1 Introduction
Latest figures show that 1 in 10 immature people ( aged 16-18 ) were non in instruction, employment or preparation ( NEET ) at the terminal of 2006. Bing NEET is an tremendous waste of immature people ‘s possible and their part to society. The Department for Children, Schools and Families ( DCSF ) therefore has a cardinal mark to cut down the proportion of 16-18 twelvemonth olds NEET. This is of import to the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) excessively as immature people who are NEET between the ages of 16 and 18 are more likely to go unemployed as grownups.
DCSF ‘s Public Service Agreement ( PSA ) mark is to cut down the proportion of immature people NEET by 2 % points by 2010 ( from the 2004 baseline of 10 % ) , and DWP has a PSA to increase the overall employment rate. DCSF and DWP have been discoursing how they can outdo work together to present these marks.
Although primary duty for back uping immature people who are NEET prevarications with local governments and Connexions suppliers, Jobcentre Plus besides plays a important function by offering support, chiefly, but non entirely, to immature people who are seeking work or claiming benefit. It is of import therefore that strong links are established and maintained between both administrations at a local degree to guarantee the bringing of a seamless service. This counsel sets out how Connexions suppliers and Jobcentre Plus can work efficaciously together in cut downing NEET, in peculiar through the creative activity of local ‘partnership understandings ‘ .
The challenge
There were 206,000 ( 10.3 % ) 16-18 twelvemonth olds NEET in England at the terminal of 2006. Although the last few old ages have seen a important rise in the proportion of 16 twelvemonth olds take parting in instruction or preparation, this has non had the impact we want on NEET because fewer immature people are in employment. Lord Leitch, in his reappraisal of accomplishments, predicted that the figure of low skilled occupations will shrivel over the coming old ages. This, together with our progressively planetary labor market means that we have to look at new ways of working together to cut down NEET.
Table 1: Young people ‘s activities – 2001 -2006
Beginning: DCSF engagement estimations ( SFR 20/2006 )
DCSF ‘s precedence is to prosecute immature people, peculiarly 16 and 17 twelvemonth olds, in instruction and preparation. However, falling employment degrees have impacted peculiarly on 18 twelvemonth olds, who now make up half of the NEET group. Not all are unemployed ; the Numberss include those who are sick, caring for kids, or taking a ‘gap twelvemonth ‘ . None the less, the bulk are looking to re-engage in work or acquisition, and this is a group of immature people who are likely to be in contact with both Jobcentre Plus and Connexions advisors. This is why it is indispensable that both services understand the support and aid that they can each offer, portion information, and guarantee that immature people receive an incorporate bundle of support.
Table 2: % NEET at ages 16, 17 and 18
Beginning: DCSF engagement estimations ( SFR 20/2006 )
NEET scheme
DCSF announced in November 2007 a strengthened scheme to cut down the proportion of immature people NEET. This has 4 cardinal elements:
careful tracking – to place early those immature people who are NEET, or who are at hazard of going so and to supply the intelligence needed to be after and committee services for immature people.
personalised counsel and support – to do certain immature people know how to entree instruction, preparation or employment and to enable them to get the better of barriers to engagement.
proviso of a full scope of classs to run into demand – to prosecute immature people through attractive and sufficient proviso at every degree and in every manner of acquisition.
the rights and duties of immature people to prosecute in work or acquisition.
A figure of new steps were announced alongside this scheme, including programs to guarantee greater flexibleness in the clip of twelvemonth when immature people can get down classs ; pilot an extension of the scope of classs that attract the Education Maintenance Allowance ; and give 18 twelvemonth olds with a history of being NEET early entry to New Deal for Young People. The scheme can be found here: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm? sid=42 & A ; pid=343 & A ; lid=336 & A ; ctype=Text & A ; ptype=Single
The Government is in the procedure of passing to guarantee that immature people remain in some signifier of instruction or preparation until their 18th birthday ( by 2015 ) .
