‘Get Britain Working’ - White Paper (November 2024)
Reflecting on the new Get Britain Working White Paper, the strongest area of focus is that of recognising the importance of joining up of local services to offer tailored support. It is a cornerstone of the Paper - addressing the challenges of economic inactivity through ill health and the multiple barriers created by local deprivation. Threading health prevention alongside employment and training pathways, with a greater emphasis on rapid and responsive supported employment and extra mental health provision are all real positives. In-work support and addressing the relationship between work on health and health on work, are also referenced but it is a bit disappointing that the Paper falls short here – it introduces the intention for a national review on the matter despite there being plenty of reviews and evidence already, and a great deal of practical examples of the impact of workplace health interventions.
Tackling Economic Inactivity - Local Solutions
There is great emphasis on Combined Authorities drawing up local ‘Get Britain Working plans,’ covering the scale of priorities including the ‘economic inactivity challenge,’ how best to proceed with the Youth Guarantee and support the reform of Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service. Also, the alignment of local skills planning. It is comprehensive but clearly with the risk of a lack of resources to properly lead and deliver the changes required. It is a reminder of the City Strategy pathfinders’ setup between 2007-2011, in which a groups of local areas (including Core Cities) had the partnership responsibility to develop the business case for localisation of services to address worklessness, economic exclusion and low skills attainment. It is a massive challenge, with the success dependent on the government being able to empower Combined Authorities with decision-making, flexibility of commissioning and enhanced accountability. The Voluntary and Community Sector should be at the centre of these local strategies, with the pandemic highlighting just how vital their role is in reaching communities and individuals to offer personal support across a range of vital services.
Aligning Local Services
At the centre of the focus of helping people who are economically inactive through ill health, including mental health and people who experience more enduring challenges due to special education needs, is the prevention and early intervention ‘agenda.’ The Joint Work and Health Directorate helping to align an integrated health, care and work system is critical, but it needs to translate into how local Health System priority setting and funding can align with, and capacity build, a range of services. Including CBT/Talking Therapies, Social Prescribing, physical activity and engagement provision and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) linked to primary care services. The challenge here is how to effectively define and measure the impact and outcomes. In many respects the White Paper could be ‘Get Britain…Active, Healthy and Working’ given the interdependencies acknowledged in the Paper’s context. However, a positive outcome in terms of Health and Wellbeing within this context could be a focus on greater independence, a reduction in social isolation with interventions to support confidence and mental health. In terms of employment, a positive outcome could range from work experience, to several hours of work activity a week for people who have complex needs through to full-time work. Volunteering should also play a key role. Having an aspirational 80% employer engagement target is fine but the parameters of measuring success across health inequality, welfare support, education and work are quite different. Understanding outcome in terms of individual change and of social value therefore has to be via a common framework at the local level for the likes of the Health System, the Combined Authorities and inclusive employment and training services to align.
Service Reform - Jobcentre Plus and The National Careers Service
The plans for reforming Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service seem a bit confusing at this stage. The White Paper calls for a ‘universal service’ at the national level but then attempts to connect the reform into localised responses and local solutions. The fact is that much of the capacity for Jobcentre Plus to build a local strategic responses, including flexible service delivery, has reduced significantly over the last 20 years. Understanding how a genuine local employment service can tailor to local needs and the key focus of addressing economic challenges is the critical element. Offering a market leading digital recruitment service for employers, is not where I think the focus should be. Integrating with National Careers also on paper is laudable but it is at risk of diluting the independence of careers advice and guidance alongside benefit conditionality processes. From our evaluation work, programmes that have had robust, independent, professionally qualified, career advice and guidance operating in a responsive and flexible approach have been the most successful.
System Change and Advocacy
Finally, the White Paper calls for a ‘new system’ to address the challenges of youth unemployment, of economic inactivity and low skills. It is surprising that mentoring had such little mention in the Paper on this, or indeed ‘advocacy.’ Providing advocacy and mentoring support, particularly for young people at risk of becoming disengaged and then for those who are long term economically inactive always stands out as a key success factor for local service delivery. It is a core aspect of IPS delivery, and I think needs to be a ‘core offer’ throughout local Get Britain Working plans. This is at the centre of ‘systemic change.’ There have been great recent schemes including the Lottery Community funded ‘Talent Match’ and ESF programme services, which at the heart of the offer has been person-centred advocacy, a constant support resource helping to build responsive plans to address health, wellbeing, education, employment, vocational training and financial inclusion barriers – all without conditionality and often voluntary in terms of engagement.
Such advocacy can connect to specialist support where needed including community mental health, social prescribing, vocational training, skills provision, careers planning and employability support.
David Kirkham, MSc Econ Dev, MIED, MSVUK