Achieving outcome group – Self Evaluation day – Thursday 22 January 2014

Attendance

Neil McLennan (Chair), John Cairns (minutes), Carol Sadler, Willie Kenyon, James Simpson, Denise Foreman, Rachel Elliot, Helen Benzie, Graham Donald, Christine Murray, Maggie Hepburn, Linda Buchanan, Ken Milroy, Neil Hendry, Bill O’Hara, Matthew Musset

Vision and Goals of group

Discussion on current group membership and focus – agreement that the group needs to tie in Throughcare/Aftercare moving forward. Work has started in relation to ASN sub group but still requires input from wider partnership - agreement that both David Dallas (transitions) and Peter McDonnell (Self-directed support) should be invited to members. Agreement that ASN needs more analyse in terms of available datasets for measuring impact and mapping of services. Also discussion on getting weightings correct within the risk matrix for ASN and that this is an area that will take time to develop properly due to restrictions on Seemis upgrades. Also noted that the new Inclusion team within ACC may have funding for provision for targeted groups. To improve knowledge of ASN data – James S agreed to send 16+ summary information on special establishments. For Looked after Children, discussion that there can sometime be examples of over discrimination which is resulting in young people thinking that they will just walk into opportunities if they do not achieve at school and can give the wrong message to young people. Discussion on throughcare/aftercare – agreement that progress with Family Firm/LAC Work experience should be linked in more with group objectives. For Youth Employment, group recognised significant reductions in youth unemployment in the city but that there is still a need to focus on the delivery of work experience & Achievement awards, ensuring that there is equity of opportunity for young people across the city. DWP also presented on the local labour market information (attached) and Skills Development Scotland presented information on the Aberdeen City & Shire Regional Skills assessment report.

Discussion on Mapping of services which would be required for 2015/16

  1. Opportunities for young people with ASN
  2. Programmes to support looked after children
  3. Enterprise and Employability in schools
  4. 16+ training provision (Youth Employment Activity Plan)
  5. School business Partnerships
  6. 14-25 year old learning partnership offer
  7. What companies are employing young people directly from school

Workgroups

Theme 1: Looked after Children

  1. Amber/Green – Consistent staff representation needed from Throughcare/Aftercare
  2. Red/Amber – LAC young people returning to the city without a plan – need to explore why this isn’t happening?
  3. Green – Mapping of services available for the lead professionals
  4. Green – though difficulty is getting the hard to engage
  5. Green – Support available for young people moving into education and employment from various providers
  6. Amber – Need more consultation/specific actions – not tokenistic. Explore who is doing this well

Plan

  • Decision makers in ECS come together to listen to examine data from people/front line staff
  • Quality assurances around support for LAC
  • Planning – compliance with plan
  • Positive destination
  • Guidance from SAR managers through supervision/written guidance on adherence to system in place
  • More careful management of agencies and staff – Which agency/Which worker is the most appropriate for the most immediate action in the plan?
  • Main caregivers for LAC having the opportunities for more positive interactions – not the messenger of negative information from other agencies.

Theme 2 – Youth Employment

  1. Amber/Green – Aberdeen Works/Aberdeen Guarantees/training Providers forum
  2. Need to raise awareness of groups to colleagues in social care and wellbeing and Headteachers
  3. Amber – general information is shared
  4. Info from schools to partners can be adhoc & vice versa
  5. Difficulties across organisations in sharing an individual’s information ie DWP to SDS
  6. Amber/Green – Support for young people with identifiable support needs is good
  7. General support for young people with poor/low employability skills needs to be improved
  8. Amber/Green – Need to work with schools to record 16+ offers in advance of leaving date – should be actioned with upcoming datahub developments
  9. Green – DWP have work coaches with a focus on employability as well as Youth team. SDS have expanded work coach team/Careers Advisors in every school.
  10. Area for improvement is College/University’s should be required to feed back drop out information to SDS/DWP
  1. DWP are currently developing piece of work with Throughcare during 18+ transitions into young people receiving JSA.
  1. Green

