Agenda item

To receive the report of the Executive Director of Community and Children's Services and the Strategic Director for Education and Skills.

Check for changes by 22 Nov

Place at top of agenda due timing constraints of BH

The Board received the report of the Executive Director of Community & Children’s Services and the Strategic Director for Education and Skills that included information on the recently introduced Supported Employment Programme that is grant funded by the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP).

Members noted that the Supported Employment Programme will work with a wide range of local partners and will be one of the first local developmental initiatives to enable local areas to jointly implement firm plans to address economic inactivity and identify employment opportunities, with a particular focus on participants outside the workforce, especially those experiencing disadvantages when applying for work.

The Board noted that the report is submitted to the Board for information purposes given the Board’s oversight of Adult Skills, and that the responsibility for the programme sits with Central London Forward (CLF) at which the Corporation is represented by the Policy Chairman. The Board also noted that there is no statutory requirement to provide the programme. In response to a query on whether the information would be submitted to the Corporation’s Community and Children’s Services Committee for information given its scope, the Board heard that the information may be submitted to that Committee in line with an analysis on the participants in the programme. 

A Member asked whether the programme was linked to any care-leaver initiatives. The meeting heard that it is linked to people “with a disadvantage” with a focus on health disadvantages, but also encompasses those with other kinds of disadvantage including people who have not been successful in securing employment for other reasons, citing in particular section 27 of the report.  

A Member commented that previous DWP programmes appeared to be compromised by boundary issues and asked whether those issues have been addressed. The meeting noted that there are currently no postcode restrictions and that delivery is London-wide, working with Local Authorities across London.

A Member sought confirmation that no duplication or double-counting was taking place given the other Adult Skills programmes under way. The meeting noted that the offering focussed on progression routes and that individuals could engage with different programmes at different times.  

Referencing in particular sections 2,7, 13 and 15 of the report, a Member asked for clarity on what constituted a “local” partnership. The meeting heard that these refer to partnerships with Local Authorities outside the scope of CLF and included a range of other providers including care-leaver and health organisations.