European Social Fund: support for families with multiple problems	
Call for evidence
April 2011	

Contents
ESF and families with multiple problems – engagement questions
Introduction
Contact details:
1) Progress activities and measures
2) Family characteristics
3) Referral mechanisms
4) Delivery features
5) Ongoing involvement
6) Other issues
7) Further engagement

ESF and families with multiple problems – engagement questions
Introduction
DWP is looking to commission employment focussed provision for families with multiple problems, supported through its European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing (CFO) arrangements. Funding for the provision is limited to England. The funds available across the English regions may vary in scale.   
The EU has set out criteria which ESF funded support must meet. In particular, strict accounting rules mean that, as a CFO, the Department is not able to pool ESF funding with funding from other bodies. In addition, all provision must be contracted for in a fair and open competition – funding cannot simply be allocated to existing organisations that are already providing support to families with multiple problems. Clear audit trails are also required, to demonstrate that customers meet eligibility criteria, and that the provision is delivered according to ESF requirements.
It is our intention that Local Authorities will be the primary route to identify families who would benefit from the provision, and it is likely that providers and local authorities would work closely together. Under current assumptions, to be eligible, families would have to have at least one member on DWP out of work benefits and a history of worklessness in the family. Once specifications have been drawn up we intend to let the provision through the DWP Framework for the Provision of Employment Related Services.
The provision would offer support focussed on moving customers closer to the labour market.  In order to achieve this, paid-for outcomes would include the delivery of measures that progress individuals towards work, as well as job outcomes. We would want this support to complement, rather than duplicate, currently available provision.
There are a number of areas of policy design listed below, where we would welcome input from Local Authorities and other interested parties. We will be accepting all contributions set out on this form and returned to ESF.Engagement@dwp.gsi.gov.uk  between 12 April and 6 May 2011. Only one response representing the collective views of your organisation should be submitted. We will publish a response, setting out the chief points raised, later in May; therefore, if you wish any part of your completed form to be treated in confidence please state this clearly at the beginning of each relevant answer. Please note, you do not need to complete every section of the form in order to return it. 
All views will be considered; however, we expect a broad range of opinions to be expressed, and we cannot guarantee that your input will be reflected in the final policy design.
Contact details:
Please fill out your contact details below:
Name:
Telephone:
Email:
Organisation that you represent:

1) Progress activities and measures
We are considering using ESF support to deliver a number of activities that progress customers towards work. Providers would be able to help customers using the appropriate support from a wide menu of possible work-related progress activities. These might include:
•	Attitudinal change, such as improved aspirations and motivation
•	Life skills, such as time-keeping and coping with authority
•	Work place skills, such as problem solving and improved organisation
•	Personal skills, such as improved presentation and health
•	Basic employment skills, such as brushing up literacy, numeracy or use of IT
•	Improved labour market knowledge
And more substantial, measurable progress activities such as:
•	A set period of work experience or voluntary work
•	Participation in short job-related skills help, such as work-related certification in health and safety, etc.    
a) Do you think that the suggested progress activities and measures are appropriate?
b) Are there other measures we should consider?
c) Do you have any views on how we can ensure that the support delivered by ESF providers to each family best complements current Local Authority activity?

	

2) Family characteristics
The families supported through this programme will have multiple problems, and we would expect that they are already receiving support from Local Authorities, for example through family intervention services.
Questions a to e are specifically for Local Authorities.
a) How do you currently identify which families need support? What criteria do you use?
b) How many families with multiple problems do you help currently? What are the likely numbers per year over the 2011-13 period? Do you think the existence of complementary support from an ESF provider will raise that number?
c) How large are these families in the Local Authority you represent? What is the average number of over 16s in a family?
d) How many members on average are on out of work benefits?
e) For funding reasons, it may be necessary to prioritise inclusion across geographical areas. How should families be prioritised for this support within Local Authorities, and what criteria would you use?
f) In the experience of your Local Authority/organisation what are some of the common characteristics found in these families?
g) In the experience of your Local Authority/organisation what work-related issues would our support need to address?  

	
3) Referral mechanisms 
Local Authorities will already be supporting and interacting with families with multiple problems. Therefore we are intending to make them the primary mechanism by which the families are referred onto the programme. Where family intervention services or similar programmes are running, referral may sit with or separately from these organisations. 
Local authorities might refer directly to providers, but eligibility would have to be confirmed by Jobcentre Plus. 
a) Are family intervention services the most appropriate mechanism for referral?
b) Where Local Authorities do not run family intervention services, where should referral sit?
c) What information should be supplied to support the referral i.e. previous activities/support given to the customer/family

	
4) Delivery features
We are interested to know if you have views on any features of delivery that you would consider to be effective mechanisms, or good practice for this customer group, such as use of key workers for individualised support, case-conferencing, outreach delivery, or signposting to other measures.
a) Please describe any good practices or key delivery features you would strongly recommend.

	

5) Ongoing involvement
a) In addition to identifying and referring customers, what ongoing role could Local Authorities play once the ESF support is in place?

	

6) Other issues
a) Are there any other issues which you think the DWP should consider, as part of the policy design and implementation? 

	

7) Further engagement
Would you be willing to be involved in further discussion on this issue? Please delete as appropriate. 
Yes, I would be would like to be involved in further discussion/No I would not like to be involved in further discussion. 
Thank you. Depending on the volume of responses, we shall not be able to involve all respondents in further discussion.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to these questions, we greatly appreciate your support.