Case Studies

o  Supporting communities back into work – Time banking: developing the model in Maidstone (presentations)

Jackie Pye, Park Wood Time banking

Sam Hopley, CEO, HCCT, Camden Shares

Vicky Butler, SILK Team, KCC

Local businesses leading the way in supporting local people into employment (presentation), Steve Bishop, Store Manager, Wilkinsons

Tackling Worklessness - Questions and answers

Introductory presentation by Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration and Communities, MBC

The presentation gave the current position concerning the extent of youth unemployment and barriers to employment.  It also set out a series of practical actions to address this priority.  (See presentation slides attached to these minutes.)

Comments

PC – Reminded the meeting of the £2m Kent apprenticeships scheme and of the need for linking up initiatives in a cohesive way.

http://www.kent.gov.uk/news_and_events/news_archive/2011/june_2011/new_information_technology_app.aspx?theme=mobile

ZC – MBC’s co-ordinating function is confirmed.

GC – It may be that up to 25% of the Kent apprenticeships scheme could be directed towards Maidstone.

CG – Can that 25% be confirmed?

GC – No, but we need to keep a Maidstone context.

Case Studies

1.  Supporting communities back into work – Time banking: developing the model in Maidstone (presentations) http://www.timebanking.org/about/what-is-a-timebank/

Sam Hopley, CEO, Timebanking UK and CEO HCCT, Camden Shares

Vicky Butler, SILK Team, KCC

·  Timebanking started in 1996 and has grown to over 3m hrs a year.  The principle is an hour for an hour, and is used for the co-production of community services;

·  A grant of e.g. £5,000 is good, but it is even better if it comes with 100 people hours;

·  Timebanking aims to build solutions at local level, with self-sustaining and cost neutral schemes;

·  Participants earn credits for hours worked and often find that time banking is a stepping stone into paid work;

·  Parkwood is a large scheme with over 1,000 credits currently in circulation

http://socialinnovation.typepad.com/silk/2010/09/time-banking-in-parkwood.html ;

·  Credits are ‘recycled’ around e.g. from school to Fusion Café to volunteer time;

·  Some people have made the transition in to work.  A good example is John who now runs his own handyman service.

Discussion

SH – In answer to a question on costs, start-up costs are minimal;

MR – Need one point of contact for youth, older people.  So many groups are overlapping in their work.  Accountability is needed as to where NEETS end up;

CG – Timebanking is about a long term commitment to finding work, not endless volunteering;

VB – Parkwood decided that they did not want a paid worker to promote the scheme;

DD – Need to focus down on one target – 50 work experience placements.  What return to work courses are available?  Could incentivise/contract with young people NEET;

GC – Timebanking needs more flexibility as to how to spend time credits.  Is it possible to widen the range of ‘outlets’, and add value to the time banking hour;

ZC – The Parkwood scheme could be widened to include e.g. subsidised cinema tickets, subsidised transport.

2.  Progress! Programme – supporting local people into employment – (Presentation) Kathy Melling, KCC Adult Social Services, &Lucy Anderson, Skills Training UK

LA – Skills Training UK deliver employment training across the whole south-east. 

• The programme was recently re-named Progress! http://progressprogramme.com/
• Progress! works with families to become more employable
• 530 people in 400 families have been referred in the south-east.
• Around 50% of clients enter education, employment or training.
• Progress! looks hard at the barriers to work faced by families and looks to achieve tangible outcomes e.g. achieving a first qualification

http://www.skillstraininguk.com/

KM – In answer to a query on the two Troubled Families ‘strands’ (European Social Foundation and Dept Work & Pensions), the main difference between the two is the referral route.  The referral route for ESF puts local authorities in control.  Eligibility has recently been relaxed so that only one family member has to be in receipt of a work-related benefit.

Discussion

EH – Will agencies e.g. Police, HNS, Courts give the savings from the troubled families scheme back to local authorities?

ZC – Funding is not really the problem, getting and keeping co-ordinated is.

IC – How many potential clients are there in Kent?

LA – There is an allocation of 2,600 in Kent, the largest allocation in South-East.  The aim is to identify them by June 2014.  There are 222 indicative clients in Maidstone, and 73 individuals have been referred so far in Kent.  Kent is rolling out the scheme local authority by local authority – 6 Councils so far referring into the scheme;

JW – Is the referral criteria the same as for the DWP scheme?

KM – There is no attachment fee, only payment by results on progress measures.  DWP have set a target of 30% of clients in sustained employment.

JW – What is the cost?

LA - £14m in the South-East, but will find the figure for Kent;

CG – Do we know where the NEETS are?

ZC – Yes – Connexions track them;

JAW – How are we joining up?

LA – Intensive family intervention in the home ¢ then work with Skills Training UK to get into employment;

ZC – The two strands are:

ü  DWP ¢ ESF ¢ employment based

ü  DCLG ¢ Troubled Families;

PC – The two streams have potential for massive overlap, well intentioned silos;

GC – There is a need to keep it simple, add clarity

• The Priorities Focus Group can keep an overview
• MLB needs to be kept informed as to progress
• The co-ordinating function is needed
• Need to engage with employers.

PC – KCC will recruit 12 local authority co-ordinators;

JT – Employers have barriers to employing people – reasons why they might not recruit – need to talk to employers to gain real understanding;

PC – If 10,000 Eastern Europeans can find work, why can’t our unemployed – the attractiveness of work should increase as the welfare/benefits regime changes;

JT – Youth unemployment is high, but are they prepared for work?  Abilities and attitude;

ZC – There are sufficient vacancies;

The co-ordinating function applies not just to the public sector, but to the private sector as well;

Work placements do lead to permanent employment;

PC – Is it possible to circulate the profile of those vacancies;

GC – Maidstone’s Core Strategy 2026 pledges jobs growth, we must build a model that ensures the ‘supply’ of NEETS is cut of;

CG – Proceed to vote.

Agreed:  The Proposed Actions in the Director of Regeneration & Communities’ presentation were agreed:

  i.  Invite Job Centre Plus to join the Maidstone Locality Board;

  ii.  Establish a co-ordinating function within MBC;

  iii.  Identify and engage with 10 local employers to support and mentor young people NEET;

  iv.  Secure 50 work experience placements by December 2012;

  v.  Use Connexions data to identify 30 NEETs and work with them into employment within 6 months;

Present the findings of barriers to employment and make further recommendations at the next meeting.