Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing in relation to the introduction of the Government’s Restart Employment Support scheme and how this will operate in Sefton.

The report set out that Restart was the main employment supply activity to be commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions for the next five- year period, announced in the plan for jobs in July 2020.  Since the Summer 2020 the Department for Works and Pensions had conducted a competitive procurement exercise using a commercial framework to appoint a Prime Contractor to lead the provision for the North West area.  The successful Prime Contractor is G4S Ltd, they have chosen to work with Sefton Council through Sefton@Work.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, Councillor Atkinson stated that she welcomed the report and emphasised that there was a potential of 14.7m coming into the Borough to help and support residents and communities.

Decision Made:      That:

(1)           the Council be recommended to enter into a contract with G4S Ltd for the delivery of the Department for Works and Pensions Restart Employment Programme and that the Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills be granted delegated authority to finalise the terms of the contract; and

(2)           the Council be recommended to approve a supplementary revenue estimate of £1.576m in 2021/22 fully funded by income from Restart and note that future years allocations will be included in the budget report.

Reasons for the Decisions:

Sefton has experienced unprecedented job losses during 2020 which have seriously impacted our community resilience and this continues to cause financial hardship for many households who have lost their incomes. The longer-term effects of continuing high levels of unemployment are well known and are associated with ill-health, erosion of skills and social disadvantage and a diverse range of negative outcomes. This programme will support residents who have already experienced twelve months of unemployment and enable them to receive the help they need to get back into sustained work.

Acting as a delivery agent for Restart enables the Council to ensure that residents receive good quality services and the best interests of residents and businesses in the area are protected. If this contract is not delivered with Sefton Council as a sub-contractor, then other, less well-connected organisations will be given this opportunity for Sefton.

Sefton@Work is the Council’s trusted in-house job brokerage service which has provided quality employment programmes in Sefton for many years.  The main funding stream to support Sefton@Work since 2016 has been European Social Fund (ESF). The availability of ESF will cease after December 2023 when all UK involvement in European structural funding will end. Restart offers the opportunity for the Council to continue and expand its job brokerage and employment support activities through Sefton@Work at a time when our economy, hit by job losses as a result of the COVID-19-19 pandemic, needs high quality, impartial assistance more than ever.  

Sefton@Work operations are funded through a combination of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15