Jobcentre Plus can lend to this scheme by:
working closely with local governments and their Connections suppliers to guarantee immature people receive the best possible information, advice and counsel ;
promoting immature people to stay in contact with Connexions suppliers, and seeking their consent to information being shared ;
giving advice and counsel to immature people seeking employment ;
easing early entry to New Deal for those for whom this is the best class of action ;
sharing information with Connexions suppliers on the local labor market ; and
lending to working groups set up to undertake local NEET issues.
Monitoring NEET
Information on immature people NEET can be obtained from a figure of beginnings. However, the NEET PSA is measured utilizing the DCSF engagement estimations which are published yearly ( normally in June ) . These combine informations from a figure of beginnings to gauge the proportion of immature people who are in instruction and preparation, employment and NEET. These statistics define:
Young people as those of academic age 16 -18 ; ie immature people who have completed mandatory instruction in the last 3 old ages.
NEET as immature people who are non in any signifier of full- or part- clip instruction, preparation or employment.
The DCSF estimations are merely available for the whole of England. So local marks and public presentation are measured utilizing informations provided by Connexions suppliers. The two sets of informations are non straight comparable and because of differences in definitions, and Connexions figures show a lower proportion of immature people to be NEET than the DCSF estimations. However, the two sets of informations show similar tendencies over clip and so Connexions informations can be used to mensurate advancement.
Connections informations demoing the figure and per centum NEET in each local authorization at the terminal of 2006 can be found here:
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm? sid=42 & A ; pid=343 & A ; lid=299 & A ; ctype=Text & A ; ptype=Single
Partnership understandings between Connections and Jobcentre Plus
Because many immature people who are NEET will come into contact with both Connexions suppliers and Jobcentre Plus, both administrations have a duty to guarantee that their several services complement each other and dovetail wherever possible.
This duty is best underpinned by the development of local partnership understandings, which document the ways in which both administrations will work together to guarantee:
a seamless and comprehensive service is provided for all immature people ;
immature people are offered the information, advice and specific aid they need to prosecute with instruction, developing and/or employment ;
staff are cognizant of the agreements for covering with immature people and the specific functions of each administration ;
immature people are helped to claim appropriate benefits ;
relevant information is exchanged quickly between the Connexions supplier and Jobcentre Plus ; and
an incorporate selling scheme is developed for employers.
There is an illustration of a Partnership Agreement at annex 1. Duty for doing certain that understandings are in topographic point prevarications with Jobcentre Plus District Managers and Directors of Children ‘s Services. Because of boundary differences, some Jobcentre Plus territories will necessitate to hold understandings with more than one local authorization ( and frailty versa ) .
The understanding should be a life papers that is reviewed and, where possible, improved at regular meetings between the spouses. Such meetings would besides supply the chance to discourse common issues, reference concerns and hold best pattern etc.
Information sharing
Jobcentre Plus is able to interchange personal information about immature people aged 16 and 17 with Connections suppliers where it relates specifically to that immature individual ‘s claim for benefit. This exchange is allowed for in societal security statute law, so client consent is non required. The sharing of personal information about immature people is non permitted in any other fortunes without the to the full informed consent of the person.
The sharing of information on 18 and 19 twelvemonth olds is allowed with the client ‘s consent. It is in the involvements of immature people to give their consent to informations sharing so that:
the bureau best placed to assist the immature individual can be identified ;
local governments know how many immature people in the country are NEET and can therefore program and committee services to run into their demands ; and
Connections suppliers have accurate records of enchantments that immature people have spent NEET and can portion with this with Jobcentre Plus so that immature people can be fast tracked to the New Deal Gateway ( see below ) .
2 The function of Jobcentre Plus
The primary purposes of Jobcentre Plus are to:
assist more people into paid employment ;
aid employers fill their vacancies ; and
wage benefit accurately and on clip to people who are entitled to have it.
