Decision details

A City for All Year 2 commitment is to establish a new service - the Westminster Employment Service - to support reductions in long term unemployment. Following detailed consultation the report sets out the proposed operating model, beneficiaries, anticipated service volumes and outcomes. The means of sustaining the Service over a four year period using discretionary and external funding will be set out in the report and for approval.

That the Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration, Business and Economic Development:

 i.             Approved the operational model and plans of the Westminster Employment Service.

ii.             Agreed that income for the Service will come through utilising discretionary funding and identifying new income streams.

iii.             Approvedthe outline cash-flow projections up to 2021 and the proposals for budget management as set out in Section 10 of the report.

Reasonsfor Decision

1.            There is opportunity and perhaps a necessity for the City Council, at low or no direct cost to the authority, to fill the gaps in provision and work with local agencies and charities to deliver year on year increases in the number of residents supported into employment.

2.            The Council itself has limited resources to fund programmes. However, in mitigation, the authority could profile the management of anticipated income over a four to five year period rather than the typical 12-18 month cycle. This was identified during the consultation exercise as a significant constraint to effective delivery.  Planning for the longer term can alleviate at least some financial constraints.

3.            Other benefits of the new service include:

·         A clear understanding of the needs of customers through introducing a standardised set of questions across Council front line staff. This will ensure residents are directed to the right service first time.

·         Improving the targeting of unemployed residents. The proposal is to prioritise support for residents, based on a balance of employment outcomes and cost avoidance, but also to address known gaps in provision for particular groups.

·         Using data and IT more effectively to measure the success of council interventions. A new web based offer will be developed for those with lower levels of need.

·         Joining up the Westminster Employment Service with other planned provision. The Employment Team will be involved in the design and delivery of the new Work & Health Programme and European Social Fund projects. The team will also work with all of the key partners and agencies in the City to seek their support for the Service and to define a new more collaborative approach.

·         Supporting the Council’s Medium Term Planning and Savings agendas through establishing a robust evaluation framework to assess return on investment, savings and, where possible, illustrate where the service is reducing demand downstream; for example through health and social care services.