Background and Methodology | Overview | Birmingham | Bradford | Bristol | Gateshead | Greenwich | Hackney | Leicester | Liverpool | Manchester | Norwich | Sheffield | Slough A: The Birmingham Project Project context A1 The project was targeted at residents of the Kingstanding and Stockland Green wards in North Birmingham, both of which are covered by the North Birmingham Local Learning Partnership (LLP). The LLP is made up of over 40 contacts from the statutory and voluntary sector from both within and outside the local area, thirteen of which were represented on the steering group for this project. In the areas covered by the LLP there are higher rates of unemployment and lower rates of car ownership than in Birmingham as a whole. There is also a skills mismatch in the area with an under representation of managers and professionals and an over representation of those in craft, machine operation and related occupations. A2 The LLP funded a full-time Development Worker post for over two years in order to develop extensive contacts with community organisations in the area. The Development Worker uses the local sixth form and adult education college (Josiah Mason College) as a base. The aim of the partnership's work is to help people back into training and jobs. Project objectives A3 There were five strands to the project, each of which aimed to address the needs of the community as identified by local research. The objectives of each of these strands is outlined below:- the enhancement of existing provision involving the use of software in local libraries; the promotion of existing provision to the local community through a large scale leaflet drop, the production of a community directory of local services and the award of small grants to local community organisations; encouraging adults to take up learning and guidance opportunities through local roadshows and workshops; the training of local workers in advice and guidance; the provision of support for local people returning to the local labour market. Management arrangements A4 The contract was held by Birmingham TEC, with overall responsibility held by the Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator. The project co-ordinator was employed by the Local Learning Partnership and was responsible for the day-to-day running of the project with only limited supervision from the project manager. A5 The principal partners and contributors were:- North Birmingham Local Learning Partnership Birmingham TEC Josiah Mason College (JMC) Careers and Education Business Partnership Birmingham Settlement Stockland and Kingstanding libraries. A6 The steering group has met regularly throughout the life of the project and meetings have resulted in positive debate. There has also been feedback to members of the LLP through a further group which meets regularly to discuss more generally the workings of the LLP; this has provided support and assistance throughout. The LLP has, by its very nature, become used to working collaboratively in this way. A7 The project has undergone some major staffing changes. Firstly the project manager from the TEC moved on to another post and at around the same time the project co-ordinator left the LLP. Both were replaced, although there was a period of approximately two months before a new LLP worker took up their post. As a result of these changes, it was possible for the new staff to perform a major stock-take of both the progress made, and more fundamentally, the original objectives. Changes were made that had a significant impact on the project. Further details are presented in the following sections. Progress against objectives A8 Progress against objectives is discussed separately for each of the five project strands, as each encountered different challenges and operated to different budgets and time-scales. Strand 1: The enhancement of existing provision A9 The objective of this component was to enhance the existing information and guidance provision in the area, enabling the 'Opportunities' database to be available to those using the local libraries. Training was also planned for library staff in the use of the database. The original deadline for completion of this strand was May 1998. Despite some deviations from this original plan, the overall objectives of this strand have been met. A10 The main difference has been in the actual software purchased ie. Key Notes Plus, (which provides information for adults about different occupations and how to increase their chances of finding work in that area) and Job Seeking Skills (a multimedia CD-ROM which takes people through the dynamics of job interviews in an interactive way). The aim is for library staff to refer individuals using these programs on to the Careers Service when appropriate. The next step will be to make these programs available to the public. However, library staff need training in both the use of CD-ROMs and the content of these particular packages before this is appropriate. A leaflet has been produced to promote the services once they become operational. A11 The process has taken far longer than expected. Library staff attribute this to the complexity of CD-ROMs in comparison with the software they currently use and the level of knowledge required in order to confidently guide users through the packages. Another issue has been attempting to operate during the summer period, which is extremely busy for libraries. The project had to be put on hold until after the school holidays. However, staff are confident that the software will be soon be in operation. Strand 2: The promotion of existing provision to the community A12 To achieve this aim the project has produced a promotional leaflet detailing existing services and a community directory, which is to be distributed to local key workers and employers. Another element was to invite local community based organisations to apply for small grants to assist in the promotion of advice and guidance in their work. Promotional leaflet A13 The staff in the IT department of JMC, with the assistance of a small support group from the LLP, produced a leaflet which was distributed to 21,000 local homes in June. The design included a map of the services in the area with their contact numbers and addresses and details of the range of services available at each location. A14 There were some initial difficulties in gaining the support of the agencies promoted in the leaflet as they had little involvement in its production and distribution. At an event intended to launch the leaflet, to which local agencies were invited, staff whose names had been included were unaware of the impending campaign and expressed concern in dealing with the potential demand. The decision was made by the new project manager, who joined around this time, to fund an adviser to cope with the response. A15 Direct responses to the leaflet have been limited. Current project staff (who had only marginal input to the design of the leaflet), feel that the message was too complex for first stage marketing and suggest that the language may have been too difficult for certain