16/17 twelvemonth olds
Relatively few 16 and 17 twelvemonth olds engage with the benefit system and hence come into direct contact with Jobcentre Plus. However, for those that do, it is peculiarly of import that Jobcentre Plus and Connexions work closely to guarantee the smooth processing of benefits and guarantee the proviso of good quality information, advice and counsel to assist immature people engage with instruction, preparation or work.
Young people who are aged 16-17 can, in certain fortunes, be entitled to Jobseeker ‘s Allowance ( JSA ) , Income Support and Incapacity Benefit ( shortly to be replaced by Employment Support Allowance ) . Those who are able to claim benefit are some of the most vulnerable immature people, so it is of import that claims are processed expeditiously and efficaciously. This requires close working between Jobcentre Plus and the Connexions supplier as immature people wishing to claim
JSA must foremost register with the local authorization Connexions supplier before any claim can be processed.
Income Support and/or Incapacity Benefit must ( unless deferred or waived ) attend a acquisition focused interview, which is normally undertaken by the Connexions supplier.
Because Jobcentre Plus is a national bureau, claims and payments processs conform to a standard theoretical account, so it is of import local governments and Connexions suppliers are familiar with the benefits that may be available to immature people and the associated procedures. Jobcentre Plus are presently bring forthing counsel for local governments and Connexions suppliers on the chief benefits, claim procedures and the functions / duties of each administration. This will replace the Benefits Liaison Instructions which were antecedently issued to Connexions partnerships. A 2nd papers, associating specifically to the demands of benefit claimants under 18 who are, or are about to go parents will besides be issued shortly. Detailss of how Connections and Jobcentre Plus will work together to implement both sets of counsel and function the best involvements of immature people, should be contained in local partnership understandings.
Although the primary duty for assisting 16 and 17 twelvemonth olds into instruction, employment or preparation prevarications with local governments, Jobcentre Plus will besides supply information, advice and counsel, peculiarly where immature people are in reception of JSA and hence required to be actively seeking work ( with preparation ) .
Even for those immature people who are non claiming benefit, Jobcentre Plus can be a good beginning of support for immature people who do non ( at that clip ) want to re-engage with instruction and preparation and merely desire a occupation. The practical bringing of such support should be decided locally and documented in partnership understandings.
Under 18 Specialist Advisers in Jobcentre Plus will by and large be the point of contact for Connexions staff in relation to a 16 or 17 twelvemonth old ‘s benefit issues. Their cardinal duties include:
making and keeping close working links with Connexions Personal Advisers ;
supplying immature people with information advice and counsel about all benefits, employment and preparation ;
set uping entitlement to profit and explicating rights and duties ;
set abouting New Jobseeker Interviews /Severe Hardship interviews ( JSA clients merely ) ;
discussing and holding a Jobseeker ‘s Agreement ( JSA clients merely ) to reflect the immature individual ‘s employment and preparation goals/needs and stairss to accomplish ;
doing certain immature people maintain the entitlement to profit by carry throughing associated duties ;
carry oning claim reappraisal interviews as appropriate ;
set uping for Social Fund Crisis Loans as appropriate ;
suing alterations of fortunes quickly ;
identifying and send oning information required by Connections and entering this on appropriate signifiers.
18/19 twelvemonth olds
Young people aged 18/19 have the same right of entree to Jobcentre Plus services as other grownups. They may besides still have aid from Connexions, though this is non ( unlike with 16/17 twelvemonth olds ) a demand of claiming benefit. Young people aged 18/19 should be given information about Connexions as portion of the new claims procedure, and encouraged to give their consent to their contact inside informations being passed to the Connexions supplier. This will enable the Connexions client database to be updated, and advisors to acquire in touch with the immature individual to offer aid and support.
Young people claiming JSA go to a New Jobseeker Interview with a personal advisor at which they will discourse and hold occupation ends and stairss, which, if taken, will give them the best opportunity of success. Beyond this, people are seen on a regular basis ( normally biweekly ) to speak about what they have been making to happen work and to see what assist, if any, is required. For those immature people who do non happen work rapidly, a more in-depth interview, with a Jobcentre personal advisor, is undertaken at 13 hebdomads and so at 26 hebdomads, which is the point at which they will come in New Deal.
