Support for the Very Long Term Unemployed Trailblazer Evaluation

10th July 2013

The trailblazer

1.

3

The SVLTU Trailblazer

Two options tested as post-Work Programme support for very long-term unemployed JSA

claimants

4

The SVLTU TrialsRandomised Control

Trial

4 JCP Districts

Random allocation

Mandatory

6 months

Evaluation design

2.

6

Evaluation aims To gather robust evidence from relevant

informants to contribute to potential decisions about national roll-out by Comparing impacts of OCM, CAP and JCP Offer

(control group) Describing ‘what works’ from the staff and claimant

perspective Identifying operational challenges and good practice

7

Evaluation methods Qualitative process evaluation

Interviews with 125 claimants (from the 3 strands) Interviews and mini-group discussions with JCP staff Interviews with CAP providers Interviews with CAP performance/contract managers at

DWP/JCP Interviews with CAP placement hosts

Telephone survey of 1,565 trailblazer participants Approx 500 in each group (OCM, CAP, and JCP Offer) All four trial JCP districts included

Profile of participants and programmes

3.

9

Who are the very long-term unemployed?

7665

49

3529

Male Out of work 2+years

Aged 40+ Long-term illness ordisability

No formalqualifications

Base: All respondents

Unweighted bases: 1,539 Note: Per cent

10

Features of OCM More intensive version of JCPO Smaller caseloads - more time with

claimants Mandatory measures for all OCM

participants: Compliance interviews, and Daily / weekly signing

Access to ‘Get Britain Working’ measures More adviser discretion over:

Which support options to use and when, and Use of conditionality

11

Intensity of contact: OCM vs JCPO

Unweighted bases: OCM 495; JCPO 529

46

43

8

6

Offeredappointment

at leastweekly

Actually metwith PA at

least weekly

OCM JCPOBase: OCM and JCPO customers

12

Changes since OCM support

Unweighted bases: 507

33

25

21

35

More frequentmeetings PA

More personalisedsupport

More help with jobsearch

No difference

Base: OCM customers

13

Features of CAP Referral to external provider Six month work experience placement of

30 hours a week organised by provider Work experience placement of

community value Up to 10 hours a week of jobsearch

support from provider Full time jobsearch for those not placed

14

Claimants’ experience of CAP

Unweighted bases: CAP 514 Note: Per cent

50

132

29

6

On CAP placement

Attended placement

Signed off sick

Looking for work

Other

Base: All CAP respondents

13% > 1 placement

of which: 90% had 2

15

Experience of sanctions

Unweighted bases: OCM 503; CAP 512; JCPO 538

66 72 70

96 9

27 22 20

OCM CAP J CPO

Benefitsstopped

Benefitsreduced

Nosanctions

Base: All customers

Impacts of the programme

4.

17

Job outcomes

Unweighted bases: OCM 485; CAP 488; JCPO 520

11 10 9

2 2 35 3 5

63 63 68

3 358 1243

1 35 5 4

OCM CAP J CPO

Something else

Education/training

Voluntary/otherunpaid work

Not working; sick ordisabled

Unemployed/activelylooking for work

About to start paidwork

Self-employed

Employee

Base: All respondents

Note: Per cent

18

Benefit status

Unweighted bases survey: OCM 502; CAP 504; JCPO 530DWP observations: OCM 3,765; CAP 3,868; JCPO 3,697

Note: Per cent

73 80 75

2 1 24 4 4

OCM CAP J CPO OCM CAP J CPO

Survey (Base: All survey respondents) DWP admin data (Base: All trailblazer participants)

J SA IS IB/ESA Out of work benefit

74 76 81

OCM CAP J CPO OCM CAP J CPO

Survey (Base: All survey respondents) DWP admin data (Base: All trailblazer participants)

J SA IS IB/ESA Out of work benefit

19

Helped overcome barriers to work

27 2611 22

28 26

2327

45 4866

51

OCM CAP placed CAP not placed J CPO

Yes - a lot of help Yes - a little help NoBase: All respondents

Unweighted bases: OCM 493; CAP placed 322; CAP not placed 174; JCPO 524 Note: Per cent

20

Confidence & motivation

Smallest unweighted bases: OCM 500; CAP placed 329; CAP not placed 175; JCPO 532

59

4657

43

6256

62

464332

43

29

51

39

52

36

Increased motivationto work

Raised long-termwork ambitions

Increased confidenceabout getting a job

View work morepositively now

OCM CAP placed CAP not placed J CPOBase: All respondents

Note: Per cent

Lessons learnt

5.

22

OCM - Strengths Intensive case management approach Facilitated through more frequent

attendance Stronger adviser / customer relationship Advisers had more time with customers

A tailored approach to delivering support Flexibility and discretion key to this

approach: Over which support options to use and when Over use of mandation and sanctioning

23

CAP - Strengths

Work experience, lasting 6 months and of community benefit Positive impact on

Motivation Employability Wellbeing

Also seen to lead to job outcomes particularly where customers matched to placement

Less emphasis on jobsearch element

Unsuitable for some customers

24

What CAP customers gained from their placements

Unweighted bases: 251

4555

67 67 68 6976

J ob-specificskills

General work-related skills

Ability to workas part of a

team

Increasedself-

confidence

Increasedmotivation to

get a job

J obsatisfaction/

sense ofachievement

Satisfactionfrom being in

a routine

Base: CAP customers on placement

Note: Per cent

25

Implementation lessons

OCM Necessity for smaller caseloads ‘Cherry picking’ of best advisers More sharing of good practice

CAP Difficulties in setting up placements Challenging funding model

Conclusions

6.

27

Conclusions No evidence yet of impact on job outcomes Evidence on impact on employability

Six months insufficient to address complex barriers? Too soon to translate into jobs?

Flexibility to personalise support key Both limited in helping customers with extreme barriers Recommendations: WP leavers to be assessed and

categorised into three groups with differing levels of support

DWP announced OCM style support for WP returners

Thank youIf you want further information or would like to contact the authors:

Nilufer Rahim, Senior Researcher

T. 020 7549 9545 E. nilufer.rahim@natcen.ac.uk

Sue Arthur, Research Director

T. 020 7549 9564 E. sue.arthur@natcen.ac.ukVisit us online, natcen.ac.uk

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-support-for-the-very-long-term-unemployed-trailblazer-rr824

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