local residents. One aim of the leaflet was to gauge how successful this kind of marketing would be in the local area in promoting learning; the results suggest there may be other, more effective alternatives. This marketing method is already used extensively by the local council to promote their services, with the result that people may have become inured to this way of getting messages across. A16 A number of local events were planned to coincide with the distribution of the leaflet. These involved funding for a local 'learning bus' to make four local stops. There was also funding for three open days in local libraries; the project funded a careers adviser (or quality standard trained library staff member) to provide free guidance sessions to those attending the open days. People were required to ring up in response to the leaflet and would then be referred to one of the open day sessions. Over 400 people were reached by this part of the project, the degree of help required ranged from specific course enquiries to in-depth guidance sessions; some 50 people took up this latter option. Community Directory A17 The directory consists of four sections and provides: general information and support, including details of community agencies such as disability groups, debt help lines etc.; training and education information - for example, befriending schemes, and provision linked with the TEC, colleges and libraries; employment information, including job centre locations and details of relevant organisations (eg. the West Midlands Low Pay Unit); information concerning child care support agencies. A18 Using existing directories, a variety of community groups were contacted for information about their work, using a simple pro forma letter and follow-up phone calls. The directory is currently at the printers and has been successfully piloted with ten local community workers. The entries for each organisation/agency includes basic information about their function and a contact number and address. Contact names have been deliberately omitted as this kind of information tends to require frequent updating. Initially 300 copies are being produced for distribution locally, although it is thought that demand may exceed this level, and more copies may have to be produced. Small grants A19 With the TEC as the main contact for this strand of the project it was hoped to encourage existing community groups to bid for a pot of money to assist them in their work and to encourage them to involve learning and guidance in their work. The plan was to recruit a team of three people to represent the community and voluntary sector, the city and the TEC. This team was then to decide on the allocation of funds amongst the applications received. Invitations to bid were sent out to all the organisations listed in the community directory. A scoring arrangement was then set up to impartially review applications. A20 There were difficulties in finding individuals to assist in the allocation of monies as most felt that their organisations would be bidding. The final team consisted of the project manager from the TEC and a representative of the council. However, out of a potential funding pool of £5,000 only £135 was allocated in response to only one bid - from a community church (Emmanuel's) to hold a coffee morning with the theme of 'learning'. A21 It was felt that the literature accompanying the invitation to bid was too complex, without a clear enough message, and that this was responsible for the lack of interest. The message of 'free money' was not strong enough and people were deterred from bidding by the amount of paperwork they were required to complete. The decision was taken to radically change the allocation of this portion of the budget (along with other unallocated funds outlined in later sections) and a new action plan was drawn up in consultation with DfEE. Opportunity Lunches A22 The funding originally allocated to the training of local workers in advice and guidance was allocated to a new activity (see paragraphs A28-29). It was decided to hold two lunchtime meetings for individuals already active in the community (identified through the production of the community directory) with the purpose of encouraging networking and informing people of local opportunities. These events were held in Perry Common Library with food provided. The format of the lunches involved the contribution of a speaker for one hour (dealing with issues such as opportunities, funding and the implications of the New Deal) with subsequent discussion. A23 150 invitation letters were sent out, with 14 individuals attending each lunch. The lunches were felt to be a success, encouraging lively debate and helping to identify local problems and issues to be addressed. There are plans to follow up the emerging organisational needs, for example, the concern expressed by a local organisation working with homeless people over local adult education provision and its suitability for their client group. The views of the lunch group will be forwarded to relevant adult education providers. A24 Another effect of the group has been to raise the morale of those working in the community by providing them with some recognition for their efforts. Project staff feel that, simply by providing them with a free lunch, people felt valued. Strand 3: Encourage adults to take up guidance and learning opportunities Local roadshows A25 A current local initiative is the provision of 'Jobs for Women' roadshows at local venues. These roadshows offer a number of opportunities, including details of job vacancies, training and education information, and help in writing CVs. This strand of the project supplied the funding for a Careers Adviser to attend each of four roadshows during October 1997. The adviser offered free guidance to unwaged, unemployed and employed adults attending the event. Previous roadshows have proved extremely worthwhile, offering access to a variety of organisations under one roof. A26 The roadshows proceeded as planned and were very successful, attracting a total of 285 women. The most effective publicity methods proved to be a leafleting campaign to all local households, and the use of advertisements on bus tickets. Careers 'helpdesks' were available at all four roadshows and were very busy throughout the days. The opportunity was available for sixty women to receive subsequent in-depth careers interviews and appointments for these interviews were arranged during the roadshows. The interviews were conducted at a local library and thirty-six appointments were made in total. Of these, fifteen appointments were kept but many of those women who were unable to attend phoned to offer explanations, often quoting child health problems as the reason. A27 All the women who attended the careers interviews received a summary action plan and all were concerned about finding work. None of the women appeared to be interested in a training option. Provision of learning opportunities within the community A28 As certain aspects of the project have been unable to proceed as planned, money