New Deal for Young People ( NDYP ) is a compulsory programme specifically designed to turn to the employment issues faced by 18-24 twelvemonth olds who have been claiming JSA continuously for 6 months or more. The purpose of NDYP is to better immature people ‘s opportunities of happening and maintaining a occupation. Whilst on the programme, a New Deal Personal Adviser supports the immature individual as they re-examine their state of affairs, take the accomplishments and experience they have already and construct on them to make better chances for work.
For the first 4 months of NDYP ( known as the ‘gateway ‘ , during which the immature individual should still be recorded as NEET ) participants receive intensive support from their personal advisor. Those who do non happen work during the ‘gateway ‘ move on to the ‘options ‘ phase of the programme, a bundle of full-time aid which might include:
work experience/work arrangements with an employer or voluntary administration ;
preparation for a specific occupation ;
classs to develop the accomplishments that employers want ;
practical aid with using for occupations ;
interview pattern.
From April 2008 Jobcentre Plus advisors will, at the new claims phase, place immature people with any history of being NEET and discourse the benefits of come ining New Deal early. In making so, the advisor will depict the cardinal characteristics of the New Deal and the aid it provides, foregrounding the benefits, but doing clear that although early entry is voluntary, one time agreed, engagement is compulsory. Connections suppliers can besides promote immature people nearing their eighteenth birthday to take up the offer of early entree. It is planned to do New Deal mandatary from April 2009 for immature people who were NEET for 26 hebdomads before their 18th birthday. Agreements have still to be finalised, but it will be of import that Connexions suppliers can supply – from CCIS – inside informations of the clip a immature individual has spent NEET prior to their eighteenth birthday.
Programme Centres give Jobcentre Plus clients practical advice on looking for occupations, taking barriers to acquiring and maintaining a occupation, and traveling back to work. Equally good as supplying casts, letter paper, newspapers and entree to the cyberspace, Programme Centres besides offer clients larning faculties such as interview accomplishments to back up them in happening work. This service is delivered by outside administrations under contract to Jobcentre Plus.
Local Governments may wish to take advantage of the installations / expertness offered by Programme Centre suppliers and negotiate contracts with them to present support faculties designed specifically for Connexions clients. Although support such steps would fall to the relevant local authorization, Jobcentre Plus will be able to assist in fostering agreements with its programme Centre suppliers.
Jobcentre plus can besides back up local NEET schemes by:
sharing vacancy information with Connexions ;
involving/promoting Connections in selling activity eg employer battle ( LEP ) , occupation carnivals etc ;
hosting unfastened yearss for little groups of immature people to explicate Jobcentre Plus services, demonstrate Job Points ;
Jobcentre Plus advisors go toing Connections events to give negotiations to immature people.
3 The function of the Local Authority/Connexions supplier
Passage of Connexions to local governments
The Connexions Service is presently traveling through a procedure of passage. Funding which was antecedently made available to 47 Connections partnerships is, from 1 April 2008, traveling straight to each of the 150 top grade local authorization countries. The Education and Skills Bill will suggest that the statutory duty for Connexions services be transferred to local governments.
Curates have agreed that the Connexions trade name is a valuable plus and should non be lost. The trade name will, hence, be retained by administrations having the Connexions grant to present services.
The function of the Connexions Personal Adviser
Connections services are delivered through an suitably trained work force of personal advisors supplying information, advice and counsel ( IAG ) to immature people aged 13-19. This will include:
appraisal of the immature individual ‘s demands ;
planning and intercession: work with the immature individual to hold the cardinal issues and negociate an action program for alteration and traveling frontward ;
planning and working with parents and carers: supplying information to parents and carers and promoting their engagement in determination devising ;
securities firm and protagonism: securing entree to specific acquisition, preparation, employment and personal development chances ; and enabling the immature individual to get the better of troubles whist set abouting such chances ;
referral to more specialized aid where required e.g. on wellness and substance abuse issues ; and
reappraisal: trailing and supervising the immature individual ‘s advancement against agreed programs.
