50 Forward Employment Initiative

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• 50 Forward - Employment Initiative

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Lancaster District 50 Forward

• Clare Mattinson
• Programme Manager

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50 Forward Principles

• Within those principles, Lancaster District 50
  Forward made a specific commitment to
• Actively involve older people in designing,
  developing and decision-making
• Increase opportunities for older people to
  continue paid employment or volunteering
• Provide low-level services at the time of need
• Provide easier access to information about
  health, leisure, employment, personal care,
  benefits, personal safety, home safety, home
  maintenance, local transport and housing options.
  

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Where we are now.

• Lancaster District 50 Forward has,
• Established a Care Navigator service provide
  support for older people with low level needs.
• Created a New Employment Bureau
• Created a New Volunteer Bureau
• Developed a Brand
• Has achieved all targets to date
• Developed strong partnership working.

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Original Programme Model
Access to Information
Employment and Volunteer Service
Care Navigator
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Employment

• Why set up an Employment Bureau for Older
  People?
• Because that is what people over 50 in
  Lancaster asked for!

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Employment

• Lancaster District 50 Forward was asked to create
  a new Employment and Volunteer bureau-
• Support Individuals to become job ready
• Seek out new employment and volunteering
  opportunities.
• Work with Employers
• Provide support into training opportunities
• Support with New Business Start up
• Aim to become commercial agency.

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The Service

• Offers 1-2-1 employment support to enable people
  to reach their employment goals.
• Looks at the whole person and links into
  additional support from partners such as Care
  Navigator and Pension Service
• Tailored service to meet individual need
• Workshops CV Preparation, Interview Technique,
  Mock Interviews, Job Search, e.t.c
• Active Marketing to Employers
• Working with Partners to provide New Business
  Start Up support

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Workshops

• The Employment Bureau runs a series of workshops
  including
• CV Preparation
• Interview Techniques
• Mock Interviews
• Application Forms
• Confident and Motivation
• Each workshop is plan, prepared and delivered
  by experienced qualified staff in a friendly,
  informal environment.

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New Business Start Up

• The team work closely with partners to provide
  Self Employment Support.
• They also run network events to introduce clients
  to other partner organisations and business to
  help support business start up.
• The office is available to clients to access
  computers and telephones in the early stages of
  starting their business.
• To date the service has supported 13 people into
  Self Employment.

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Employers

• Offer a recruitment service for Employers
  matching people with the right skills to the
  right vacancy.
• We help prepare people to enter the work place
  and offer support when they start therefore
  supporting employers through induction of new
  members of staff.

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Events

• New Year, New Start campaign is designed to
  engage with new clients and introduce them to
  Employers in the district who have current
  employment vacancies. In addition, introducing
  them to supporting partners and explain the
  support the team can provide.
• Four Event have been planned in January and
  February.
• 17th January, The Borough, Lancaster 5pm-7pm
• 29th January, The Platform, Moreamcbe 12pm-2pm
• 13th February, The County Hotel, Carnforth
  5pm-7pm
• Working in Partnership with Victoria Institute
  an event is planned in Caton to support people
  from the Lune Valley

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So far

• 17th January, The Borough, Lancaster
• Over 75 people attended
• 37 people registered with the Employment Service
• 14 Employers and Partners attended
• 29th January, The Platform, Morecambe
• Over 85 people attended
• 50 people registered with the Employment Service
• 15 Employers and Partners attended.
• People travelled from Burnley, Barrow,
  Accrington, Lytham, Blackpool, Preston to attend
  the event.

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Volunteer Bureau

• Provides support to organisations looking for
  volunteers
• Provide information and support to people
  interested in Volunteering.
• Matching the right person to the right
  opportunity and vice versa.
• Completing all necessary checks
• Stepping stone into employment and support for
  Care Navigator Service.

