Indus Delta Welfare to Work Newswire - 4 May 2012

Parkhouse Bell is a recruitment consultancy that provides a confidential and specialist service across all levels within the welfare to work industry.  For more information visit our website or our dedicated jobs page on Indus Delta.

Latest News

Update on Careers Development Group and Shaw Trust

Careers Development Group and Shaw Trust have announced that merger talks between the two will continue after an independent feasibility study concluded there was a ‘compelling case’ for the charities to join together.

Read more here.

Interserve acquires welfare-to-work business BEST

Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has announced that it has acquired Business Employment Services Training Limited, one of the UK's leading providers of training and development for job-seekers and employers.

Read more here.

Research finds single homeless people have overwhelmingly negative experiences of the Work Capability Assessment

A recent survey by Crisis reports that 81% of single homeless respondents had negative experiences of their Work Capability Assessment. Respondents felt stressed, anxious and worried that their claim would be turned down in 97% of cases, with 85 %fearing that they would be forced to work.

Read more here.

City & Guilds: young people view links to employers as the key to career success

New research commissioned by City & Guilds reveals that 88% of young people want better access to employers to bridge the gap between education and work. City & Guilds calls for the creation of an All-Party Parliamentary Group to tackle the root causes of youth unemployment.

Read more here.

Nearly £270 million wasted every year on failed job recruitment

The 'Work ready? Get fit for the job' report highlights how £1.16 billion is spent by employers each year trying to fill job vacancies yet around 23 per cent of these posts are recognised as ‘hard to fill' and often need additional resources to get the right candidate.

Read more here.

Social housing and the Work Programme – bridging the divide

A couple of weeks ago, a blog by Malen Davies, Researcher at Inclusion, commented on the startling lack of engagement between specialist homeless organisations and Work Programme contractors. Areport by Inclusion and HACT, published today, finds that partnerships between housing providers and the Work Programme are similarly lacking. With more than a quarter of working-age social-housing residents predicted to join the Work Programme at some point, it’s time for housing and welfare to work to build bridges.

Read more here.

Changes to contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance

On 1 May 2012 the Welfare Reform Act 2012 introduced two changes to contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance. 

Read more here.

What do Jobcentre Plus vacancies tell us about the state of the economy?

Briefly, the last year has seen an improvement in the number of Jobcentre Plus vacancies. In fact, once you account for seasonal changes there are now more new vacancies being notified to Jobcentre Plus than there have been at any point since summer 2008.

Read more here.

Freud: councils’ chance to shape Universal Credit

Local authorities will have a role in shaping and delivering Universal Credit, Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform, said on 27 April.

Read more here.

£10bn in further welfare cuts unacceptable, argues Iain Duncan Smith

Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, told the Times that the proposed £10bn in further cuts to welfare expenditure is unacceptable. He argues that welfare should not become ‘an easy target’ and that the government needs to show responsibility for supporting disadvantaged people.

Read more here.

Listings of the week

Project Co-ordinator, Employment & Skills vacancy at ELBA

Salary: £25-27k pro-rata to 31st March 2013 (1 year extension subject to funding)

The East London Business Alliance is a membership organisation that creates possibilities in East London by connecting businesses to local people and community partners enabling social, economic and infrastructure change.

Our Employment & Skills Programme is currently recruiting for a project co-ordinator with experience in the welfare-to-work or recruitment sectors to join our team working on an existing, award winning project with one of our prestigious member companies. Working across a number of East London sites including our modern offices in Crossharbour, the successful individual will demonstrate the ability and desire to communicate with people of all levels from school leavers seeking their first job to community partners and senior business figures from our member companies. 

Duties will include employer and stakeholder engagement, candidate screening and training delivery. PLEASE FIND FULL JOB DESCRIPTION AND DETAILS OF HOW TO APPLY ON OUR WEBSITE: http://elba-1.org.uk/index.php/join-us/jobs/863-employment-project-coordinator-

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Friday 12th May 2012

PLEASE SEND COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS (DOWNLOADABLE FROM OUR WEBSITE) AND CV TO: merline [dot] douglas [at] elba-1 [dot] org [dot] uk

POST BASED: East London

New research to inform Social Fund localisation

Inclusion’s Centre for Responsible Credit is currently researching local authority plans to implement the localisation of elements of the Social Fund from April 2013. The Social Fund provides on-off financial support for low income households for a number of emergency expenses. From April 2013, the government will abolish the existing Social Fund scheme. The current levels of expenditure on Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans Social Fund elements will be paid as non-ringfenced grants to upper tier local authorities and to the Scottish and Welsh Assembly government. Community Care Grants currently support people with disabilities, lone parents and those at risk or moving out of institutional care. Crisis Loans tend to go to the long-term unemployed. We are keen to obtain views on current thinking about the local models of delivery which will be put in place to support vulnerable groups once budgets are devolved.

The first stage of the research involves an on-line survey to gather information about local authority plans, which are likely to be at an early stage, together with perspectives on the barriers to implementation. The survey will also be used to assess the diversity of approaches currently being taken, including the different lead departments involved and the extent of relevant partnership working taking place around the issue. The Centre for Responsible Credit will also use the survey to help identify a small sample of authorities with which they can work in more detail moving forwards.

After the initial research, The Centre for Responsible Credit has a budget to conduct qualitative research with low income households in the selected authority areas to better understand their views on the proposed models of local support. The Centre for Responsible Credit will also be able to undertake research with local credit unions in these areas in order to determine the extent to which they can complement the proposed models.
The online survey is available here until 25th May.

If you would like further information please contact Damon Gibbons by email) or Helen Crowther).

Early bird booking discount Welfare to Work Convention 2012

Up to 1,000 delegates from across the UK and internationally, gather to hear the latest developments, share experiences and discuss best practice in welfare to work.

We all need to know about what is working, innovation in policy and delivery, and how welfare reform will affect us. The Work Programme is one year old, what have been the lessons of the first year?

The Convention plays a unique role in bringing together all those who deliver services, with the aim of informing, debating and effecting change. The easiest way to register is online by clicking here.

Discounted registrations will expire on 6 May, 2012. Book before this date and save between 10–15% on the late delegate fee!*

This is the last time to take advantage of these lower priced Convention fees. Register online or complete a booking form now.

For more information about this year’s exhibition and sponsorship opportunities please contact the Events Team on or by email at . Download the sponsorship and exhibition brochure click here.

New Parkhouse Bell Group announced

Helen McAnally is pleased to announce the formation of The Parkhouse Bell Group and the appointment of Steve Fielder as the Group CEO.

As the Parkhouse Bell brand continues to grow, Helen has taken the strategic decision to formalise the company's expanding international footprint by consolidating as a corporate group entity and base the new CEO from the group offices in Dubai. Steve will drive the growth of new markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and oversee the diversification of current operations in the UK and Australia.

Steve’s background  is in defence and security leadership as well as strategic and operational management of international companies and public sector programmes.  As The Parkhouse Bell Group CEO, Steve's leadership and international experience, particularly in the Middle East, will bring focus to the execution of the strategic expansion programme and will ensure the Group takes full advantage of the market opportunities ahead.