Plan

  • Provision – still concerns about national providers parachuting in and delivering services. Need core provision fitting in with labour market
  • Labour market information – need to share key messages with pupils but also Parents including developing messages around the value of Modern Apprenticeships
  • NESCOL need to align courses with available MA Placements
  • Chamber – have companies with vacancies in offering the Certificate of Work readiness award – Rachel to share with Christine
  • Wider Achievement information should be promoted to pupils/parents and business to promote value/availability and widen access to these opportunities.
  • Need to develop ASG Careers fairs model –for primary/secondary school staff but also for wider community

Theme 3 – ASN

  1. Red but planning started to meet learners needs
  2. Amber – identification of agencies has started
  3. Amber – most schools know pupils at risk

Further comments – Risk Matrix – Used in priority schools targeting pupils in P6 – S1 and S3 – include special schools. Then need to identify agencies and look at sustainability of the 3rd sector providers.

Plan – Meeting learner needs

  • Need to consider capacity issues before raising expectations

Lot of work to be done re MA + how to support it

  • How do we map agencies to deliver across different needs & abilities?
  • Gaps between who’s available (S4) and how we signpost them/make that known to employers
  • Example of construction – need to make pathways known e.g. after MA ends
  • How do we change midset? Works well currently in hairdressing training at Saks from 14yrs but how do we do this with other sectors like construction + how do we ensure opportunities afterwards?
  • Need to understand the range of jobs which are available ie Data tells us that the biggest recruiting industry in Aberdeen is Engineering = but what kinds of jobs are available?

Careers fairs not necessarily the solution

Industry breakdown what they do + show career pathway + and identify what skillsforce the need

Include breakdown of ‘background’ work in these industries e.g. admin etc

  • Be aware of ‘equality for all’ – these are positions within industries which may not be obvious
  • How do we increase these opportunities? People from ASN schools to take lead in looking at future planning?
  • How do we let employers know that we have young people who would be appropriate for certain positions and tackle any stereotypes which employers may hold?
  • Traditional work experience not advantageous

Need to plan better, look at pathways to work and not just one week adhoc work experience.

Future Developments for 2015

  1. DataHubRisk Matrix

Agreement that the group will think about what types of data the group would like James S to report back & how often this is shared with the partnership

  1. Attainment

Neil provided a summary on attainment (see attached presentation). Discussion on slides as well as discussion on levels of young people’s literacy skills coming into secondary from primary which was flagged as area of concern.

  1. Achievement

Also include heartstart/REHIS qualifications

Agreement that we would look at launch date due to possible capacity issues in schools due to SQA preparations.

  1. Aspirations survey

Send survey to Jacinta to include Westburn/Craigielea in survey – check with Kevin S

  1. Developing the Young Workforce

Ken Milroy updated on DSYW – Anna Cunningham is now the new minister with a lead for this agenda. Discussion on forthcoming Regional Invest in Youth groups with discussion on:

How we link in with potential new group, the important role of economic development in these groups and the need to develop continuity in messages which go out to business from Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.

  1. Youth Unemployment Stats

The majority of the over 6 months on JSA are on the Work Programme and the reasons for not in work include:

  • Lack of job skills/work skills (the highest number are in this category)
  • Lack of confidence
  • Criminal record/convictions
  • Drug and Alcohol issues
  • Lack of digital skills
  • Lack of presentation/interview skills
  • Literacy Issues
  • Lack of childcare (in a very small number of cases)

Outcome group structure

Discussion on 1st proposal of four sub groups to main outcome group. Proposed Version 2 – based on a Client journey model AO ------Early Identification ------Delivery ------Support. Agreement that a couple of options be considered before anything is implemented as there are a couple of ways in which the group could be structured. Agreement that the group should be able to evidence need for services through upcoming developments with the Datahub/Risk Matrix and potentially also the Youth Aspirations survey. Group agreed the importance of mapping of services in 2015/16 to establish gaps in provision. Questions raised about commissioning of services as the group currently holds no budget. Agreement that it would be logically to have influence on commissioning if the identification and mapping is completed – for further discussion with ICS board.

What members want to achieve through our partnership

Sharing and gathering information from schools to establish need for support and resources

Mapping of services for shared awareness on what is available for young people in the city

Every young person is aware of their learning, training and work options

Parents are informed of opportunities which are available

Health and wellbeing agenda is prominent in our aim to support young people into positive destinations

Influence budgets to change services based on needs analysis