Increased support from Jobcentre Plus – Autumn 2009

Aim of the Event To provide you with the latest information on the help and support available to Jobcentre Plus customers including:  Young Person’s Guarantee - Future Jobs Fund (FJF) and Routes into Work (RiW);  Flexible New Deal (FND)  DWP Carer’s Strategy; and  Mental Health Co-ordinator Autumn 2009

Merseyside Position – October 2009 Autumn 2009 October 2008 October 2009 JSA register37,11051,975 Off flows7,68510,525 Vacancies notified 8,6378,921

What we achieved since April Resources  Recruited additional staff, current headcount stands at 1596, with an additional 146 to be recruited by 31 st December.  Temporary staff contracts extended to 31 st March  Estates – we are working on increasing our service delivery for example; interviews being conducted in partner premises, building works in some offices to increase desk space, Performance  10,232 people have started work via Local Employment Partnerships  Were the 1 st district in NW to get our FJF vacancies on LMS & also 1 st to place a young person into a FJF job.  Supported 53 companies during redundancy situations, declaring 3017 redundancies.  Set up an extended partnership working team – Ways 2 Work in West Everton Autumn 2009

Support introduced in April 2009 Day 1  1 hour Jobcentre Plus led Group Jobsearch Sessions  Coaching Sessions  Specialist provider led support for professional & executive customers  1 day jobsearch seminars with contracted providers for non- professionals 6 month offer  £1,000 recruitment subsidy  Extra funding for work-focused training  Work-focused volunteering options  Help for customers that are looking to set-up and run their own business Autumn 2009

Increased support from autumn 2009 Support for young people  Future Jobs Fund / Young Person’s Guarantee  Pathways for under-25s on IB Support for 12 month unemployed  Flexible New Deal Support for lone parents  Options & Choices events for more parents Autumn 2009

Increased support for young people From day one of JSA claim:  Group jobsearch sessions early in claim – from September  Work trials access from day one of claim – from September  Mentoring support from day one of claim – by end of 2009 After three months on JSA:  Work experience placements – 2 weeks max – by end of 2009  Extra hour of one-to-one Adviser between 3 & 6 months on JSA – from January 2010 After six months on JSA:  Internships – for graduates and non-graduates – by end of 2009 Autumn 2009

Young Person’s Guarantee Guaranteed job, training or meaningful other activity for all year olds before they reach 12months on Jobseekers Allowance Four elements:  Routes into Work  Future Jobs Fund  Work-focused Training  Community Task Force The Young Person’s Guarantee will be fully effective from early 2010 –mandatory from April Autumn 2009

Routes into Work Provides help for young people to get a permanent job in a key employment sector. Sector-specific pre-employment training available if required. Employers may receive a recruitment subsidy. Autumn 2009:  Retail  Hospitality, leisure, travel & tourism  Adult social care – three pilot schemes January 2010  Adult social care – national  Facilities management  Security More to come by April 2010 Autumn 2009

Future Jobs Fund  These are real jobs, paying at least national minimum wage, for at least 25 hours a week, and lasting at least six months.  They are new jobs that would not have happened without the Future Jobs Fund money and must benefit the individual and the local community  Aimed at customers who are 18-24s and have been claiming JSA for 6 months. Also on Merseyside for 25+ JSA customers and those 18+ in receipt of other welfare benefits approaching 12 months..  All referrals must be made by Jobcentre Plus Advisers  Since October we have placed 73 customers into FJF jobs Autumn 2009

Work-focused Training  Designed to help to find a sustainable job as quickly as possible.  Young people will work towards a level 2 or 3 qualification (or in exceptional circumstances to a Skills for Life qualification)  Young people will be expected to spend either 3 or 6 months in this training before getting a job.  On Merseyside this will continue to be delivered via the New Deal for Young People Full Time Education & Training Option until October Autumn 2009

Community Task Force  This will offer work experience placements of benefit to the community, designed to enhance the employability and work related skills of participants  It will be flexible and tailored to customer circumstances where possible  25 hours a week on placement, plus five hours a week supplementary support activity  On Merseyside this will continue to be delivered via the New Deal for Young People Environment Task Force/Voluntary Sector Options until October Autumn 2009

Jobseeker’s Regime & Flexible New Deal  On 12 th April 2010 Merseyside will become a FND District.  This new replaces existing New Deals – except New Deal for Lone Parents & New Deal for Partners, which both continue  Tailored, individual support depending on customer needs and local employment market requirements  More flexible and personalised help for customers delivered by contracted providers  4 stage approach Autumn 2009

0 months 3 months 6 months 12 months 24 months STAGE 4 The Flexible New Deal STAGE 3 ‘Supported Jobsearch’ STAGE 2 ‘Directed Jobsearch’ STAGE 1 ‘Self-managed Jobsearch’ New Customer Diagnosis and skills check Fast tracked customers Jobcentre Plus Providers Escalating Conditionality Jobseeker’s Regime & Flexible New Deal

What will the customer experience on FND? Required elements of FND:  Provider & customer are in regular contact  Provider & customer agree an action plan  Four weeks work or work-related activity designed to improve the customer’s work prospects  Fortnightly jobsearch reviews at Jobcentre  FND lasts for 12 months The content of FND will vary depending on:  our provider’s programme  and the support which is tailored to the individual’s needs and the local employment market requirements Autumn 2009

Pathways for under-25s on Incapacity Benefit Pathways to Work This programme helps people with a health condition or disability into employment  Support includes increased Work Focused Interviews with a Personal Adviser, training courses and rehabilitation programmes. From 26/10/09 Existing customers aged with a continuous claim to Incapacity Benefit/Employment Support Allowance for 12 months or more  must attend three mandatory Work Focused Interviews at monthly intervals  they will be offered the same support and options as all other Pathways to Work customers Autumn 2009

Lone Parent changes Government policy is that work for parents is the best route out of poverty for children. Therefore parents with older children should look for work. From 26 th October those Lone Parent customers with their youngest child aged 10 and over  Will no longer be entitled to claim Income Support solely on the grounds of being a lone parent  We will contact customers 8 weeks before their Income Support entitlement ends to invite them to an interview to discuss future options.  If they are not in employment when their entitlement ends then they can make a claim to JSA, or another benefit.  In addition lone parents with their youngest child aged 6 to 8 will be invited to work-focused interviews every 3 months to prepare them for changes that will affect them from Oct Autumn 2009

Lone Parent changes Help and support available to Lone Parents includes:  Options and Choices events to enable them to meet local employers and find out what work and support is available  A weekly payment of £40 In Work Credit tax-free in the first year of work  In Work Advisory Support for six months  Guaranteed job interviews, where possible, once job-ready  An In-Work Emergency Discretionary Fund for advisers to help lone parents when required. Autumn 2009

Increased Support from Jobcentre Plus Any questions? Autumn 2009