Report of the Head of Work and Skills

This report provides an update on the performance of the Working Well programme which will include information on:work that was being done with employers, the supply of work opportunities for service users and the views of service users as to how well the service performed.  The report also provides an update on the delivery of the Work & Health programme.

Representatives from The Growth Company will be in attendance as the lead providers of the Working Well programmes in Manchester along with a key worker and client.

The Committee considered a report of the Head of Work and Skills, which provided an update on Working Well pilot, an employment support programme delivered across Greater Manchester, its expansion, which was developed to build on the pilot to support a wider range of benefit claimant and the Work and Health programme which would provide support for unemployed people with health conditions or disabled people.

The Head of Work and Skills referred to the main points and themes within the report which included:-

·                The outcome of the Working Well pilot, which had not performed as had hoped;

·                The aim of the Working Well expansion programme which was open to a wider range of benefit claimants than the pilot and incorporated a more co-ordinated approach between services and an update on its performance;

·                Details of a GP referral route to help those who would be in a position to move into work with some intensive and holistic support;

·                The success to date of talking Therapies which was commissioned separately but as part of the wider Working Well expansion and provided access to Improving

·                Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) for clients with mild to moderate

·                mental health issues;

·                Details on the Skills for Employment programme which aimed to improve skills, motivation and confidence, access work experience opportunities and help find sustainable employment;

·                The integration of other services with the Working Well design; and

·                Employer engagement with the programme.

Some of the key points that arose from the committees discussions were:-

·                How would someone who was homeless or sleeping rough access the programme;

·                Why had the performance of the Growth Company in delivering the Working Well programme not been as successful as anticipated and what was being done to address this;

·                What were the challenges within south Manchester as referenced was made to thus in the report but no details were provided;

·                What assurances could be given that the programme would continue once government funding had stopped;

·                What consideration had been given to supporting older people into employment.

Officers advised that the majority of people that accessed the programme had been referred by their GP’s.  In terms of the performance of the Growth Company it was commented that there was nothing to suggested that the needs of Manchester residents were any more complex than those of other areas.  The Growth Company’s initial target was to get 20,000 people back into work and although this target had not been met, they had tried to encourage providers to work together and share best practice, which often took time.  The Committee was also reminded that although performance had not been as good as anticipated, those that had been referred to the programme had already been through the national programmes without success and the feedback that had been received from working well clients of their experience of the service had been positive and whilst the Working Well programmes had delivered relatively small scale outcomes, the more focused approach for the Health and Work programme and delivery by the consortium of the Growth Company working with Ingeus (which had delivered the pilot and extension programmes in 7 of the 10 local authorities in GM) was expected to deliver improved job outcomes particularly for disabled Manchester residents.

The Committee was advised that in terms of the challenges in South Manchester, there were some more surprising statistics when compared to the rest of Manchester, the details of this would be shared with Committee Members.

In terms of the programme continuing once funding had stopped it was explained that the programme had been established prior to the devolution of health and social care in Greater Manchester and as such this now presented opportunities for the programme to continue.  The GM Work and Health Board was

overseeing the development of a programme of early intervention and

prevention and ensuring that further investment was secured.  This would add another dimension to the Working Well offer, as a programme aimed at preventing

residents with health conditions or a disability from falling out of the labour

market long term. The aim was for the programme to support up to 14,000 individuals across Greater Manchester between 2019 and 2022.

Decision

The Committee:=

(1)       Notes the report;

(2)       Requests a further update in approximately 12 months time; and

(3)       Requests that officers share details of the challenges that had been identified within the south Manchester area.