1. TACKLING UNEMPLOYMENT AT DATAZONE LEVEL: EDINBURGH’S AREA FOCUS PROJECTS Jenny Ewing, Capital City Partnership, Jobs Strategy Development Victoria Sutherland, Training and Employment Research Unit (TERU), University of Glasgow

2. BACKGROUND Edinburgh’s Jobs Strategy partnership - Joined up for Jobs DWP City Strategy Pathfinder programme – 2007 Targets – to reduce benefit dependency and increase employment rate Funding covered costs of a support team plus £400k per year to commission services for target groups

3. PATHFINDER OBJECTIVES To address unemployment by targeting the inactive population of cities The Edinburgh geography – small pockets of long-term deprivation Emphasis on people on inactive benefits – IB, ESA, LP To reach people disengaged from both mainstream and community based services

4. SMALL AREA OUTREACH WORK Objectives were to: Reach disengaged people within specified area Seek to change the culture of these areas Address needs of individuals holistically Engage partners (NHS, Social Care, LA housing support etc) in supporting these individuals Pilot an approach which had the scope for replication in other areas / in other agencies

5. AREA FOCUS PROJECT Most deprived areas in city selected - entrenched worklessness despite many previous interventions Muirhouse service funded via Pathfinder European funding supported Craigmillar project Additional funding from NHS and Wider Role Funding now very tight Policy landscape looks very different – therefore change in local strategy Evaluation commissioned to enable JUFJ partnership to understand the impact and potential future of projects.

6. TACKLING UNEMPLOYMENT AT DATAZONE LEVEL: EDINBURGH’S AREA FOCUS PROJECTS Presentation to Welfare to Work Scotland Conference Tuesday 6 September 2011

7. 6 EVALUATION 1.Purpose of evaluation: To assist JU4J Strategy Group in mainstreaming an engagement, assessment and case management approach through the Strategic Skills Pipeline proposed for the city 2.Research methods Review of monitoring data Interviews with staff and stakeholders Focus groups and case studies with clients Interviews with other local service providers (e.g. housing, money advice, careers, etc.)

8. 7 KEY COMPONENTS OF AREA FOCUS APPROACH 1.Work intensively in very small areas 2.Proactive in engaging clients Do not wait for clients to come to them Listening survey helps start a conversation Find reason to go back 3.Based in heart of community Physically Approach – e.g. can drop-in for chat, coffee, etc. Organise community activities 4.Offer employability services e.g. help with CVs, jobsearch, etc. but … … Not just about employability 5.Help individuals access other services and supports

9. 8 IMPACTS OF AREA FOCUS APPROACH 1.Reached large proportion of residents 5,313 individuals aged 16-64 live in datazones targeted 50% have been contacted by the project 23% have registered with the project 2.Profile of clients Slightly more males than females (56/44) Over a third were young people Low level of qualifications Barriers include health, homelessness, lone parent, lack of work experience, drug or alcohol abuse, criminal records, etc. Most claiming JSA or Income Support 3.Before engaging with Area Focus projects, only 49% were accessing employability services 25% were using other services

10. 9 IMPACTS OF AREA FOCUS APPROACH (CONT.) 4.Outcomes 291 clients (or 23%) have entered employment 149 (12%) have entered education or training 77 (6%) are engaged in community actitivies 70 (6%) are volunteering 5.Given many of clients were not previously using other employability services, likely to be high levels of additionality 6.Gap between rate of unemployment in Area Focus datazones and that in Edinburgh or Scotland as whole has declined 7.Variation across projects – Muirhouse performs better on all measures Timing – Muirhouse been running longer Nature of area – Craigmillar is arguably more deprived

11. 10 WHAT UNDERPINS THIS SUCCESS? 1.Clients very positive about Community Renewal and their experience 2.Engage because Staff seemed interested in them Attracted by job vacancies advertised outside/window Help with crisis situation 3.Why it works for them? Local base Welcoming and safe environment Attitudes of staff Access to phone and computer Can access range of help from one project 4.Clients identified a range of other benefits beyond ‘employment’

12. 11 WHAT UNDERPINS THIS SUCCESS? (CONT.) 5.Also adds value for other local service providers Helping them to engage with clients −More disadvantaged clients −Reaching them earlier Critical factor is quality of engagement −Area Focus projects have positive reputation with community −By association with Area Focus – other services also seen as ‘good guys’ −Quality of the relationship with Area Focus project means more open to working with other providers Area Focus projects focus on making referrals that are appropriate to client and provider

13. 12 OPTIONS FOR MAINSTREAMING 1.Big question is about what mainstreaming Any organisation could ‘door-knock’ But some of other key features not so easily replicable −Resource intensive – would it work if didn’t have resources to spend time working with individuals? −Small scale and very local so clients feel comfortable - may not be able to replicate at larger level −Genuine drop-in service, seen as part of community - can only do by not being ‘one service’ 2.Elements which can be mainstreamed Taking more pro-active approach to engaging clients Changing way services delivered −Local, community-based delivery −Relaxed and informal Values and attitudes of staff Being able to access range of services from single entry point

14. 13 OPTIONS FOR MAINSTREAMING (CONT.) 3.Options for JU4J: Contract specialist provider to deliver AF approach in high worklessness communities Commission end-to-end delivery and require the successful contractors to adopt key elements of the AF approach Secure agreement of mainstream providers (e.g. housing associations) to take on the AF approach AF approach adopted as part of end-to-end delivery, co- locating these services with mainstream providers and encouraging referrals between mainstream and employability services 4.Recommended pursuing Option 4 – but will require Ensuring potential contractors and mainstream agencies have clarity about key aspects of approach and its added value Potential contractors to outline in tendering documents how will embed into their delivery Putting processes in place to ensure local partners learn lessons Use of monitoring to ensure delivery against commitments

15. 14 LESSONS FOR EMPLOYABILITY AND OTHER SERVICES 1.Lessons learned Taking more pro-active approach Delivering from local offices or community setting Value of relaxed and informal setting to deliver services Importance of trust between client and provider 2.Apply to employability services and other (health, housing, etc.)

16. NEXT STEPS Value of working model evidenced by evaluation Determined to embed approach in service delivery Small areas of entrenched worklessness and deprivation still exist across the city Too early to see impact of Work Programme on these areas Therefore currently examining all options Dissemination event planned for later in year – target audience will be senior managers in partner organisations: NHS, RSLs, Local Authority departments, Neighbourhood Partnerships

17. CONTACT DETAILS Jenny Ewing, Capital City Partnership Email: jennyewing@capitalcitypartnership.orgjennyewing@capitalcitypartnership.org Website: http://www.joinedupforjobs.org.uk/http://www.joinedupforjobs.org.uk/ Phone: 0131 270 6045 Victoria Sutherland, Training and Employment Research Unit (TERU), University of Glasgow Email: victoria.sutherland@glasgow.ac.ukvictoria.sutherland@glasgow.ac.uk Website: http://www.gla.ac.uk/centres/teruhttp://www.gla.ac.uk/centres/teru Phone: 0141 330 4911