Decision ref
0003 2024/25
Decision date
31/05/2024
Portfolio
Economy, Business and Skills
Wards
All wards
Title
To draw down £233,200 of SIF to continue delivery of Ways To Work for October 2023 - March 2024
Summary
To accept an allocation of £233,200 for the continuation of the St Helens Ways To Work programme from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (“LCRCA”), from its Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) to cover the period from 1st October 2023 to 31st March 2024.
Purpose
The report sets out the background to St Helens' Ways To Work programme, and explains the role of SIF funding that will bridge a 6 month gap between European Social Fund (ESF) funding which ceased at the end of September 2023, and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) funding delivery which will begin on April 1st 2024.
The report sets out the role and importance of the Ways To Work programme, and recommends the approval of the grant offer letter, set out as a background document to this report, and the continuing delivery of these activities.
Background
The main objectives for the St Helens Ways to Work programme are:
1. To support unemployed and economically inactive adults and young people, including disadvantaged and those furthest from the labour market, into sustainable employment, through an offer of a co-ordinated, personalised, case-managed advice and practical support offer;
2. To ensure that complements/links with support offered throughout St Helens and Liverpool City Region’s existing provision.
Alongside Jobcentre Plus, the Ways To Work programme has been the biggest employment support programme in the borough since its inception in 2016. It has supported around 2500 people into jobs since then. It offers job searches, guidance, and a range of training offered by itself and a range of partners. It is designed as a coordination point for employment and skills support provision across St Helens. It works with partners such as the JCP, College, Chamber, Torus, Career Connect, and the Voluntary and Community Sector, offering referral pathways and co-location at its two centres in St Helens and Earlestown.
The service relies entirely on external funding, and has primarily been funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) since 2016. As with all European funding sources, this has come to an end as of the end of September 2023. The UK government's replacement funding programme, UKSPF, has already commenced. However, the employment and skills strand of the funding does not come on-stream in the Liverpool City Region until April 1st 2024.
There was, therefore, an urgent requirement to bridge the gap between October 2023 to March 2024 to ensure that:
(a) employment support provision could continue for the residents of St Helens without a break; and
(b) the current staff team, with many years of experience and skills in this area, are retained until UKSPF funding can start.
Accepting the funding, therefore, provides sufficient resource to continue the employment offer and retain the current Ways To Work team in advance of new UK Shared Prosperity Funding and objectives from April 2024. Please note that delivery of this programme has mostly been delivered and the acceptance of funding is for the most part retrospective due to the grant funding agreement being issued later than the beginning of the programme.
It should also be noted that outputs and outcomes have been achieved, so the terms of the attached grant funding agreement have been met. The targets and achievements are set out below:
Male Participants - Target 43, Achieved 67
Female Participants - Target 41, Achieved 44
Total Participants (Male & Female) - Target 84, Achieved 112
Participants over 50 Years of Age - Target 18, Achieved 36
Participants from Ethnic Minorities - Target 6, Achieved 21
Participants without basic skills - Target 24, Achieved 16
Unemployed/including long-term unemployed - Target 42, Achieved 67
Economically Inactive participants - Target 42, Achieved 45
Participants who live in a single adult household with dependent children - Target 13, Achieved 7
Participants with disabilities - Target 24, Achieved 38
Unemployed into employment/self-employment/ training - Target 11, Achieved 18
Inactive Participants into employment/self-employment / Job Search - Target 14, Achieved 21
Conclusion
The SIF funding offered by the LCR Combined Authority allowed the Council to continue its successful Ways To Work programme for a further 6 months and enabled uninterrupted employment support provision to St Helens residents until UKSPF funding comes onstream in April 2024.
The report recommends that the funding detailed in the attached Grant Offer Letter is approved and delivery of the Ways To Work programme continues as set out in the terms of the Offer Letter.
Risk Implications
The main risks are related to non-compliance with the terms of the Grant Offer Letter, e.g. in ensuring that the funding is delivered according to the conditions contained within the Grant Offer Letter, within the required time periods and that spend and delivery is within agreed eligible criteria.
Measures to Redress Risk
The main measures to reduce risk are as follows:
1) existing management structures, controls and reporting that have allowed successful and compliant provision over the last 7 years are maintained;
2) risk will be measured and will be reported to the LCRCA programme monitoring team which will allow time for redress or where required an alteration to the programme as per the change control processes set out in the Grant Offer Letter.
3) delivery of the programme in accordance with the attached Grant Funding Agreement - this has been achieved, including the achievement of most targets.
Declarations Of Interest
None
Equality Impact Assessment
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More information
Please contact Steven Berlyne on 01744 671750
