Worklessness

• 21st century welfare – the introduction of the Work Programme
• Worklessness Learning Forum
• Guidance
• Local government's role in skills and welfare reform
• Research
• Worklessness case studies

21^st century welfare – the introduction of the Work Programme

The Government’s intention to replace the myriad of employment programmes with a single Work Programme offers a positive opportunity to tackle worklessness by reducing duplication of effort and eradicating current constraints on delivery.

The Government is offering delivery of the Work Programme through a framework agreement with prime contractors. The intention is to offer contracts over 11 lots, anticipating between three and eight organisations to deliver over each lot. Framework contracts will be offered in November 2010 with the contracting process commencing early in 2011 and the programme going live by the summer of  2011.

The 21st century welfare consultation report outlined further structural changes to the existing Welfare arrangements to reform the benefits and tax credit system to help make work pay.  These are now captured in the Government White Paper 'Universal credit: welfare that works', proposing the introduction of a single universal credit to replace the current range of employment-related benefits and housing benefit.

The Government have acknowledged the role that local authorities have to play in ensuring that delivery meets local need, supporting the agenda of joining up local services, reducing duplication and improving services to customers.

Universal credit: welfare that works (PDF) – on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website

Worklessness Learning Forum

Long-term worklessness is damaging for society and is further exacerbated during a recession, both in its social ramifications and the cost to the taxpayer. While local authorities and their partners are at the forefront in tackling worklessness, the challenge is great and highly complex.

Local authority partnerships work collectively to add value to, complement and strengthen national programmes helping to increase the number of people accessing jobs and remaining in employment, and creating the right environment for economic prosperity.

Local Government (LG) Improvement and Development (formerly IDeA) supports the role of local government and the contribution made by local authorities and their partners in tackling worklessness. It offers high-level practical advice and recommendations, promotes the role of local partnerships, identifies key issues that affect local areas and bringing together some key players.

We will continue to develop:

• sharing of good practice and innovation through case studies
• guidance material on specific issues relating to tackling worklessness
• support in responding to new opportunities
• signposts to other key sources of support and information
• support for an WLF online community of practice (CoP), where anyone who is involved in tackling worklessness can join.

Worklessness Learning Forum Community of Practice

The CoP offers an opportunity to shape views, creating a hub of support for local authorities and their partners to share and signpost the latest research, Government vision, innovative responses and trends. It is a forum for debate and exchange of views.

You will be able to:

• contribute to the national debate on the future of tackling worklessness
• find out about and help shape future guidance and support
• share what works, what doesn’t, your ideas and challenges with others.

The WLF and the resources here are open to all local authorities, their partners and other organisations involved in tackling worklessness.

Guidance

LG Improvement and Development worked closely with experts in the field, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and Communities and Local Government to develop a series of ‘How to’ guides. The guides aimed to help practitioners who have a role in tackling worklessness and meeting local employment outcomes.

We have recently refreshed some of these guides to reflect current policy and welfare changes. They contain practical advice, tips for action and support, and offer practical support for tackling worklessness.

Tackling worklessness: data sharing (PDF, 2 pages, 43KB)

Tackling worklessness: developing a strategy (PDF, 4 pages, 56KB)

Tackling worklessness: supporting financial inclusion (PDF, 5 pages, 69KB)

Tackling worklessness: using public procurement. (PDF, 6 pages, 69KB)

Tackling worklessness: working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus (PDF, 6 pages, 43KB)

Further to these guides, LG Improvement and Development has pulled together resources to assist councils involved in designing new ways of working with Jobcentre Plus and DWP (the co-design pilots) and make these available to the wider audience of interested practitioners.

DWP and local authority co-design pilots

Local government's role in skills and welfare reform

Local government is uniquely equipped to tackle worklessness and raise skills by working with local partners and agencies. Local government also has an important role to play as an employer, procurer of services. As a facilitator of local partnerships local government is well placed to ensure coordination and integration of all activities that impact on worklessness, helping to promote a seamless service to the local community.

The role for local government

 Research

The DWP has many research reports relevant to tackling worklessness. 

Research, analysis and statistics – on the DWP website

National Online Manpower Information Service (NOMIS) website

Worklessness case studies

Cornwall: economic development in the context of LAAs (case study)

Developing best practice for tackling worklessness in Manchester

Equal Brighton and Hove: support for NEETs (case study)

Halton Employment Partnership: Complete employment offer

Gateshead Economic Development Services

Greenwich: Tackling worklessness through the LAA (case study)

Intermediate Labour Markets – on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website.

Jobs, Enterprise, Training (JET) in Stoke-on-Trent

Kickstart

Local jobs for local people: the Aire Valley Leeds Access to Employment Network (case study)

Pre- and post-school childcare (solving the problem)

Tackling economic activity in Knowsley through the LAA (case study)

Waltham Forest Worknet Partnership case study

Page updated April 2011.