Sight and hearing impairment charities drop DWP delivery

Confirming rumours circulating over the past few days, the RNIB and RNID have both ended their support for people with sight and hearing issues in a wide range of Pathways to Work and NDDP contracts, citing excessive costs and market conditions for their decisions.

The RNIB confirmed contract withdrawal from Pathways in Wales, but made it clear that this was not due to contract issues with their Prime (A4e), but rather due to their support service simply not matching the available funding.

Action for Blind People, who recently joined forces with the RNIB and now deliver all employment programmes in England for both organisations, also confirmed their withdrawal from most of its Pathways contracts, highlighting both the high costs of delivery and the difficulty of reaching Pathways performance targets.

Finally, the RNID have confirmed that they're withdrawing from various Pathways to Work and NDDP contracts owing to sustainability issues. However, they also pointed to Work Choice and longer term development of more sustainable support to prime contractors as ways to ensure that people with hearing difficulties have their needs met by delivery.

Here's the official statement from Action for Blind People:

Regrettably Action for Blind People has been left with no choice but to cease the majority of its English Pathways Employment Contracts, delivered on behalf of prime contractors, to support blind and partially sighted people to find work. An inadequate level of income to sustain this service and threat of contractors amending or ceasing contracts meant that Action had to make this difficult decision.

Action is currently going through a rigorous consultation process with its staff and dependent on the outcome of the final consultation there is the possibility of redundancies. Final decisions on any such action will be confirmed no later than end of August 09.

Blind and partially sighted people remain central to everything Action do and its teams across England will work closely with those visually impaired people affected by this decision, through other means of job search support.

The 9 colleagues whose posts will also be affected will have priority in relation to any relevant opportunities and development initiatives within Action considered to be suitable alternative employment. As always, Action for Blind People will work to ensure support mechanisms are in place for the wellbeing of its colleagues.

Here's the official statement from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People:

RNID REVIEWS EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND SKILLS SERVICES

RNID, like many other organisations in the sector, is reviewing its Employment, Training and Skills Services (ETSS) to ensure it is sustainable in the current market and that we continue to ensure people who are deaf or hard of hearing have the same access to employment and training opportunities as others in society.

Following a review of the sustainability of our contracts, RNID has decided to step back from some of our existing Pathways and New Deal for Disabled People contracts. We are currently working with our existing prime contractors to formalise an alternative way of working, which will allow the ongoing needs of our clients groups to be met. This change will free up our resources to concentrate on preparation for the new Work Choice programme, which will focus on the needs of disabled people. Since almost 70% of our clients have additional needs, Work Choice is a natural fit for RNID.

We will also develop new service offers to help major organisations, including prime contractors, to ensure that they are inclusive of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These will include deaf awareness training, access consultancy and our Louder than Words charter, to remove unnecessary barriers preventing deaf or hard of hearing people from fulfilling their potential in the workplace.

We will also continue lobbying the Government, which has responsibility to ensure that advice and support is available to help people find work, to ensure that the support needs of deaf and hard of hearing job-seekers and employees are being met.