Information, Advice and Guidance ( IAG )
IAG covers a scope of activities and intercessions that help immature people to go more autonomous and better able to pull off their personal and calling development, including acquisition. It includes:
the proviso of accurate, up-to-date and nonsubjective information about: personal and lifestyle issues, larning and calling chances, patterned advance paths and picks ; where to happen aid and advice, and how to entree it ;
the proviso of advice through activities that help immature people to garner, understand and interpret information and use it to their ain state of affairs ;
the proviso of impartial counsel and specializer targeted support as appropriate to assist immature people understand themselves and their demands, confront barriers, resoluteness struggles, develop new positions and do advancement ; and
support provided to schools, colleges, work-based preparation and other larning suppliers to reexamine and develop their programmes of callings instruction and personal development in the course of study.
Targeted Youth Support ( TYS )
Whilst the demands of the bulk of immature people will be met by cosmopolitan services, there is a big minority of immature people who will necessitate extra support. TYS aims to guarantee that the demands of vulnerable adolescents are identified early and met by bureaus working together efficaciously. Local governments will be responsible for procuring bringing of targeted young person support services in their countries by April 2008. Whilst the Connexions supplier may be a immature individual ‘s first point of contact, in deepness services might be provided by other bureaus such as a go forthing attention advisor, adolescent gestation service, or youth offending squad.
Client Caseload Information System ( CCIS )
Every local authorization will hold a client database to supervise immature people ‘s advancement. These databases must conform to a set specification, known as CCIS. Databases are by and large maintained by Connexions suppliers, and include inside informations of immature people ‘s current activity – critical if those who are NEET are to be identified and given appropriate support. CCIS databases can besides supply aggregative information on the features of immature people in each country, and this is used by local governments and the Learning and Skills Council ( LSC ) to be after and committee the services that immature people need.
Information from Jobcentre Plus about immature people who are claiming benefits must be recorded on CCIS every bit shortly as it is received. Information on 18 and 19 twelvemonth olds will merely be shared if the immature individual has given consent to be contacted by Connexions. It is of import, hence, that this contact is made at the earliest chance so that the immature individual can be given advice.
Fiscal support for immature people in larning
Young people who are in full clip instruction and LSC funded preparation may be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance ( EMA ) of up to ?30 per hebdomad, depending on family income, and the type of larning being taken. Their family will besides retain its entitlement to Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit.
EMA is non designed to run into all of a pupil ‘s life costs. Where a immature individual is estranged from their household they may claim public assistance benefits in their ain right. The reception of EMA should non impact the payment of these benefits. Teenage parents can besides claim to Care to Learn to assist them with the cost of Ofsted registered child care so they can return to larning.
EMA and Care to Learn are managed by the LSC, but Connexions advisors will assist immature people to happen appropriate learning proviso, and back up them through the application procedure.
Annex 1
Example Partnership understanding between Connexions and Jobcentre Plus
Introduction
This Partnership Agreement sets out an apprehension between the Connexions service supplier in ( name of LA ) and Jobcentre Plus ( name of District ) refering the degrees of service and criterions required of each other in regard of support for immature people.
This Partnership Agreement provides a clear position of the functions and duties of each spouse at an operational degree and demonstrates a committedness by both parties to work together towards implementing the best possible attack for bettering client service to immature people.
This Partnership Agreement will guarantee that immature people are dealt with by both administrations in an efficient and effectual mode. Both parties enter in to this understanding in good religion and undertake to actively back up each other in the successful bringing of services and to work together to get the better of any obstructions.
Key Aims
The cardinal purposes of this Partnership Agreement are:
To put out the nature and criterion of services that each party will supply to one another.
To guarantee that immature people receive as seamless and comprehensive a service as possible to the NEET client group.
To do certain that advisors in Jobcentres and Connexions have a clear apprehension of each other ‘s functions and duties
To ease making common understanding on any issues that cross boundaries.
