Morag Gillespie, Gareth Mulvey, Gill Scott
Scottish Poverty Information Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University
ISBN 0 7559 2697 8
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Developing clear and relevant advice for people moving from economic inactivity towards employment is a key issue in the context of the welfare to work agenda. This research was carried out to understand better the experience and impact of advice services from the perspective of disadvantaged groups making the transition to work. It also aimed to identify possible areas for developments in advice delivery that would acknowledge the social constraints that affect disadvantaged groups needing support as they make such transitions.
Main Findings
- The pattern of employment for the disadvantaged groups studied was characterised by movements both into and out of work.
- Multiple and complex barriers to work were identified.
- Formal and informal services are both important sources of advice and vary considerably in the level, range, value and purpose of advice delivered and used.
- Information, advice, support and representation are valued by users.
- Advice does affect decisions about work and the ability to sustain transitions from benefits to work or education.
- The manner of delivering advice, staff attitudes, relationships with users and accessibility are central to positive experiences of advice services.
- Training and resources to address the full advice needs of disadvantaged groups moving towards work is still underdeveloped and seldom crosses service boundaries.
- Financial, staff and physical resources are understood to limit development.
- Three areas of change are recommended by the researchers: strategic approaches to service development to address unrecognised needs of disadvantaged groups; increased cross agency activities and training; and enhanced resources for independent advice services exhibiting current good practice relating to the provision of holistic, long term advice.
- Further research is recommended on the development of service user consultation and involvement and on the advice role of Jobcentre Plus in the context of the advice needs of disadvantaged groups.
Background
During the 1980s and 1990s, the proportion of people unable to consume and participate in the type of activities that others took for granted in the UK grew substantially. It was this legacy of poverty and inequality that the Welfare to Work agenda was designed to address. Increasing the chances of sustained employment for disadvantaged groups - in order to lift them permanently out of poverty - is essential if poverty is to be addressed.
Reform of the tax and benefits system has been one element that is key to the welfare to work strategy, but ensuring that the most vulnerable can benefit from these changes depends on their ability to make sense of the changes and to use advice and support services that can help them move between benefits and earnings. This report examines the nature of government and non-government sources of advice, the issues that affect marginalized groups as they make transitions from welfare to work and their experience of using advice services. It is the second stage of a research project. The first stage examined existing literature on advice services and transition to work and is reported in Advice Services and Transitions to Work for Disadvantaged Groups: A Literature Review (Gillespie and Scott, 2004). This second stage comprises primary research amongst those providing and using advice services.
Research Aims
The central aims of the research were:
- To map the nature of advice and the advice environment available to disadvantaged groups moving towards employment;
- To investigate the pattern of use and experience of such advice;
- To inform training provision and service development amongst advice services wanting to improve provision to disadvantaged groups;
- To consider the implications of the research for policy and service delivery in Scotland.
Research findings
Transitions and barriers to work
Although less than a third of respondents were in paid employment at the time of the survey, two thirds of the remainder (47 people) said that they had been in paid work before and only one in five of survey participants overall had no experience of paid employment. Occupations were broader for past employment compared with current employment that was in a narrow range of sectors characterised by low wages. Moving out of employment was related most often to health or disability issues, including employer's behaviour and/or their inability to redeploy, and childbirth or care responsibilities. The participants in this research study reflect evidence elsewhere that suggests that the onset of disability or ill health is likely to have a negative impact on income and economic status
In order to take account of different levels of need for access to advice and support, the survey asked about the nature of the barriers faced by the participants trying to move from benefits to education, training or work. The vast majority identified multiple barriers and, overall, the barriers mentioned most often were 'your financial situation generally' which was identified by half the respondents, across groups, particularly prisoners, those with a current or past mental health problem and lone parents. Lack of confidence was an issue for a third of participants (33.6 per cent) across all groups, but particularly people with mental health problems, prisoners and those with long-term illnesses or health problems and more of a barrier for women than men.
The research identified that there remain considerable problems with the benefits system in relation to making the transition to work, particularly for people with learning disabilities and in relation to DLA. Benefits were seen as complex and uncertain, particularly where work is part-time and low paid.
Using advice services
Most survey participants had used more than one advice service in the past and the majority had used Jobcentre Plus, but a small number had used no advice service. Although Jobcentre Plus and other formal advice services, mainly in the voluntary sector and local government, accounted for most services used recently, the numbers using informal services such as supported employment and training projects was higher than anticipated. In their most recent enquiry, most advice service users wanted advice about more than one issue. Benefits issues were most often identified, particularly benefits rights, highlighting that the system remains complex. Advice becomes critical when things go wrong, especially where disability benefits are concerned. Earnings and hours of work were the other main concerns. There were also differences between groups in the nature of enquiries, some of them following predictable lines: for example, enquiries relating to childcare were raised almost exclusively by women. Women, particularly lone parents, were also much more concerned than men about benefit delays and run-on benefits.
