 PoWER Professionalising Employment Related Services Janette Faherty OBE, Chair of PoWER & Institute for Employability Steering Committee Helen Richardson, PoWER and Institute for Employability Professionals Project Manager

PoWER  The Employment Related Services Professionalisation Journey  Phase 1 Research  Phase 2 PoWER  Phase 3 The Institute for Employability Professionals  Phase 4 Higher Apprenticeships Working together to achieve the ambition

PoWER  Phase 1 Research, development and first steps  The question increasingly asked was ‘what professional standards and qualifications should the industry have and how should these be addressed’.  January 2010 Professor Dan Finn of Portsmouth University. ‘Now its personal: personal advisers and the new public sector workforce.’  In response leading W2W Primes agreed to contribute £50,000 to sector research and Inclusion’s report;  September 2010 Professionalisation of the Welfare to Work Industry. Developing a Framework for Action‘ published  November 2010 PoWER formed – progress to phase 2

PoWER  Phase 2 PoWER  PoWER members represent employers from across Welfare to Work and from the industry trade bodies, Inclusion, ERSA, AELP, BASE & ACEVO  PoWER’s has 2 two priorities  Create a framework of qualifications and  The creation of an Institute  POWER member organisations contributed £60,000 in cash and additional £60,000 in kind to development  The qualification framework launched at the industry’s annual conference on 1st July 2011.

PoWER Phase 2 The Framework To improve the performance, motivation, engagement, knowledge and understanding of practitioners across the Welfare to Work Sector.  Established Practitioner Sub Group and Management Sub Group  Significant support and investment from EDI  Excellent support from Skills for Justice  Informal support from SFA and NAS  Opportunity for bespoke teaching and learning to suit differing business delivery models  Built on and mapped to existing qualifications  Progression route ways

PoWER Core Units (15-19 Credits) Unit 1 Employment Related Services Introduction (4-6 Credits) The Sector DWP Contracting Legislation & Codes of Conduct Health & Safety Data Security Equality and Diversity Safeguarding Unit 2 Communication and Customer Service (3-4 Credits) Understanding the customers Communication, negotiation, active engagement and target setting Managing diverse case loads Dealing with challenging customers Preparation for work In work support Unit 3 Quality Assurance Within the Workplace (5 Credits) Data collection and administration Analysing and using data The Merlin Standard Following processes and procedures Maintaining accurate and appropriate information Unit 4 Personal Development (3-4 Credits) Time Management Achieving performance targets Motivating self and others Presentation skills Specialist & Optional Units (17+ Credits) Working 1:1 with Customers Working with groups of Customers Engaging Employers and Stakeholder Liaison Management Qualification

PoWER  Phase 3 The Institute for Employability Professionals  Successful UKCES tender  A badge of honour  Following an agreed code of conduct  Approving the quality of qualifications offered in the sector  Sharing best practice, forums, and opportunities for interactive engagement

PoWER

 Phase 4 Higher Apprenticeships  ERS framework recognised by QCA and by NAS creating Apprenticeship at Level 3  Next phase management and higher Apps  Successful partnership SFA tender  Developing a HA Framework for ERS  Raising the profile of ERS and HA to Schools, Colleges, Employers And most importantly the learner …….. our professionalised workforce for the future Thank you