Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills, and Corporate Services considered the report which sought approval to accept £668,138 European Social Fund (ESF) revenue funding to deliver additional employment support and employer engagement through Haringey Works and intermediate labour market support (10 fully-funded placements for 6 months at London Living Wage) with a focus on residents who have most impacted by the pandemic. The funding would allow for additional employment advisors and an employer engagement post to be created in Haringey Works as well as a business manager and administrator to support the roll out and ongoing delivery of the programme. The programme would provide additional capacity to deliver against the Good Economy Recovery Plan and associated Employment and Skills Recovery Action Plan (ESRAP) priorities supporting residents into good work during a period of high unemployment.

The report was considered by the Cabinet Member for Employment and Corporate Services as Contract Standing Order (CSO) 17.1 stated where the Council receives a grant from an external body, the process for approving or varying the agreement for the grant shall be the same as that set out in CSO 9.07 (i.e. the Director may approve receipt of a grant valued less than £500,000. For approval of receipt of grants valued at £500,000 or more, a Cabinet decision was required).

Notification of the successful bid was not received until October 2021 with a proposed start date for this additional capacity of 4 January 2022 with staff expected to be in post by 13 December 2021. In order to meet pressing programme deadlines, this item has been tabled for the earliest Cabinet Member signing available. A letter of the Outcome of ESF Full Application Appraisal could be found in the appendices to the report which included the Borough Revenue Breakdown.

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED

To approve the implementation of Contract Standing Order 9.07.1d and Contract Standing Order 17.1 (all contracts valued at £500,000 (five hundred thousand pounds) or more at the time of award may only be awarded, assigned, or novated by the Cabinet) and approve receipt of the European Social Fund (ESF) grant of £668,138 for the Connecting Communities programme to provide for additional capacity for employment and skills support for Haringey residents.

Reasons for decision

On 12 May 2021, Members of the Central London Board (Borough Leaders with CEOs in attendance), agreed to submit a proposal to ESF to deliver employment support provision across the twelve CLF boroughs. The acceptance of the grant follows on from the success of the proposal. The ESF funding was secured through a partnership bid called ‘Connecting Communities’ with the 12 Central London Forward (CLF) boroughs. CLF staff worked closely with the boroughs to develop and submit the proposal in June 2021 following approval from the CLF Board in May 2021.

This bid responds to the aim of the ESRAP to support Haringey residents adversely affected by the economic impact of Covid. This programme will support the ‘Targeted Approach’ workstream of the ESRAP, the objective of which is to reduce the unemployment rate of those most impacted by Covid. Haringey has the highest claimant count rate for Central London (9.3%). The ESRAP also outlines the need to address in-work poverty in the borough, which this grant will support by assisting residents with in-work support. The Connecting Communities programme will play a role supporting the delivery of the Good Economy Recovery Plan and associated Employment and Skills Recovery Action Plan.

The programme will also provide intermediary labour market opportunities that unlike Kickstart, are paid at London Living Wage which aligns with one of the 9 London Recovery Board’s missions; ‘Helping Londoners into Good Work’.

The Haringey Works team have a number of advisors that work with residents to provide employment and skills support. The aim of this provision is to support the existing service by working closely with those furthest away from the labour market, by getting people on steps closer towards employment. The pandemic has caused an increase in the number of people unemployed, the outputs therefore will be related to employment, education and/or training and encouraging longer term support.

The programme is for long-term unemployed people, economically inactive people that are furthest away from the labour market. Focusing on the Work and Health programme leavers that did not secure employment, and those hardest to help groups with multiple and complex barriers (e.g. ex-offenders, individuals with drug/alcohol problems, individuals without literacy/numeracy skills, individuals facing homelessness, BAME communities, over 50’s, lone parents and individuals with health and disability issues). The proposed start date for the programme is 4 January 2022 with staff expected to be in post by 13 December 2021.

Alternative options considered

Option to not accept -In a period of continuing employment challenges for Haringey’s residents as unemployment pressure is expected to continue in to 2022, not accepting the funding would make the Council less able to support into employment those furthest away from the job market. It would also counter an agreement made in principle with Central London Forward of participating in a programme that would support the borough whilst facing high numbers of unemployment post Covid.