FCR17 - Financial Savings 2021-22 - Employability and Supported Employment Services
| Title | FCR17 - Financial Savings 2021-22 - Employability and Supported Employment Services |
|---|---|
| Council Resource | Finance and Corporate |
| Aims and Objectives | The aim of this assessment is to consider, as part of the Council's savings exercise, the impact of redesigning the delivery of the council's Employability and Supported Employment Services. A saving of £0.122m can be realised as a result of this proposal. The saving will be achieved through maximising the use of technology to enable delivery of Employability and Supported Employment Services, and through encouraging external partners to adopt a similar approach. During the pandemic, the delivery of face-to-face training and support has not been possible, as a result, online delivery has been provided where possible. The Council is developing a suite of online support materials to assist individuals, which will allow more clients to meet their needs through self-service routes at a reduced cost. The availability of similar external programmes, including the introduction of Fair Start Scotland by the Scottish Government, provides support for a number of target groups who would otherwise have been placed in Council programmes. This has allowed the Council to redirect clients, where they meet the necessary criteria, reducing the number of clients requiring multiple supports and reducing associated expenditure. Additional Scottish and UK Government funding for employability services is anticipated over the coming months to assist with the increase in unemployment levels. The funding will be used to further progress the development of online tools to enable the Service to continue to meet the needs of those with multiple barriers to employment, as well as those who have been affected by the pandemic but are considered to be in a more job-ready position. There are 34.0 FTE posts within Employability Staffing and Support. This saving proposes a reduction of 3.2 FTE posts to 30.8 FTE. |
| Conclusion | The aim of this assessment is to consider, as part of the Council's savings exercise, the impact of restructuring the council's Employability and Supported Employment Services. A saving of £0.122m can be realised as a result of this proposal. The COVID-19 pandemic required a shift away from face-to-face training and support. As a result, online delivery has been provided where possible. The Council is developing a suite of online support materials to assist individuals, which will allow more clients to meet their needs through self-service routes at a reduced cost. On-line resources allows people access to self-service routes whilst still allowing their needs to be met at a reduced cost to the Council. For anyone who is unable to access the online supports, they will be able to access face to face or telephone supports. Consideration should also be given to the COVID-19 research that has identified disproportionate impacts on young people, women, and people who are low skilled and those from a ethnic minority background as well as disabled people and those over 50. No negative impact has been identified during this assessment. The programme delivery will continue to meet the needs of those who need the support to progress into work. The impact of this proposal will be monitored and reported on a 6 monthly and annual basis to the Employability Review Group and the Executive Committee. Externally monitoring of the programme delivery and effectiveness will be done by the Scottish Government and also Skills Development Scotland. A separate impact assessment has been undertaken in relation to the supported employment programmes. |
| Completion date | 24/2/21 |
| Contact Email address | equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk |