working for families fund, phase one (2004-06) evaluation 23 march 2007 moving parents towards...

Working for Families Fund, Phase One (2004-06) Evaluation 23 March 2007

Moving Parents Towards Employment: Working for Families Fund –

Phase 1 Evaluation

Professor Ronald McQuaidand Evaluation Team

Employment Research InstituteNapier University, Edinburgh

23 March 2007

Website: http://www.napier.ac.uk/WFFE


Introduction

• Who is WFF for?

• What is the WFF Evaluation about?

• Who participated in WFF?

• What happened?

• So What? – Conclusions


Who is it for?

• To assist disadvantaged parents in deprived areas and groups towards, into or within work education, training or employment

• People face multiple barriers to progress, especially childcare barriers


Target Groups

• Parents on low income (maximum Child Tax Credit and WTC)

• Lone parents - pre New Deal; entering employment; trying to retain jobs or improve their hours/earnings; and/or going into further and higher education.

• Parents with other stresses in the household e.g. disability, mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems.


Clients ViewsI wanted help in getting back to work. After having my children I was going through post natal depression, and she [the Parent Champion] helped me… it was her who helped me to go back into work. She has been a great encouragement. You know after being at home looking after your kids your confidence goes a bit… and she gave me the insight for going back in to work.

Emma, 42. Living with Partner/Spouse. Situation before WFF: Caring for her children. Situation after WFF: Relief work. Children: 19, 14, 12 and 3 years old. Left school at 16 with 2 O Grades. (Highlands, Parent Champion, Easter Ross)


What is WFF Evaluation about?

• Two year period: 2004-06

• (Plus on-going Phase 2 evaluation)

• What has happened?

• Does it make a difference?

• Helping LAs to improve WFF as it goes along (e.g. ….)


Phase 1 covers ten Local Authorities

HighlandEast AyrshireWest DunbartonshireInverclydeDumfries & Galloway

GlasgowNorth LanarkshireRenfrewshireDundee CityNorth Ayrshire


What Does WFF Do?

• Each LA develops its own programme• Works in strategic and operational partnerships• Complementing but not replacing existing services• (Helps) fill gaps in existing provision• Flexible and innovative


Local Authorities have:• Based in Economic Development departments

• Key Worker Programmes (1 to 1; continuity, holistic)

• Projects: - Themed (e.g. Money advice)- Client Groups (e.g. Parents in Education) - Childcare (e.g. Developing childminders)


What Does WFF Do? Example

WFF Key Workers

WFF Money Advise Project

WFF TransportProject

WFF ChildcareSubsidy Scheme

WFF SitterService

WFF PersonalDevelopment Programme

Job Centre Plus

Specialist Health Services

Childcare Provider

TrainingProvider

Careers Service


Who participated in WFF?

• 5,808 clients registered with the Working for Families Fund (WFF) up until 31 March 2006

• 11,929 clients up until 31 December 2006


Total Clients Numbers – Phase 1

Figure 1: Total number of clients to March 2006

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Before Oct2004

Oct to Dec2004

Jan toMarch2005

April toJune 2005

July toSept 2005

Oct to Dec2005

Jan toMarch2006

Quarter

No

. o

f cl

ien

ts


Who are WFF Clients?

• 93% Female

• 72% Lone Parents

• 61% in workless households

• 95% with one or more children under 12 years and (48% with a child under 3)


Age of Youngest Child in Scotland (Census 2001)

compared to among WFF Clients

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

0-4 years

5 to 11 years

12 to 18 years

Percentage (%)

Scotland

WFF


Qualifications (%) compared to Scotland

(Census 2001)

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Other

SVQ4-5 Equivalent

SVQ3 or Equivalent

SVQ 1-2 or Equivalent

No Qualif ications/BelowSVQ1

WFF

Scotland


Clients ViewsMy goal at the end of all this is to get into support work and what I find with [Project Worker] is she actually supports me … in what I need to do, what I need to get. I’ve not got the qualifications, but I’ve lots of life skills and in-house training and other training I’ve been on, but I need [a qualification] in Social Care. That’s what this three year training course is going to allow me to do.