was available for new activities (see paragraphs A21 and A31). At this point the new project co-ordinator took the opportunity to consult with local people in drawing up plans to provide learning opportunities on the estate. The result was the decision to provide a course on first aid for babies and children in conjunction with the St. John Ambulance. The course lasts for 6 hours and results in the award of a certificate for those completing. A29 Four courses have been funded and as a result 48 people will receive certificates. This is a tremendous success for an area where there is traditionally a very low take-up of educational opportunities. It is hoped the courses will stimulate those participating to take up more learning in the future. To encourage this, the project has also funded a guidance worker from Birmingham Settlement to attend the sessions. The plan is for her to introduce herself during the first session and then to be available at the end of subsequent sessions to provide guidance about next steps. A30 Project workers attribute the success of the courses very much to the consultative process from which they evolved. In response to concerns about childcare provision a crèche was provided and the courses chosen reflected the interests of a number of lone parents on the estate. Through these specific responses to the needs of residents it has been possible to attract women who would not normally participate in learning of any kind. Strand 4: Training local workers in advice and guidance A31 This component of the project aimed to provide taster sessions that offered basic careers information for up to eight local people who are already working in the community. The courses were to consist of two full days of instruction and a follow-on day, with the opportunity for individuals to be given advice and potentially funding for a further course to take them up to NVQ level III in guidance if they showed sufficient interest. In order to promote the courses an open day was held for local residents. No-one attended this session and there were no enquiries. A32 The decision was made, therefore, to reallocate the money to a new activity. The activity chosen was the opportunity lunches detailed in paragraphs A22-24. Strand 5: Provision of support for people returning to the labour market A33 This strand had two elements, a mentoring programme and an employment resource activity. Mentoring programme A34 The original plans for this part of the project were to use funding to purchase five extra places on a TEC-delivered training programme for people wishing to return to work after a break. Unfortunately, the programme did not actually run. However, other mentoring programmes are already available in the city to which people can be referred without cost. The money originally allocated to this strand, therefore, is now to be used to cover other project development costs. Employment resource activity A35 A local community organisation, Birmingham Settlement, has been responsible for the provision of a 'job preparation club' on the estate of Wyrley Birch within the ward of Kingstanding. The current DfEE funding has allowed this work to continue. The preparation club holds lists of the latest local job vacancies and offers residents support in making job applications and producing CVs. The service is available to anyone who is unemployed or in casual work and aims to help its members to find quality jobs. A major part of the work also involves confidence building and establishing realistic expectations. Club members often face multiple disadvantages and the aim is to work positively with people on a long-term basis to help them develop the skills necessary to get themselves back into work. The club has operated since April 1997. A36 The club has only been able to operate effectively between September and December, however, due to difficulties in finding a venue. Initially reliant on the use of premises from the local housing office, when this was closed for health and safety reasons the club was forced to move at short notice into a coffee shop run by a local church group. When this venue was flooded (by an irate neighbour!), the club was forced to move yet again, this time into a cramped corner of the Neighbourhood Office which is just outside the estate boundaries. A37 In an attempt to improve facilities the club applied for premises through the housing office on the estate, hoping to get an empty flat which they were informed was available. Negotiations have been underway since April, resulting in a degree of frustration amongst the club's workers as they began to doubt the promises they had been given of a swift resolution. During September, however, the club was able to take over their new premises but are currently involved in cleaning and redecorating the facility with the help of funding from the Economic Development Department of the local council. They have already held a 'get to know us' session inviting their neighbours over for cake and coffee. It is hoped therefore that they will be able to avoid reprisals from local residents by gaining their trust and confidence, distancing themselves from authority provision and establishing an independent identity. A38 Due to the above difficulties it has been difficult for the club to operate to expectations. It is hoped, however, that with new funding they will able to re-market their services and encourage a new client group to use their facilities. Outreach work has continued throughout this time with visits to schools, churches etc. in the area and overall the profile of the job club has been raised significantly over the last 18 months. Next steps A39 The next steps for the project are unclear at this stage although Birmingham Settlement have secured funding to continue the job club (see paragraph A37). Options for continuing the other strands of project include the Adult and Community Learning Fund, although it is unlikely that a bid will be ready in time for the first submission round. Principal learning points A40 In terms of its original objectives the project has not been entirely successful, mainly due to a lack of take up. However, through a flexible and adaptive approach in the setting of new objectives, there have been many positive outcomes. A41 Overall, the project has been most successful when it has attempted to respond to a need expressed by residents, rather than a need perceived by project workers. Other learning points include:- producing information for wide readership requires that simple language is used and that text is kept to a minimum; testing out materials before they are widely distributed is essential; clients tend to seek information about jobs rather than training opportunities during guidance sessions; when attempting to work closely with local agencies it can be helpful to have a link worker to negotiate for you in order to minimise the risks of alienating them; try and get agreements in writing from other agencies. This helps to avoid frustrating rounds of negotiations where individuals may backtrack on items previously agreed.