1. Developing employability in offender learning
December 4th 2009

2. Housekeeping
Fire alarm test - 1pm today
Fire exits
Facilities

3. Agenda Time Content Presenter 10:30 – 10:40 Welcome and introduction
Kerry Boffey (OL Consultant)
10:40 – 11:00
Key note: National employability initiatives within offender learning
Roger Stevens (NOMS Probation)
and Angela Christopher (NOMS Prison)
11:00 – 12:00
AM workshops – designing, developing and delivering employability programmes for offenders
Custody - HMP Everthorpe
Community – Dorset Probation
12:00 -13:00
Lunch
13:00 – 13:30
Key note: Developing links with employers
Lance Harris (Employer Engagement Manager, NOMS)
13:30 – 15:15
PM workshop – considering your next steps in effective employer engagement
Kerry Boffey (OL Consultant), HMP Liverpool and West Yorkshire Probation
15:30
Close

4. Welcome and introduction
Objectives of the day:
The workshop will help you design, develop and deliver employability programmes for offenders and work with employers
Specific areas to be covered include:
the latest national initiatives in offender learning
effective provision in custody and the community
developing and maintaining links with employers.

5. What is employability?

6. What is employability? Is it……. a course that offenders attend?
a qualification that is achieved?
turning up for work on time?
a good attitude?
an individual using their initiative?

7. What is employability?
Does this mean that if an employability course is completed then the offender is employable?
It is without doubt something we are all in search of....
offenders
teachers
managers
education providers
employers
But are we talking about the same thing?

8. Key note: National employability initiatives within offender learning
Roger Stevens (Community Skills and Employment Unit, NOMS) and Angela Christopher (Prisons Skills & Employment Manager, NOMS)

9. The long and winding road to
Supporting Employability through Offender Learning Roger Stevens
NOMS
OESS/ Community Skills and Employment Unit

10. Machinery of Government changes
Establishment of NOMS as an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
Aims:
Protect the public
Reduce re-offending
Directors of Offender Management (DoMS)
Establishment of Probation Trusts

11. Other Changes
The Learning and Skills Council becomes the Skills Funding Agency from April 2010
Takes responsibility for funding post-19 learning in England
Route £4 billion of funding swiftly & securely to FE colleges, other providers and the third sector
OLASS arrangements will continue in the community but regional and local structures will change

12. Supporting Offenders into Employment
Reducing Re-Offending National Action Plan
Pathway 2 (Education, Training & Employment)
Dedicated Education, Training & Employment (ETE) teams in NPS areas provide Information, Advice and Guidance as well as motivation and support
Close local links with DWP colleagues help identify local labour market needs

13. Joint MoJ/DWP Strategic Review
Review commissioned by Permanent Secretaries
Improve Offender Employment support
Aims:
Facilitate improvements to partnership working
Increase effectiveness of employment related services
Join up employer engagement
Possible future shared target

14. NOMS Co-Financing NOMS granted Co-Financing Organisation Status
£50 Million of ESF funding obtained
Focus is to deliver Employability Activity
Supports PSA 16 to increase ex-offender participation in employment
Procurement now completed
Based on an Integrated Case Management model
Complementary to other provision

15. Community Skills & Employment Unit
Roger Stevens
Community Skills & Employment Unit
NOMS
Office:
Mobile:

16. Angela Christopher MBE OESS/ Prisons Skills and Employment Unit
Supporting Employability through Offender Learning Standardisation of Vocational Qualifications
Angela Christopher MBE
OESS/ Prisons Skills and Employment Unit

17. Prison Skills & Employment Unit
Policy and strategy lead for prisons skills and employment
NOMS devise the national approach through specifications and support the regions to deliver and performance manage activities
Support for Regional and establishment Heads of Learning, Skills and Employment
National partnerships with BIS, LSC/SFA, DWP, third and private sector