Bernadette, 40. Lone Parent. Situation before WFF: Unemployed/ Situation after WFF: Doing an SVQ. Children: two 15 years old. Qualifications: None, now working towards an SVQ. (Glasgow, Guidance Project Mental Health)


What did Clients Do before WFF?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Working full-time

Working part-time

In training or education

Sick or disabled

Registered unemployed

Caring for children

Caring for adults

Other

Main Economic Activity at Point of Registration


Barriers to getting workCaring Responsibilities – caring for children or adults and lack of or cost of childcare servicesOpportunities and Skills – lack of appropriate jobs (e.g. pay or type of work), discrimination by employers, lack of qualifications, skills, experience or confidence.Other Issues – benefits issues, debt/money problems, housing problems, learning disabilities, literacy/numeracy difficulties, alcohol/substance abuse, criminal/police record, physical disability, physical or mental health issues.Transport – lack of private and public transport, cost of public transport and Inability to drive.


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

CaringResponsibilities

Opportunities andskills

Other Issues

Transport

% of Clients indicating one of these as a barrier to employment etc.


Clients Views… And then John (my partner) he got paid off…They [WFF] have helped John back to work, driving lessons when we could not afford them when he was out of work. They got him through his test …. But definitely I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for WFF. I’m really, really pleased.

Pam, 39. Living with Partner/Spouse. Situation before WFF: working in the Co-op. Situation after WFF: moved into full time self-employment - childminding. Children: 7 years old. Qualifications: none. (East Ayrshire, WMA)


What happened?

Over £12 million spent


Types of outcomes:• ‘Hard’ Outcomes/Transitions - the person went

into employment, education, training, improved their job etc. Main focus.

• Soft Outcomes: Intermediate Activities -

activities such as participating in a substantial non-accredited short course, that contributes towards progress towards employment etc.

• Soft Outcomes: Improved Employability - including distance travelled.


Recently Registered (No

outcome expected yet), 1379, 24%

No Outcome yet, 1560, 27% 'Hard' Transition,

2421, 41%

Improved Employability, 153,

3%

Intermediate Activity, 295, 5%

The WFF Evaluation (2004-2006) Outcomes

Main Outcome for All Clients Registered with WFF


Into a full-time job, 472, 19%

Reduced employment or other, 73, 3%

Entered/complete/sustained training

or education, 810, 34%

Improved employment or other, 174, 7% Sustained

employment, 324, 13%

Into a part-time job, 568, 24%

The WFF Evaluation (2004-2006) Outcomes

% of Clients by ‘Hard’ Transition


Outcomes to December 2006

• ‘Hard’ Outcomes - 5,094 (43%) (and who got them)

• Intermediate Activities - 418 (4%)

• Registered in last 6 months - 2,545 (21%)


Other Considerations

• Deadweight (they would have got work etc. anyway)?

• Are WFF clients displacing others in work etc.?

• What are the effects on childcare provision (prices, availability). Need good local monitoring?

• Are there other positive and negative impacts?

• WFF is focusing on less well off in Scotland, but within the WFF client groups who is achieving less?


So What? – Conclusions• WFF has made a worthwhile impact on a significant

number of peoples’ lives• Shown short-term gains, but long-term ones may be greater• Initial cost-benefit analysis is fairly positive (need longer

period in operation)

• Some Key Success Factors

– Clear focus on employment – Key Worker and holistic approaches– Complementing existing services– Working in Partnership– Continues to be about learning for everyone


Clients Views

It’s made me feel that there is more to life than just being in the house and stuck on benefits. There is a lot more to life, and I just want to give the bairns [children] a better life. It’s going to give me a lot of more independence. I am really looking forward to just working, working and making my own money, and not being on the benefits. That’s what I’d really like to come off, it’s the benefits. I just really like to be independent and give something back.Lucy, 39. Lone Parent. Situation before WFF: unemployed single parent. Situation after WFF: moved into self-employment, coming off benefits. Children: 11, 8 and 7 years old. Qualifications: no qualifications (East Ayrshire, Clients into Work)

It’s made me feel that there is more to life than just being in the house and stuck on benefits. There is a lot more to life, and I just want to give the bairns [children] a better life. It’s going to give me a lot of more independence. I am really looking forward to just working, working and making my own money, and not being on the benefits. That’s what I’d really like to come off, it’s the benefits. I just really like to be independent and give something back.

Lucy, 39. Lone Parent. Situation before WFF: unemployed single parent. Situation after WFF: moved into self-employment, coming off benefits. Children: 11, 8 and 7 years old. Qualifications: no qualifications (East Ayrshire, Clients into Work)


Working for Families Fund – Phase 1 Evaluation

Employment Research InstituteNapier University

Edinburgh EH14 1DJ

[email protected]

Website: http://www.napier.ac.uk/WFFE

working for families fund, phase one (2004-06) evaluation 23 march 2007 moving parents towards...

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