CHAPTER NINE: OVERVIEW: ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT AND OUTCOMES OF PROGRAMME PARTICIPATION
9.1 This part of the report brings together the evidence presented in the earlier chapters to consider the impact the programme has had, and the factors that appear to influence the programme's effectiveness. The section concludes by providing some recommendations for the future development of the two job retention programmes.
What impact has the programme had?
Client perspectives
9.2 Among clients from both providers, there was an overwhelmingly positive response to having participated in the programme - regardless of how far they appeared to have progressed towards or into work by the time of the research interview. Respondents spoke in particular of the following impacts that participating in the programme had had on them:
Increased 'soft' skills
9.3 Many respondents talked of the impact of the support received from their adviser or caseworker to help them to increase their confidence and self-esteem. For some respondents, notably lone parents, diminished confidence was reported as a major issue that they recognised could hold them back from progressing towards and into employment. For some this had arisen because of a prolonged period away from the labour market and for others it was a result of a relationship breakdown. Advisers were skilled and helping them to recognise the skills they had and to see a 'pathway' towards getting into sustained employment.
9.4 Others spoke of feeling more motivated to apply for jobs or to develop their skills as a result of the one-to-one contact they had with their adviser. Knowing that there would be regular contact from their adviser could serve to maintain motivation in looking for and applying for jobs.
9.5 Some clients spoke of being able to 'open up' to their advisers about past issues that affected them - which is a reflection of the skills of the advisers themselves. Advisers were reported to have helped clients deal with a range of issues including aggression, bereavement, separation, abusive relationships, depression etc.
9.6 There were also reports of improvements in personal management skills. Examples here include being able to better manage their own finances, managing a family/household whilst working and successfully combining poor health with work.
Clearer employment plans and aspirations
9.7 In both projects, clients often appeared to come into the programmes without a clear idea of a career or employment plan, or with limited aspirations of what they wanted for the future. Advisers played a key role in helping clients to consider the different options, highlight what was available in the labour market and help clients to work out what was realistic and achievable, taking into account their own personal circumstances as well as issues relating to access to childcare, transport and tax credits (some of which was provided through other parts of the organisations). According to clients, having someone who could bring together different sources of information and advice to help them make an informed decision about what they could do, and how to go about it, was invaluable.
9.8 Participants also reported that they had a clearer goal or pathway to work than they had prior to participating in the project. Here, advisers had been instrumental in helping clients to recognise the skills they had, particularly 'life' skills that clients had not previously recognised as being of value to prospective employers (for example, managing household budgeting, voluntary work etc).
Better job search and job application strategy
9.9 A central part of both programmes was the tailored support and advice about job search strategies, applying for jobs and attending interviews. Mock interview support was offered, and was reported as invaluable. Tips on how to 'deal' with interview situations was reported as particularly beneficial. A few respondents had not required help in this area.
Increased ability to resolve practical issues - finance, debt, childcare, transport
9.10 Clients often had practical difficulties for which they received help from the programme advisers. These difficulties were often 'barriers' to employment, or factors that made it more difficult for clients to move into work. Difficulties reported that help was received for included accessing financial help to assist with the transition into work ( e.g., to buy tools, work clothes, interview suit), resolving benefit/tax credit issues (particularly in relation to housing benefit), debt (and how to handle debt repayments once they had moved back into work), childcare and transport.
9.11 The effectiveness and impact in terms of the provision of unbiased financial advice cannot be underestimated. Whilst some clients were slightly less well off being in work, the vast majority were in receipt of extra money, mostly as a result of in-work benefits. Also of significance, in a financial context, is the availability of small pots of funding to enable clients to pay for qualifications, to help negotiate discounts for driving lessons, and other practical tools necessary for work.
Moving into work or training
9.12 As highlighted earlier, some respondents had moved into work or training by the time of the research interview, and others were taking positive steps closer to work, for example by attending an ILM programme or training event, or undertaking voluntary work. A small group of The One Plus Sustainable Employment Project respondents, for example, had already found work when they were put in touch with the service - mainly through referral from another One Plus programme - and had benefited from the in-work support from the providers (for example, in negotiating tax credit difficulties or assistance in moving on to a more suitable job). All of these respondents indicated that they would have not been able to progress to the same extent had they not received the support from the programme advisers.
Support with sustaining employment
9.13 Of the clients who had moved successfully into work by the time of the research interview, some had only done so relatively recently and had found the one to one support and encouragement from their adviser to be invaluable in the early weeks. Others felt that they had not needed support once in work - and in fact pointed to their increased confidence and self-sufficiency gained from the programme at a pre-employment stage which meant that they felt that they were able to 'cope' once in work. However, others who had entered work more recently found it difficult to think of any possible support needs to help them sustain a job and did not anticipate needing to come back to the provider (though were reassured that they were there 'at the end of the phone' if needed).