18. Prison Skills & Employment Heads of learning, Skills & Employment Co commissioning LSC/OLASS
Community mainstream Employment Training /Further education in the community
Employers
Colleges
JC+ / DWP
Probation Service
LSC
Train to Gain
Case managed into by CFO
Employment In Prisons & Sector relevant training qualifications
Prison Production Workshops
Catering PE
Laundry
Industrial Cleaning
Commercial Sector e.g. Timpsons
Learning & Skills
OLASS 3/Non OLASS
Education
Learning
Skills
Employability qual
Workshops
Core curriculum
Embedded learning
Assessment
CIAS
Identify
Skill and Employment Needs &
Opportunity
Track Offenders – Sustainable employment/ learning. JC+ and NOMS

19. Linking opportunities……..
..means co-operation between Learning and Skills and:
Employer Engagement in a consistent & co-ordinated way – locally, regionally and nationally
Prison labour or employment allocation boards OLASS 3 and non OLASS provision
Offender Management and “through the gate” activities
Mainstream opportunities linked with through the gate and community provision

20. Employability Opportunities in Offender Learning
NOMS has brought prisons and probation together
under the employment and skills pathway (joining up our work) so that opportunities offered in custody can be continued in the community:
Prison industries employ 10,000 prisoners in some of the following activities:
- Catering
- Commercial sector employment
- Retail, PE, Laundries, PICTA
- Prison radio
- Woodwork, furniture making
- Horticulture
- Industrial Cleaning.
Relevant training and accredited qualifications are acquired through OLASS and non-OLASS partnerships

21. Standardisation of Qualifications Process
Consultation between SSCs; NOMS; LSC and a number of awarding organisations to standardise qualifications across the estate – cost of registration and certification is being reduced
Quality of training opportunities is being standardised through awarding body links and Prison Service Instructions with guidance and use of PDR principles
Regional labour market need and shortages are considered to inform training and qualifications offered regionally and nationally
Work is being established with JC+; DWP and the Alliance of SSCs to ensure links with actual employers
Staff training is offered to support the standard and quality of training delivery across the prison service through Newbold Revell PS College
Standardisation will enable partnership working and effective delivery to learners whether OLASS or Non-OLASS provision

22. Manual Contents….. Contact details of HQ lead
Sector Skills champion and web links
Regional and national labour market need /shortages
Preferred awarding body and cost of qualifications
Identified qualifications for prisoners and staff
Employment links
Data collection – measure performance and impact
Manuals will be available between December/January on PSEU web and intranet

23. Sector Qualification Manuals
Manuals in draft format
Laundry
Engineering
Catering
Physical Education
Glass and glazing
Industrial cleaning
Woodwork
Warehousing and distribution/retail
Land-based
Contract services
Manuals pending
Waste management
Clothing and textiles
Plastics
Printing
PICTA
Charity workshops

24. Prisons Skills & Employment Manager Learning & Skills specialist
Angela Christopher
Prisons Skills & Employment Manager
Learning & Skills specialist
NOMS HQ

25. Custody – HMP Everthorpe Community – Dorset Probation
Workshops: Designing, developing and delivering employability programmes for offenders
Custody – HMP Everthorpe
Community – Dorset Probation

26. Lunch
12:00 – 13:00

27. Key note: Developing links with employers
Lance Harris (Prison Industries Employer Engagement Manager, NOMS)
Keith Naughton (Employer Support Manager, HMP Liverpool)

28. Prison Industries Employer Engagement
To enhance the employment prospects of prisoners upon release as a result of their time spent in prison industry workshops.
To engage the commercial, third and charity sectors by supplying “job-ready” prisoners.
Industry Partnerships are the commitment of resources and opportunities by external partners.

29. Industries - The Bigger Picture
Work places
305 Workshops
£5.2m Commercial Revenue
Circa £30m Internal Sales Value
420 Commercial Contracts
Accreditation Programmes

30. The Evolution of Prison Industries

31. Commercial Companies Employment Survey

32. The Components of Partnership
Plant & Equipment
Supervision
Training Delivery
Work on release
Funding

33. Developing Partnerships
Establish the objective
Identify what’s possible
What's your offer - Benefits & Features
Build in Time Frame & Measurement (what does success look like and when?)
Relationship management

34. Keith Naughton – Employer Support Manager
HMP Liverpool
Keith Naughton – Employer Support Manager

35. Employment partners with HMP Liverpool and outcomes
Timpson
Create
FRC
Revive
Bulky Bob’s
Recycling lives
Jole Riders
NHS
TOTAL