To guarantee that each spouse is cognizant of and has regard for the concern demand of the other and as future concern develops, consults the other to impact the alterations.
To put out local marks and indexs associating to immature people and employment, and agree the part that each administration will do towards their accomplishment.
To put out an in agreement local scheme for marketing to employers and sharing labour market intelligence.
To guarantee that each spouse keeps the other informed of wider initiatives/developments that might impact upon immature people.
To guarantee that duty for reding immature people with larning troubles and disablements is passed from Connexions to Jobcentre Plus when the immature individual is ready to do the passage ( or their twenty-fifth birthday if passage has non been made before this day of the month ) .
To put out agreements for sharing information.
To guarantee that each bureau has current contact inside informations for the other.
Service criterions
Jobcentre Plus will:
Ensure staff, in peculiar those taking new benefit claims, are cognizant of and actively promote Connexions services to all NEET clients. ( Add local agreements for booking assignments for 16/17 and 18/19 twelvemonth old clients )
Ensure NEET clients: claim appropriate benefits and are cognizant of their rights and duties in making so ; are paid appropriate benefits quickly and accurately ; entree programmes ( eg New Deal ) designed to back up them in happening work.
Fully support Connexions staff in apprehension and dispatching their duties in back uping benefit claims made by 16/17 twelvemonth olds NEET. ( Add local agreements eg named contact ( s ) , awareness training/visits for new Connexions staff. Possibly append function and duties of local U18 Specialist Adviser )
Local agreements for ‘housing ‘ Connexions advisors on Jobcentre Plus premises where practical.
Local agreements for sharing vacancy information with Connections
Local agreements for involving/promoting Connections in selling activity eg employer battle ( LEP ) , occupation carnivals etc.
Local agreements for back uping 16/17 twelvemonth olds NEET who are chiefly looking for work but non claiming benefit ( see: hosting unfastened yearss for little groups of immature people to explicate Jobcentre Plus services, demonstrate Job Points ; Jobcentre Plus advisors go toing Connections events to give negotiations to immature people )
Connections will:
Ensure personal advisors and others working with immature people are cognizant of Jobcentre Plus services appropriate to NEET clients, and cognize how immature people should be referred to these services.
Give basic information on benefits and Jobcentre Plus services to immature people.
Support Jobcentre Plus staff in understanding the functions and duties of the Connexions service ( Add local agreements for awareness training/visits )
Support immature people to claim appropriate benefits quickly and right.
Ensure staff comply with the national criterions for back uping benefit claims made by 16/17 twelvemonth olds. ( Add or add on Connexions demands and local bringing agreements ) .
Share information on the Numberss and demands of immature people NEET in the country.
Make sure that Jobcentre Plus has up to day of the month information on local acquisition chances.
Discuss with Jobcentre Plus advisors agreements for reassigning duty for reding immature people with larning troubles and disablements to Jobcentre Plus.
Ensure that 18/19 twelvemonth old benefit clients referred by Jobcentre Plus are interviewed and given advice appropriate to their fortunes.
Local agreements for ‘housing ‘ Jobcentre Plus advisors on Connexions premises where practical.
Liaison and reexamine
Both parties recognise that regular affair and reappraisal are indispensable if we are to accomplish our purposes and present the criterions set out above.
Agreements to guarantee that we maintain and, wherever possible, better services to the NEET client group are:
Monthly meetings between ( names of JCP U18 Specialist Adviser and Adviser Manager ) and ( names of appropriate Connexions representatives ) to discourse and decide operational issues chiefly in relation to the care of benefit claims by 16/17 twelvemonth olds
Quarterly meetings between ( name of JCP District External Relations Manager ) and ( name of Connexions supplier director ) to guarantee the Partnership Agreement meets operational and strategic purpose.
Annual meeting between ( JCP District Manager ) and ( LA Director of Children ‘s Services ) to discourse high degree scheme and future co-operation.
