Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report provides an evaluation of the Employment Incentive Pilot project that was developed as an idea during the Scrutiny Review of Employment and Skills carried out in 2014. The intention of the pilot project was to assess if customers could be incentivised to remain in employment if they received a regular monthly payment in addition to any salary that they were receiving. The project was aimed at customers who had been out of work for at least six months and who were committee to gaining and remaining in employment.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to endorse the recommendations in the report.

Officer Contact: Richard Mortimer on 0161 474 3864 or email: richard.mortimer@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director (Place Management and Regeneration) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an evaluation of the Employment Incentive Pilot project that had been developed as an idea during the Scrutiny Review of Employment and Skills which had been carried out in 2014. The intention of the pilot project was to assess if customers could be incentivised to remain in employment if they received a regular monthly payment in addition to any salary that they were receiving. The project was aimed at customers who had been out of work for at least six months and who were committed to gaining and remaining in employment.

The report showed how many participants took part, their background, how much had been spent and what participants spent their money on. The report showed how many people had remained in work and attempted to demonstrate how the scheme had been an important factor in certain participants remaining in work.

The Executive Councillor (Thriving Economy) (Councillor Patrick McAuley) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Although useful information was contained in the report, it would be beneficial to have more information about the people who took part in the pilot project in order to gauge the success of the scheme.

·         Flexibility within the structure of the payments was important.

·         Concern was expressed about what some of the payments had been used for.

·         The pilot project should be evaluated independently.

RESOLVED – (Seven for, two against) (1) That the remaining funding of £812 be spent on this project.

(2) That the pilot project continue for another year, further information be gathered from the participants, support workers continue to track participants and a further report be submitted to a meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in twelve months’ time.

(3) That the funding for the next year be £300 per person and that this be paid in one of the following three ways:-

·         The focus remaining on encouraging people to remain in  work and £50 be paid per month for six months;

·         The scheme be a balance between support into work and encouraging people to remain in  work and be paid as follows:-

-       Month 1 – £100

-       Month 2 - £50

-       Month 3 - £50

-       Month 4 - £50

-       Month 5 - £25

-       Month 6 - £25

·         The case worker using the £300 for each case in a manner which they believed to be best for the individual customer with a maximum of £100 in any one month.

(4) That all the payment methods continue to be available, but that vouchers become the predominant method to balance choice and speed, prior to any review of the approach to the administration of the project.