36. Developing good working relationships
Awareness of boundaries
Open and consistent communication
Regular feedback meetings
Equal partnerships
Sharing best practise
Promoting Successes
Obligations and Responsibilities

37. Planning and timescales
Defining Roles and deadlines
Time frames 3months/6months
Outcomes
Benefits of soft outcomes
Through the Gate Support

38. Impact analysis Over 190 outcomes into Employment
The social effect on all concerned
Cost to the Tax Payer
Some Recidivism
Needs the through the gate support
Social Barriers
Cultural Change

39. What now ?

40. Yorkshire & Humberside Probation
Debbie Clark - Regional Employer Engagement Manager

41. Research has consistently demonstrated that sustainable stable employment is single most important factor in reducing reoffending and can do so by up to 50%
NOMS agenda of reducing reoffending and pathways designed to contribute to such reduction states we must raise levels of employment in ex-offenders
Probation and Prison Services, in partnership with other organisations, have demonstrated effectiveness in preparing offenders for employment using holistic approach

42. However, there is a vital missing link...
Not enough to give offenders training, education and skills
We have to:
engage employer in the process
respond to employer needs
be more demand-led in the way this work is delivered

43. Allocation of funding resulting in some excellent short term projects e.g. Impact, Hope, Equal Engage
Positive outcomes including raising awareness of contribution of employers in reducing reoffending agenda

44. Lessons learned
Lack of sustainability
Lack of coordination
Employer disengagement
Training
Organisational commitment

45. LSC funded Regional Employer Engagement Project commenced September 2008 with the following main objectives:-
Sustainable employer engagement strategy for prisons and probation in Yorkshire and Humberside
Regional web database of employers
Resource manual
Employer engagement activity

46. Strategy and Sustainability Plan
Joined up approach pulling together relevant partners
Introducing other key players and organisations who share vision and targets for increasing employment, reducing poverty and reducing reoffending

47. Partnership Model of Employer Engagement
Business process to include and embed private and local authority sectors in employer engagement activity
Partnership working with Job Centre Plus (Local Employment Partnerships) to meet shared targets of reducing unemployment for priority groups
Public Sector Agreements provide opportunity for partnership approach
Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

48. Benefits of Partnership Approach
Local authorities - key stakeholder
- major employers
Offender employment agenda and impact on local communities
Huge significance for strategic development of offender employability plans

49. Benefits of Partnership Approach (Continued)
Shared vision / targets
Employer engagement process delivered more effectively, enhancing good practice and ensuring connectivity between services
Sustainability....commitment from key stakeholders to form model of sustainability plan for REEP

50. Strategy – with focus on partnership / collaborative philosophy
Strategic Aim
Strategic Objectives
Action Plan

51. For further information, please contact:-
Debbie Clark
Regional Employer Engagement Manager
West Yorkshire Probation Area
Cliff Hill House
Sandy Walk
Wakefield
WF1 2DJ

52. Workshop Kerry Boffey (OL Consultant)
Debbie Clark (Yorkshire and Humberside)
Over to you……….

53. Reflection on current practice
Activity:
On your tables discuss your organisation’s current approach to employer engagement
Identify three things that are working well (good practice)
Identify three things that haven’t worked so well (lessons learnt)
Feedback and whole group discussion
Define what is meant by employer engagement plan/strategy – what do we mean by employer engagement etc?
QIC – Working with partners:
- Consider who your partners are and how they contribute to the Offenders Learning Journey
- Ensure that there is clarity about the work that you carry out with your partners and how this will be executed
- Clearly articulate the role of partners in the strategic and business plan
- Have in place an employer engagement strategy that links to the overall strategic plan
- Communicate your expectations of your relationship with your partners clearly

54. Where are you now?
Reflecting upon what you have heard today consider your own organisations position in relation to employer engagement
Position 1 – planning and implementation
Position 2 – evaluation and improvement

55. What is employabilty?
“Employability is a person's capability of gaining initial employment, maintaining employment, and obtaining new employment if required . In simple terms, employability is about being capable of getting and keeping fulfilling work...”
Hillage and Pollard, 1998

56. Final thoughts

57. Thank you for attending