9.14 There were some examples of jobs not working out for various reasons, where clients clearly would have benefited from post-employment support but had not sought any help at the time. Reasons for this varied but could be related to not wanting to seem as though they were failing, and wanting to try and resolve it themselves. Typically, clients returned to the provider after the job had ended. This is a key challenge for job retention programmes.
Staff perspectives
9.15 A key client impact, from the staff perspective, was working with clients to help them to recognise the skills they have and to build on them, as well as recognising the areas which they need to develop, and providing the support to do so.
9.16 The consensus among staff is that, for the relatively short time they have been in place, both Next Steps and the One Plus Sustainable Employment Project have been very positive. Staff of both projects value having been allowed the freedom to give an appropriate level of support to their client group so that clients can actually stay in their jobs. In addition, much value is placed on the provision of a 'continuum of support' - tailored to individual need. Staff from the One Plus Sustainable Employment Project suggested:
"It's not just about finding them, and keeping them in, a job, it's about them being able to access a whole host of services and support. A lot of clients would be lost if we weren't here, not just in terms of employment."
9.17 Some were of the opinion that the job retention projects had considerably enhanced their organisational effectiveness as well as impacting positively on their clients:
"It's added a whole new strata of work that we weren't really tapped into properly. I think it's been hugely beneficial for us to be able to help people beyond the work experience stage, the vocational qualifications etc - being able to support them as they settle into their work routine. The practical impacts of helping them negotiate the benefits situation, helping them understand what's going on in the working world, the cultural issues and the like. It would be very difficult for us to draw back from that now."
9.18 During interviews with staff, it was evident that all of them were fully committed to their work, and felt a real sense of pride and achievement in being able to work closely with clients to help them move towards, and into, work that they would not have otherwise been able to. A key client impact, from a staff perspective, was working with clients to help them recognise the existing skills they have and to build on them, as well as recognising the areas which they needed to develop, and providing the support to do so.
9.19 Staff also felt that an important outcome for clients was an increase in their confidence and self-belief. Staff from both organisations gave numerous examples of individuals who had come to them with very low (or sometimes non-existent) self-esteem and a low perception of who they were. Many of these clients, as evidenced by our interviews with them, through a combination of one-to-one support, group work and skills development, are now in a much better position in which to present themselves to potential employers and, subsequently, secure and retain employment.
What factors contribute to the programme's effectiveness?
9.20 This section considers the key factors that appear to contribute towards, or militate against, the programme's effectiveness in delivering a job retention and sustainable employment service to its clients.
9.21 Some of these factors relate to the way in which the programme is delivered, and others relate to more external issues or to individual client attitudes and characteristics.
Operating a personal caseworker/adviser model
9.22 Undoubtedly one of the most positive elements of both programmes for clients was that they had a named adviser working with them, who they could build a relationship with over time and who they felt they could approach about a range of issues around moving back into the labour market. Clients from Next Steps and The One Plus Sustainable Employment Project place a high value on the highly personalised service that they received. Next Steps clients talked of appreciating the structure and delivery style of the training and of the personal discipline developed as a result of regular and punctual attendance.
Working with realistic goals/plans
9.23 Respondents who had clear and realistic goals of where they wanted to be, appeared to gain more benefit from the programme than those whose plans were less clear, or perhaps not entirely feasible given their current circumstances. There is clearly a difficult balance to be had with some clients, notably those with more significant labour market barriers such as enduring health issues, in terms of providing encouragement and support to enter and remain in employment but being realistic as to what is achievable in the short, medium and long term.
Working with 'engaged' clients
9.24 There is clear evidence to indicate that the clients who get the best out of the service, and the support on offer are those who are the most 'engaged'. This means that it is the clients who are clearly committed to returning to work, take up the offers of support and advice, are willing to participate in courses, and to 'push themselves' into taking options that they may not have previously considered are those that appear to fare best from the programme. Others who appear less committed may get less from the programme. Examples of the latter include clients who may have been involved in a number of other labour market and training programmes over the years.
Access to a wide range of support/signposting
9.25 Respondents clearly had a range of needs to help them into sustained employment, and it would be unrealistic for one individual to meet those needs. However, staff were able to draw across a range of services from within their wider organisation. Examples include debt advice, tax and benefit advice, volunteering opportunities, training and literacy support. This highlights the value of a job retention programme that sits within a wider organisational infrastructure, and with flexibility to be able to access support from different teams or sections within the provider organisation. Staff also had a good knowledge of specialist provision that was available outside of their organisation if needed.
