1. Area Based Partnerships Strategy: DWP supporting local areas Peter Weller Head of Areas Partnerships, DWP Kathryn McHugh Areas Partnerships Team, DWP May 2012

2. Department for Work and Pensions 2 Context Localism and Decentralisation –Government’s aim to decentralise to the lowest appropriate level Jobcentre Plus Offer –Flexibility –Focus on results –Partnership working Social Justice –Social mobility

3. Department for Work and Pensions 3 Context Cross Government Policies –Local Enterprise Partnerships –Community Budgets –City ‘Deals’

4. Department for Work and Pensions 4 Builds on the Jobcentre Plus offer Empowers District Managers Meets the Coalition Government’s priority to decentralise Encourages innovation, creativity and staff engagement Can include: –Freedom to establish new partnerships –New customer journeys But can’t include: –Legislation or contractual commitments Enablers: Freedoms & Flexibilities

5. Department for Work and Pensions 5 Enablers: Flexible Support Fund Supports Jobcentre Plus offer and links to Get Britain Working Driven by flexibility – freeing advisers to tailor support to meet individual need District Managers can use to support national and local partnership arrangements Enables Districts to deliver to meet local priorities – tackling lack of work and Social Justice in a holistic and joined up way Can be aligned or pooled via grant payments

6. Department for Work and Pensions 6 Enablers: Data Sharing (1) 3 common reasons Local Authorities request claimant data: 1.To identify and target clients 2.To determine operational costs and services 3.To request participation in case conferences

7. Department for Work and Pensions 7 Enablers: Data Sharing (2) DWP is prevented from sharing claimants’ personal data by primary legislation (s123 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992). Nevertheless, DWP has developed the following measures: –In collaboration with Salford City Council, a model informed consent letter (including multi-agency case conferencing and electronic data sharing) - the first time DWP has formally approved JCP involvement in a ‘Team- around-the-family’ type approach. –Publishing aggregated data –Appointed Data Sharing Champions in every JCP District –Streamlined DWP’s data-sharing application process

8. Department for Work and Pensions 8 Partnerships Supports our wider labour market and social justice strategies: –Helps us to look at wider and multiple outcomes At every level: –Strategic –Operational –Neighbourhood Evidence of success: –More joined up approaches –Partners working across policy domains –More responsive services –Nurturing new ways of working

9. Department for Work and Pensions 9 Questions Impact of partnerships –What is the impact of working in partnership? –How do we measure success? Successful partnerships –Enablers? –Barriers?