acevo

05.06.08 | Acevo and DWP launch joint taskforce to explore the role of the third sector in welfare-to-work reform

 

Today (Thursday 5th June) The Rt Hon James Purnell MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will announce a Third Sector Taskforce to be led by acevo and the Department for Work and Pensions. The joint initiative will explore the potential role for the third sector in welfare-to-work reform, and make recommendations as to how that potential could be engaged. 

 

The Taskforce marks a renewed effort by the DWP to engage fully with the third sector on this issue. Tony Hawkhead, CEO Groundwork will chair the Taskforce supported by Government Adviser David Freud as Vice-Chair.

 

The three main purposes of the DWP Taskforce are:

• To identify any impediments to the Third Sector playing a full and active role in welfare to work reform, and to recommend ways to remove these impediments.  The impediments could be anywhere including government policy and practice and within the third sector itself
• To recognise outstanding good practice that could be replicated, and to recommend how this might be done;
• To clarify the precise role and value of the third sector in welfare to work reform.  What, if anything, can the third sector bring that others cannot?

The Taskforce will meet early in June and on a monthly basis thereafter. The group will report back in January 2009. 

 

Stephen Bubb, CEO acevo comments:

“Many third sector organisations work at the coal-face of local communities, and with their personalised and integrated approach they can play a vital role in transforming welfare-to-work programmes, as providers of and advocates for new and better services. In Australia, around 50% of welfare to work services for the long-term unemployed are provided by the third sector, and there’s no reason why we couldn’t have this level in the UK - which could mean up to £500m of contracts for the sector. We believe this Taskforce represents real progress towards engaging the third sector’s potential, and I expect it to result in a step-change in DWP-Third Sector relations.”

 

Tony Hawkhead, Chair of the Taskforce comments,

“Organisations within the third sector work with some of the most excluded members of society and can play a pivotal role in helping people move off welfare and into work. My vision for the Taskforce is to focus on key issues and give clear guidance on how we can best harness the enormous potential of the third sector to provide innovative solutions to this pressing problem."

 

The Taskforce follows on from acevo’s independent inquiry chaired by Dame Mavis McDonald scrutinising the contracting process for the DWP’s Pathways to Work. The inquiry looked into why the third sector had secured a far smaller percentage of government contracts despite the initiative’s positioning by government as a real opportunity to engage with the third sector through procurement.

 

The inquiry’s findings identified a need for greater clarity in what the desired outcomes are from DWP in provision of public services and that the procurement officers involved needed a clear policy lead from the top of government. Since the Dame Mavis McDonald inquiry acevo and DWP have been close partners working to improve the relationship between the department and the sector. This announcement takes that partnership to a new level.

 

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 Editors notes:

·         acevo (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations) is the professional body representing charity and not-for-profit sector chief executives in the UK, with over 2000 members.

·         The broad not-for-profit sector now employs the full-time equivalent of 1.5m staff, with a collective annual turnover of £46bn.

·          acevo is committed to improving third sector leadership skills worldwide.

 

Case study – Groundwork UK:

 

A successful charity initiative helps lone parents, incapacity benefit claimants and ex-offenders get back to work

 

Groundwork’s Stepping Stones programme is providing specialist support to over 130 unemployed people living in neighbourhoods in the North East experiencing high levels of economic inactivity.  With the support of One NorthEast, the programme helps lone parents, incapacity benefit claimants and ex-offenders to build their self esteem and confidence to work.  In partnership with other agencies, Groundwork recruits clients through community networks, referral work schemes and the youth engagement service. The programme offers a flexible package of individual-led job assistance, training, accredited learning and paid work placements to improve individuals’ employment prospects and address skills shortages.  Over a three year period Stepping Stones aims to move 60% of its clients into employment.