9.26 Furthermore, for The One Plus Sustainable Employment Project clients particularly, the most important support to the majority of clients was childcare. Nevertheless, the availability of childcare was variable (depending on where the client lived/worked), and was said to be particularly hard to find for clients with secondary school age children. For lone parents in particular, difficulties in accessing childcare was one of the biggest barriers to returning to work.
Partnership working
9.27 The earlier context section of this report gives an indication of the wide range of employability and labour market initiatives currently available Glasgow and the wider region and there are clear overlaps in policy objectives as well as in aspects of service delivery. Staff reported a range of informal partnership working with a range of voluntary sector organisations as well as with Jobcentre Plus. There is a clear case for continued working in this way, perhaps with the formalisation of relationships in some cases.
The salience of 'sustainable employment' to clients
9.28 Factors affecting job retention and sustainable employment are of relatively low salience among clients, who generally found it difficult to anticipate experiencing any difficulties once they had moved into work. Most believed that once they had successfully made the transition into work there would be no difficulty in remaining there.
Recommendations
9.29 The two programmes tend to work with different client groups, and provide a different type of 'intensity' of service and for different durations. The Next Steps programme advisers (of which there are three) work with a smaller caseload, and tend to provide a more intensive face-to-face service than the One Plus Sustainable Employment Project programme advisers (also three) who tend to work with larger caseloads over a shorter period of time. However, Next Step clients tend to have more significant labour market barriers and tend to be further from job entry than the One Plus Sustainable Employment Project clients. The One Plus Sustainable Employment Project clients' needs are perhaps more homogenous - not surprising given that they are drawn from the lone parent population - and they tend to work primarily with clients who present themselves as 'job ready' in terms of their skills and attachment to work. Both organisations, therefore, provide some similar and some different services.
9.30 Based on the evidence from the staff and client interviews across both organisations, there are some clear recommendations in terms of how the programmes might develop in the future to best meet the needs of its clients and make the best use of the resources available to the programmes.
Strategies to deal with hardest to help
9.31 For the Next Steps programme in particular, some clients they work with appear to be some distance from being 'work ready'. Working with such clients can require considerable input over a relatively long time period and in some cases (for example, among some clients with mental health difficulties) potentially indefinitely. The extent to which job retention programmes are able to support such clients, who clearly face longer-term barriers to becoming self-sufficient, warrants closer examination extending over the longer term.
More peer support/mentoring
9.32 As reported earlier, clients generally spoke positively of the group work they had participated in and in particular the opportunity to be with others of similar circumstances. Similarly, the mentoring support some clients had experienced (notably in The One Plus Sustainable Employment Project) was received positively. Facilitating more opportunities for in-work peer support or peer mentoring for clients could be beneficial, could also free up valuable adviser time and could provide an appropriate 'exit strategy' once the official six month support period comes to an end.
Developing scenario planning for job retention issues
9.33 The provision and take-up of job-retention and sustainable employment support was the element of the programme that was perhaps least developed and least utilised - partly because clients often had difficulty in thinking about what kind of problems they might encounter beyond the initial transition to work, and partly because of the stage that the programme was at, at the time of the research ( i.e., with relatively few clients reaching that stage). When clients are about to move into employment, advisers tend to work closely with them to ensure that all the necessary arrangements are in place (financial support, childcare, transport etc). However, clients may find it beneficial to consider how they might manage different potential scenarios that could occur in the future, through job retention scenario planning. Whilst this is already apparently done to some extent there may be a case for revisiting the current approach.
Access to post-employment financial assistance
9.34 It is evident that clients often also require financial assistance in the transition to work. This can be to help to buy tools, clothing, to pay any bridging costs in moving off benefits into work ( e.g., housing costs), childcare costs and transport. Access to such funds can play a critical role in whether a job is sustained. In theory, some costs can be met through the providers themselves (although the 'pot' is small) or through other help from Jobcentre Plus (discretionary fund) or Action Teams. However, it is often dependant on timing and other eligibility criteria. Finding (timely) sources of financial support to clients is therefore key.
Equality of access to support and opportunities
9.35 A frustration for staff (and clients in some cases) was the variability in terms of access to support depending on where the client lived. The main example was not being able to access help with paying for childcare for those who did not live in a priority area. Other examples were evident for those living in more rural areas, for instance accessing local training or counselling support. In policy terms, there is an argument for equal access to such support or help regardless of the area in which someone lives.
9.36 The evaluation evidence presented in this report highlights a very positive picture of both the Wise Group Next Steps and One Plus sustainable employment projects. Clear progress has been demonstrated in terms of working with clients - many of who have had significant barriers to overcome - to help them move towards and into sustained employment. Nevertheless, the programme is still developing and the achievement of longer-term job retention and sustainable employment outcomes will require further and ongoing investigation as the programme matures.