out of Nottingham, Lowdham and Whatton Prisons.
Their job is to take advance benefit claims and ensure Prisoners understand what will be expected of them upon release. They will also identify any barriers they may have, which will be communicated to the Work Coach.
In addition they deal with any benefit related queries received from Prisoners or other 3rd parties (eg, health benefits)
Community Engagement Advisor
Angela is our CEA for Nottingham.
She works with the Integrated Offender Management (IOM) Team which consists of Police, Probation Officers, City Council, County Council, Prisons Police Officer and DWP.
The role was originally set up to engage with young people that were in gangs and prolific young offenders. However since the end of 2017 in Nottingham this now includes Domestic Violence Perpetrator’s and high risk offenders.
She assesses the needs of identified individuals, builds rapport and provides on-going mentoring to each individual to help them make the transition towards work and away from their old lifestyle.
Community Partners
We have 2 specialists who have been recruited externally due to their experience and skills, to help support work coaches with more specialist health issues.
Jonathan is the mental health and learning disability specialist
Alan is the Young People specialist
Their roles are very new and therefore still in the planning stages. Further information will be provided at a later date.
Complex Needs Plans
Our 3 city offices have developed complex needs plans. These look at the complex needs a customer may present with during their job centre interview.
They have developed a directory of support which is shared with the whole office, enabling work coaches to source support for their customers.

11. Thank you Priority Families Employment Advisors
Nottingham North: Katy Pearson - 
Nottingham Central: Monica Bryce –   
Nottingham South: Rob Harrod –
Priority Families Employment Advisors