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The team

• Project Manager James Lively
• Employment Consultant Anne Oliver
• Volunteer Co-ordinator Michelle Collingwood
• Project Support Officer Arron Morris
• Administration Support Julie McGowan, Liz David

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Results March 07-Dec 07

• Over 349 people have accesses the service to date
• Employment Agency
• No.of people registered -166
• No.of people placed into employment 61
• No.of people into Self Employment 13
• Volunteer Bureau-
• No.of people registered-123
• No.of people placed- 57 (40 awaiting to complete
  checks)
• No.of Timebanks created 2
• No.of people registered with Timebanks-60 (not
  included above)
• (Please note that training outcomes have not been
  included)

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Lessons Learnt.so far.
Employment and Volunteer Service Diversity of
clients - These range from long term unemployed
people with multiple low level needs to currently
employed couples wanting to change direction and
life style. Have to overcome initial unease of
other employment agencies Need for specialist
employment service skills, and need to pay for
training Labour Market The team are looking
at a greater geographical area to find
appropriate job vacancies and salaries.
Volunteering Service Unexpectedly high
interest in Timebanks. Time lag for requesting
CRB Check and references. Issues with Volunteers
reluctance to submit details for the multiple
checks/references. High turnover of Volunteer
Placements as often people then move into
Employment, or people have family commitments.
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Good News Stories
Mr X registered with us at an employment open day
that we held in Lancaster in February. Having
worked as a production operative for Storeys from
1988 until the closure of the business in
December 2006 Mr X had very limited experience of
applying for jobs. At 58 he felt somewhat out of
his depth and he registered with 50 Forward in
order to receive assistance with CV compilation,
applications and interview techniques. He was an
enthusiastic participant at a series of workshops
at the Victoria Institute Caton which were run
collaboratively between 50 Forward and the
Trainer at the Institute. As a result of his
efforts he was invited to a series of interviews
and we were delighted when he was offered and
accepted a position with Croppers paper mill in
Kendal starting on 3 April. The following is a
quote from his confirmation of employment
form I would like to thank Anne Oliver and crew
for the support and help they gave me (cv/letter
writing and interview techniques) during my time
of unemployment ...... All my advice came through
50 Forward. Keep up the good work. Thank you
Anne.
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Good News Stories
Mr Y had been employed with the same company for
more than ten years before being made redundant
most of these were in a supervisory capacity.
His management skills and experience are
excellent, however, he had not attended an
interview in all of this time and had limited
experience of unemployment and the labour
market. At 56 years old he didnt know where to
turn or from whom to seek advice. We spoke to Mr
Y after the event giving him an appointment to
meet with us at a venue of his choice. Mr Y chose
his home, where he felt comfortable enough to
voice any concerns about his weaknesses and to
highlight his strengths. We listened to what he
said, looked at how we could help and gave him
choices. We assisted Mr Y with his CV looking at
his individual talents and experiences building
on his skills and strengths, boosting his moral
and confidence. We enrolled him on workshops
specialising in application form filling,
speculative letters and approaches, job search,
interview techniques, self-presentation,
individual mock interviews and individually
groomed/tailored him for specific vacancies. All
the input and support of the 50 forward team
along with Mr Ys enthusiastic participation
proved worthwhile, following successful interview
Mr Y has secured a position as an Officer Support
Grade with HM Prison Service.
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• Mr J, who at 73 is, to date, the oldest person to
  register with Lancaster District 50 Forward. He
  came to us for assistance having been made
  redundant. With a wealth of experience as an
  employment trainer and job broker he assisted the
  Employment Service and Volunteer Bureau at an
  employment open day on 31 January 2007.
• As a result of this voluntary work he found a
  part time temporary position in April with a
  partner organisation which supported our
  employment workshop programme.
• In May we helped Mr J to secure part time work
  with as a driver for a mobile crèche service and
  in July he joined Age Concern as Assistant
  Organiser of their Luncheon Clubs in Carnforth.

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Useful Links

• Evaluation http//www.dwp.gov.uk/opportunity_age
  /linkage/
• Age Concern Lancashire www.ageconcernlancs.org.u
  k
• Lancaster City Council www.lancaster.gov.uk
• Information - http//www.lancaster4u.co.uk/company
  .php?company_id234

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• Clare Mattinson
• Programme Manager
• Lancaster District 50 Forward
• 6-4-1 Alston House,
• White Cross,
• Lancaster,
• LA1 4XF
• Tel [phone]
• Mob [phone]