12 September 2007 – Enhanced role for the private and voluntary sector – Peter Hain announces pathways contracts
Peter Hain today set out how the Government will take forward his crusade for full employment and an end to poverty. He announced that six leading training and employment companies from the private and voluntary sector have been awarded contracts to deliver the next stage of the Government’s flagship Pathways to Work programme.
The successful contractors will deliver the Pathways to Work programme in 15 Jobcentre Plus districts throughout Great Britain from this December. A second phase of contracts will be announced later this year ensuring that anyone on Incapacity Benefits will have access to a local Pathways service by April next year.
Speaking at the IPPR Conference, Peter Hain told delegates that he was striving for a ‘whole customer approach’, where people will receive the individual help and support they need in order to get into work, strengthening the role of Jobcentre Plus’, particularly early on in a benefit claim, and enhancing the role of the private and voluntary sector.
Peter Hain said:
“It is a fact that Government does not have all the answers to meet every challenge. And so the private – and voluntary – sector must and in my plans will have an enhanced role to give individualised attention and support and to lever in new finance. I met with David Freud last week and from that discussion it was clear we are in the same place. The old sterile battle for territory between public and private sectors is redundant. I am interested in one thing and one thing only: What Works.”
“We will work with large providers. They can bring scale and integration. Smaller providers already have great records in delivering very specialised, innovative and targeted help that is essential to overcome deep seated problems. And we will continue to work with the voluntary sector which has produced extraordinary results with some of the hardest to reach people.
The Pathways contracts will help prepare a key group of people for the work available through the new initiative of Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs) where leading employers will work with government to provide opportunities specifically for those individuals who have had difficulties in getting into work.
Peter Hain said that with 64 employers already committed to this partnership and a further 150 in discussion with government, LEPs will create 250,000 job opportunities for people in the UK.
The companies who have been awarded contracts and their comments are attached below.
Notes to Editors
- Peter Hain was speaking at the IPPR, His speech is available at www.dwp.gov.uk/aboutus/2007/12-09-07.asp
- ‘In Work, Better Off next steps to full employment’ was published on 18 July. The consultation closes on 31 October 2007. ‘In Work, Better Off’ is available at www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/in-work-better-off/.
- The six companies awarded the contracts under Phase 1 of Provider led Pathways are A4e Ltd; Seetec Ltd; Shaw Trust; TNG Ltd; Triage Central Ltd ; and WorkDirections Ltd.
- The companies will cover the delivery of Pathways to Work in the following Jobcentre Plus district areas:
- Phase 2 Contracts will be announced in December. These will cover the remaining 16 Jobcentre Plus districts and commence in April 2008, completing the national rollout across Great Britain.
- Pathways to Work provides extra help for people on incapacity benefits to find work. It includes support from highly skilled personal advisers including additional work focused interviews, groundbreaking rehabilitation support, a Return to Work Credit of £40 a week, and in-work support.
- Pathways to Work was first introduced in three Jobcentre Plus districts in October 2003 and is now available in 19 districts out of 50 districts in Great Britain.
| Contractor | Region |
|---|---|
| A4e Ltd | Devon & Cornwall North & Mid-Wales South East Wales West Yorkshire |
| Seetec Ltd | Black Country |
| Shaw Trust | Greater Manchester East & West Norfolk |
| TNG Ltd | Lincolnshire & Rutland |
| Triage Central Ltd | Forth Valley Fife & Tayside |
| WorkDirections Ltd | Central London City & East London Lambeth, Southwark & Wandsworth Birmingham & Solihull Edinburgh, Lothian & Borders Nottingham |
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Responses from the companies awarded contracts:
Action for Employment (A4E) Ltd
Mark Lovell, A4e Executive Chairman states:
“We are absolutely delighted to be involved in Phase 1 of the Pathways roll out. The opportunity to work at the cutting edge of welfare reform at such an exciting time is great for A4e and the extensive supplier base we will be working with. Most importantly, in putting the customer at the heart of our approach, we can move thousands of individuals into sustainable employment, joining up with our extensive skills portfolio to provide a truly joined up example of how the UK’s skills, welfare and employment market can work in tandem to improve the lives – and livelihoods – of people on benefit who need a strong support mechanism to assist them into work and up-skill, support and re-skill them once in employment. By having a vibrant and rich supply chain and stakeholder network that we can manage and fund in innovative ways, we are looking forward to continuing to test and pilot new ways to provide exemplary support to our customers.”
Seetec Ltd
Jeremy Nutter, Chief Executive of Seetec, said:
“Seetec is delighted to have been invited by DWP to take a leading role in the expansion of the delivery of Pathways to Work. Seetec, along with its delivery partners will be bringing years of experience and an innovative package of support to those claiming Incapacity Benefit in the Black Country. We look forward to the 3rd of December when we launch our programme.”
Shaw Trust
Ian Charlesworth, Chief Executive of Shaw Trust said:
“Shaw Trust is pleased that our 25 years of experience and proven success in helping disabled and disadvantaged people into work has been recognised with the award of these contracts.
“As a national Charity, whose entire mission is about supporting people into sustainable employment, we bring a unique, innovative and client-centered approach to the delivery of public services. We are therefore especially delighted that Pathways will allow us to further extend the Trust's support to an even greater number of clients.
“Shaw Trust believes that everyone has the right to work. We have always worked hard to help people move from benefits and into work, whether through lobbying the government and inputting into the design of programmes or through the successful delivery of services. We look forward to helping ensure that Pathways to Work is a real success in reducing the number of people on benefits.”
TNG Ltd
Carol Moir, Managing Director of TNG said:
“Our success in securing the contract for Lincolnshire and Rutland offers us the opportunity to build on our 25 years of experience in supporting disadvantaged groups back into employment. This experience will not only benefit our new customers across the Jobcentre Plus District, it will also provide a best value solution that supports the Government’s ambition of an 80% employment rate across the UK.”
Triage Central Ltd
Kate Carnegie, Managing Director, Triage Central Limited, said:
“Having successfully worked closely with Jobcentre Plus, for over 10 years, as a private sector provider in the delivery of various Government Welfare to Work programmes, in Forth Valley, Fife, Dunbartonshire and Tayside, we are delighted to have been awarded the Pathways to Work contract for Forth Valley, Fife and Tayside. This is a tremendous vote of confidence by the Secretary of State in our methods, performance track record and quality of the staff here at Triage. We all look forward to working closely with our partners in achieving our targets and in helping over 10,000 thousand people currently on benefit back into suitable and appropriate employment; and in so doing play our part in enhancing the quality and standard of life of our customers.”
WorkDirections Ltd
Seth Opuni, Chief Executive Officer, WorkDirections UK Ltd, said:
“WorkDirections is delighted to have been awarded six of the new contracts for the flagship Pathways to Work programme. We look forward to playing a key role in helping to deliver the Government’s agenda for supporting people to move off Incapacity Benefits and into worthwhile and sustained employment. This will build on our hugely successful New Deal for Disabled People programme that we have delivered in Birmingham, in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, since 2004 and which has already helped over 2,000 people into lasting employment.”