The Families Programme Supporting workless families in London East
Welcome Reed in Partnership is delighted to have been selected as the preferred bidder for the Families with Multiple Problems Programme in London East. The Families Programme is designed to support families with a history of intergenerational worklessness until 2014. We will work alongside Local Authorities to help individuals and families overcome significant barriers to work and ultimately to gain employment. The London East contract will support families in Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London, Croydon, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest. Since 1998 Reed in Partnership has supported over 115,000 people across the UK to move from benefits into sustainable employment. We are proud of our work in London East where, over the past thirteen years, we have delivered a range of contracts helping thousands of people gain new skills and move into work. This guide sets out the support we will provide to families; our delivery approach; the supply chain of public, private and voluntary sector partners we will be working with; and how we will work with key stakeholders across London East. I am really excited by the opportunity of supporting these disadvantaged families and look forward to working with you as we deliver the service. James Reed Managing Director, Reed in Partnership Supporting workless families in London East 2
Contents 1. What is The Families Programme? 2 Reed in Partnership s approach to delivery 3. Innovation and customer barriers 4. The Reed in Partnership Supply Chain 5. Contact details Supporting workless families in London East 3
1. What is The Families Programme? The Families Programme is designed to support many of the 120,000 workless families in England. It will run alongside Local Authority support, The Work Programme and other provision to ensure these families are given intensive support to overcome their barriers to work until 2014. Key elements of The Families Programme include: Local Authorities at the heart of the programme Holistic family support alongside individual support Voluntary programme with family referrals approved by Local Authorities Participants expected to complete at least three progress measures to overcome barriers to work A strong focus on partnership, including the community and voluntary sector Tackling worklessness amongst families in London East The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has set out the contract areas for delivery. There are two contracts operating across London London East and London West. Reed in Partnership is the preferred provider for both contracts. In London East, Reed in Partnership will provide the Families Programme for individuals in Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London, Croydon, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest. In London East there are multiple pockets of deprivation where families suffer from a lack of opportunities, poor education and a culture of benefit dependency. Through The Families Programme Reed in Partnership will work to tackle these entrenched problems. We will be paid by results to ensure that the taxpayer receives value for money and families receive an effective service. The programme will encourage individuals to complete progress measures designed to tackle common issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, anti-social behaviour and a lack of skills. The progress measures will provide the foundation so we can help families find sustained work. Who is eligible to join? Customers will be referred to The Families Programme through Local Authorities and must: Volunteer for the programme Have at least one family member who is claiming a DWP out-of-work benefit Be over 16 years of age Have a family history of intergenerational worklessness or have no one currently working in their family Supporting workless families in London East 4
2. Our approach to delivery Joining the programme Reed in Partnership will work closely with Local Authorities and local partners to identify families who could benefit from the provision. Local Authorities will be provided with dedicated Reed in Partnership Liaison Managers to support the identification and referral of families. At the point of referral we will engage customers to assess their goals, barriers and motivations towards work through our diagnostic process. This will be complemented with a family-assessment to ensure all plans are aligned and customers can clearly see the positive and negative consequences of their actions on their family. Dedicated Family Employment Advisers Each customer and family will be assigned a personal Family Employment Adviser. The Adviser will be responsible for supporting customers throughout their journey on The Families Programme. Advisers will also act as a gateway for other provision, ensuring that customers are able to benefit from interventions outside of The Families Programme. Progress Measures To overcome multiple problems customers will be encouraged to complete at least three progress measures. Progress measures will be tailored to customer needs and assessments, and can include intervention to tackle skills gaps, housing issues, health conditions and alcohol use. A full list of progress measures will be made available on our website subject to DWP approval. Family Workshops To reduce family conflict and the repercussions of negative family actions, Reed in Partnership Health and Well-Being Professionals will deliver intensive support to resolve family problems and remove barriers to work. The workshops will address family communication issues and tackle family gatekeepers who have an unhealthy influence over the rest of the family. Access to Suitable Vacancies Reed has over 50 years of experience working with employers. Our Employer Teams have relationships with over 10,000 London employers and will focus their relationship development on growth sectors and identifying job vacancies with family-friendly hours. Family Action Fund Our Family Action Fund will provide families with financial support to meet their needs. By pooling this budget per family, customers and Advisers will be able to prioritise their financial needs. The fund will typically contribute to in-work transition costs such as travel, childcare and work wear. Sustained Employment We will support customers who enter employment for 13 or 26 weeks depending on benefit type. This will ensure that once a customer has secured work, they remain focused on work and their career by identifying and addressing issues quickly. Supporting workless families in London East 5
3. Innovation and customer barriers Innovation to support workless families Family Action Plan: In addition to creating an Individual Action Plan, families will create a jointlyagreed Family Action Plan. This will enable family members to work towards a common goal and visualise the benefits that engaging with our programme could bring. Family Helpline: Our partner Family Lives will provide an out-of-hours helpline service to our customers who need support dealing with issues from housing problems to domestic abuse. Family Better Off Calculation: Family Employment Advisers will calculate how much families will be better off financially if they enter into employment. These calculations take into account all benefits, tax credits and in-work costs such as travel. Employer In-Work Support: As well as supporting individuals once they have entered employment, Reed in Partnership will also continue to contact employers to ensure that they also receive support to get the best from their new employee. Online Portal: Reed in Partnership s Online Portal gives all customers access to vacancies, CV builders, training and a personal diary 24 hours a day. The portal is also able to email customers new job vacancies within their location and sector of interest. Parental Peer Programme: Reed in Partnership will facilitate a peer support group for parents within London East to expand friendship groups and support networks for workless parents, reducing social isolation. Health and Wellbeing Team Support: Where Advisers identify that customers have a healthrelated barrier to employment, customers will be given access to the Reed in Partnership Health and Wellbeing Team to receive physical and mental health support. Access to Reed Group vacancies: Customers will have access to the vacancies generated through the Reed Group, which are updated daily and often reach over 20,000 in London. Supporting business growth: Our micro-financing fund will provide initial investment for self employment, social enterprise start-ups and access to trained volunteer mentors. Customer barriers We will support customers to overcome barriers in the following areas: Family dynamics Parenting Domestic abuse Caring Childcare Debt Work experience Active community engagement Isolation amongst refugee and BME communities Reducing re-offending Preventing youth unemployment Challenging benefit dependency Achieving qualifications and skills Literacy and Numeracy New enterprise skills Housing Stability Physical heath condition management Mental health condition management Substance abuse and addiction Gang culture Supporting career progression Supporting workless families in London East 6
4. The Reed in Partnership Supply Chain In the London East contract area, Reed in Partnership will work with 45 subcontractors, including 29 voluntary sector providers and six public sector providers, to deliver a comprehensive service. We will work closely and collaboratively with our supply chain partners, supporting them with high quality systems and performance management. We will help develop the capacity and capability of voluntary and third sector organisations and we will provide a more effective service to employers, who are integral to the success of The Families Programme in the London East contract area. End-to-end providers: Our end-to-end subcontractors will provide full support for customers in specific geographical areas across the London East contract area: AmicusHorizon Ltd (Bromley) Community Links Trust Ltd (50% Newham) Eco-Actif Services CIC (Merton, Sutton) LionHeart In The Community Ltd (Lambeth) LB of Bexley (Bexley) LB of Greenwich (Greenwich) LB of Newham (50% of Newham) LB of Southwark (50% Southwark) Twin Training International Ltd (Lewisham) Reed in Partnership (All other boroughs) Our London East Supply Chain of end-to-end providers is 56% private sector, 25% public sector and 19% voluntary and community sector. Specialist providers: Our range of specialist providers will ensure customers can receive a personalised journey with help to tackle their employment barriers. They will deliver a wide range of support for both individuals and families: Account 3 Adcris CIC Addaction Adult Training Network City Gateway Ltd Community Links Debt Advice Network East Thames Group Faith Regen Foundation Limited Family Lives Fulham Football Club Foundation Greenwich Council Greenwich Mencap HCS Group Charity Ltd Intech Centre Ltd Kennedy Scott Ltd Limehouse Project Limited Lionheart in the Community London Borough of Bexley Mapalim Ltd Maryland Care Agency Ltd NACRO Randstad HR Solutions Red Kite Learning Relate Remploy Limited Renaisi Ltd Renovo Employment Group Ltd Sev Necati Training Charlton Athletic Community Trust Southwark Council The African Women's Welfare Association The Football League (Community) Ltd The Prince's Trust The Redbridge Council for Voluntary Service The Shaw Trust The Twist Partnership Ltd Transforming A Generation Twin Training International Ltd Urban Transformation Ltd Women Like Us CIC Delivery Locations The Reed Supply Chain will commence the Families Programme delivery across the London East contract area in November. Through our Supply Chain and Local Authorities, we will have fixed and outreach delivery locations across the London East contract area, ensuring that workless families can easily access our services. A full list of offices will be available from www.reedinpartnership.co.uk in due course. Supporting workless families in London East 7
Contact us Please contact us with any questions on the Families Programme or visit the website for more information: Lizzi Holman Policy and Research Manager lizzi.holman@reed.co.uk Hanna Lewis Communications Executive hanna.lewis@reed.co.uk W: www.reedinpartnership.co.uk T: 020 7708 6063 About Reed in Partnership Reed in Partnership is one of the largest employment and skills providers in the UK. Over the past 13 years, we have helped over 200,000 disadvantaged customers with improved motivation, skills, and job search capacity, with over 115,000 finding employment. Our success is built on providing a personalised and responsive service to our customers and understanding the needs and requirements of the local labour market. Supporting workless families in London East 8