1. Greig Robson Employability Services, Team Leader North Lanarkshire Council

2. Work Programme – too important to ignore?

3. The facts 15% of claimants on Work Programme
Even though Scotland has always performed well on programmes for long- term unemployed, some signs this is slipping (CESI)
Long term unemployment up more in Scotland than rest of the UK. For young people up 367% since 2008
While youth long term unemployment high, there are twice as many 25+ long term
DWP hoped for 40% performance from Work Programme
ONS estimate more likely to be 25%

4. Work Programme is the elephant in the room in Scotland
Little debate
Little transparency
Little integration

5. A flawed model Under financed Isolated Not a level playing field
Likely outcomes?
Providers focused on cost control, efficiency
Little innovation
Two tier system
Poor deal for customers/residents

6. Why get involved in Work Programme?
Opportunity to join up
Best placed
Track record
Benchmarking
Keep investment in the area

7. What is North Lanarkshire Council’s role?
Banker
Design surrounding infrastructure
Deal with funding issues
RTW can concentrate on delivery

8. Our vision?
Work Programme

9. Our vision?
To make Work Programme part of our pipeline – single service offer
More efficient
Frees up money to spend on customer
Better outcomes for residents

10. What has got in the way.. Funders/Policy makers
Double funding/silo funding
Myths
There is enough funding in the work programme to deliver a full journey
The work programme is well financed and huge profits will be made
Resulting in…
Scotland’s local employability partnerships withdrawing, re-focusing
NLC/RTW compromising on the vision

11. Our experience as a sub-contractor
“Black box approach” has real tangible benefits
Remains too much bureaucracy/paper chasing but might be fault of industry this time
System hasn’t taken away incentive to park some customers (due to economic climate)
Certain customer groups haven’t made it through in expected numbers
Little incentive for employers to recruit WP clients (actually disincentives exist)
It doesn’t feel that different from previous programmes

12. What do we have now?
Programme finances designed three years ago with presumption of economic recovery
Providers focused on efficiency, cost controls
Outcome data initially looks comparable to FND
Danger of lack of balance in spend in Scotland
No step change in performance likely in our opinion unless we accept there are fundamental issues in Scotland and look for solutions

14. Solutions?
Government increase funding per customer or re-model existing payment structure
Locally/nationally we open up services when we can
Alternative ways of integrating?
How likely?
It wont just happen!

15. What might help?
Primes need to play their part and think how they can engage local partnerships – speculate to accumulate, joint commissioning
Open book accounting?
Policy makers/funders understand they are creating/reinforcing silo funding
We need to level the playing field somehow for Work Programme customers – no disincentives for employers to recruit WP clients
For discussion –
The programme is flawed but we have five more years of delivery – is laissez faire acceptable?