Overall, advice service users expressed high levels of satisfaction, although a small number of people, all of whom had used government advice services, were dissatisfied. The overall impression of services was that they were friendly and understood the needs of the service users. Positive views of services were generally linked to experiences in which advice was comprehensive and sensitive to individual needs. Negative experiences generally revolved around the staff and the atmosphere in the services. Those expressing some dissatisfaction with a service were more likely to describe it as impersonal or say that the service's needs came first.
More than 40 per cent of survey participants thought that the advice they received had affected decisions about the transition to work, particularly where they had used formal government sources of advice. Half had been reassured that the transition to work or education was possible for them and that they would be better off financially.
Advice services
A range of advice services across sectors was represented in the survey of advice workers, including a small number of 'informal' advisers. Some delivered advice along with other services, most covered geographical areas and two thirds provided services for specific groups. Most were small: half employed 3 or less staff and only 8 of the 37 services used volunteers. They used a range of delivery methods, most often telephone and face to face advice. Most provided a degree of specialism in either areas of advice, services for specific groups or levels of work. Government services were more strongly associated with getting people into work or education. However, when problems arose that threatened the sustainability of a chosen path in work or education, service users were more likely to use formal advice services outside of government.
Routine coverage of issues for clients moving towards work was most concentrated on benefits issues and meeting certain costs, e.g. housing or childcare costs. Few routinely considered childcare availability, adult care, travel access, taxation, money management, grants and scholarships or disability related costs, despite disability and care issues being central to income maximisation in the transition to work or education.
For advice workers, particularly in the voluntary sector, there were concerns about their relationship to the welfare to work agenda and the implications for delivery of their advice services of partnership working with government services. In particular, there were concerns that such joint work should not compromise their capacity to deliver impartial advice that is independent of the interests of government and other agencies.
Most workers were in advice networks, but only 42 per cent of advisers were in welfare to work networks or partnerships, including only 11 per cent of those in voluntary sector advice. Only 40 per cent had been to training on advice needs relating to the transition to work, much of which also had a focus on benefits rights. Little training was identified that addressed access needs for groups or welfare to work issues in the specific context of advice provision.
Existing measures to meet the needs of disadvantaged groups were identified. Most often they covered physical access, outreach, home visits, interpreting, large print and specialist posts. Advisers gave the highest priority to accuracy of advice, but rated highly all of a series of suggestions for developing effective support for disadvantaged groups. Nevertheless, service user involvement or consultation was seldom well developed, and virtually non-existent in government agencies. Limitations to service development in the voluntary sector were most often linked to lack of resources and staff.
Recommendations
Three areas of change are recommended by the researchers to improve access to advice for disadvantaged groups in transition:
- There is a need for a strategic approach to advice service development at national and local levels to address issues such as unrecognised needs of disadvantaged groups, gaps in provision, referral systems, resources, training and links between advice and employability services, to ensure welfare to work and benefits issues more generally are addressed. Partnerships should recognise the importance of non-government advice services as full partners, both in terms of funding that reflects the work involved and in approaches that do not compromise the independence and impartiality of non-government services.
- Conflicts of interest can arise between advice and other services delivered by the same organisation. Clarity of roles and independence from decision makers are key factors in advising disadvantaged groups with limited knowledge of their rights.
- The recommendations have resource implications for services, some of which are already struggling to access resources and training or spare the time to meet with others. These pressures seem to be greatest in voluntary sector advice services. Such services are likely to remain important for disadvantaged groups despite developments in government advice provision. Resources are needed where holistic and proactive approaches to advice can be provided.
Further research is recommended: to take forward the development of good practice in service user consultation and involvement in advice; and on the advice giving role of Jobcentre Plus in the context of awareness of rights amongst disadvantaged groups.
About this study
Fieldwork comprised a mixed mode of enquiry: strategic interviews and consultation with the project's advisory group to inform development of the research instruments and to define key characteristics for analysis of advice services; a survey of 90 advice workers in 37 organisations, a survey of 117 advice service users and interviews with 35 service users. Collectively, the sample of advice workers and organisations presented a diverse population in terms of organisational, social and geographic location of advice and included voluntary, local and central government services (including Careers Scotland and Jobcentre Plus), as well as 'informal' services in community settings.
The advice worker questionnaire explored the nature and level of services, patterns of delivery, resources used and service development relating to disadvantaged groups. The service user questionnaire explored respondents' employment experiences and barriers to work, their use of services and preferences for support and advice during transition periods. This was explored in more depth with interviews to selected groups.
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