Hertfordshire Training & Development Consortium

1. Hertfordshire Training & Development Consortium Working Together Better To Help Parents Into Employment Sarah Elliott March 2013

2. Agenda • Introduction/Background • Feedback from Briefing Meeting on 5th February: • Opportunities and Issues for Children’s Centres • Today’s workshop

3. HTDC Introduction • Set up in 2008, website launched Dec 2010 • Lead body is Hertfordshire Community Foundation • 300 full and associate members • Main activities • Workforce development for the voluntary sector • Support for training providers • Promote networking and partnership working e.g. for social housing providers

4. Tackling Child Poverty • Getting parents into work is a major factor in reducing child poverty: • Potential to increase household income • Raises children’s own aspirations

5. HTDC and HCC Childhood Support Services • Commissioning small projects designed to reduce Child Poverty in Hertfordshire • HTDC involved in a range of initiatives around developing Employability Skills provision • Welfare Reform changes mean more lone parents need to seek employment • Unable to claim income support once child is 5 • Identified the potential to develop the capacity of Children’s Centres to support parents into work

6. Opportunities and Issues for Children’s Centres

7. Prior to children starting school Trusted/gentle Universal/ Wide range Able to boost confidence/self esteem See daily Relationships with parents Access to parents Children’s Centres Identify needs Volunteering Opportunities Know skills/ abilities Strengths/ Opportunities Induction to learning Facilities Knowledge Benefits IT/Internet Childcare MAU/CAB Support Community Local employers Colleges JCP Training/advice providers

8. Lack of suitable jobs Families don’t recognise they need help Families Local Community Lack of Motivation Don’t turn up Perception CC pushing into jobs Who to contact? Awareness of CC Role Who is workless? Engagement with parents How to identify providers Children’s Centres Access to IT/Internet Providers What can be delivered? Premises/ facilities Other employability programmes Barriers/Issues Lack of Knowledge/ Relationships Childcare Lack of Resources Confusion Lack of Funding Lack of co-ordination Staff capacity JCP Staff expertise Benefits Poor outreach Impact of returning to work Performance Management Admin for Volunteer Placements Inconsistent/ not productive Not targeted Confidence to advise

9. Key messages • Children’s Centres are well placed, but you can’t do it on your own • Partnerships are key to developing provision: • Bring in expertise • Utilise existing funded programmes • Partner with each other in local areas • Communicate to share best practice/learning

10. Today’s Programme

11. Aims of Today • Improve understanding of current Welfare to Work programmes • Identify the role of Children’s Centres in supporting parents • Develop links with providers of employability skills and housing • Establish best practice in engaging/supporting unemployed parents

12. The Programme • HCC – tackling Child Poverty • Existing funded Welfare to Work Programmes: • DWP/JCP • Skills Funding Agency • Dacorum BC – Delivering in Partnership • MAU – Transition from Benefits to Work • HTDC – Volunteering to build confidence and skills • Table discussions • Share best practice • Establishing effective partnerships

13. Sarah ElliottDevelopment WorkerHertfordshire Training & Development Consortium01707 251351sarah.elliott@hertscf.org.ukwww.htdc.org.uk HTDC is a project led by Hertfordshire Community Foundation, registered charity number 299438.

14. Volunteering – Building Confidence, Skills and Experience

15. Volunteering is :- • Giving time and energy to benefit other people or the environment • A matter of choice • Unpaid apart from out of pocket expenses

16. People volunteer for a variety of reasons

17. Personal development through volunteering • learn new skills • practise existing skills • increase confidence • meet people from all walks of life • improve CV • pick up good ideas • get references • build relationships • have fun • become more employable!

18. Getting into volunteering • Register an interest on www.do-it.org or • Contact the local Volunteer Centre • Phone • Email • Call in www.volunteeringherts.org

19. www.do-it.org.uk 1 million opportunities Search by postcode

20. www.volunteeringherts.org

21. Valuing Volunteer Management 6 Point Promise Good Practice in Volunteer Management Valuing Volunteer Management 6 Point Promise

22. Valuing Volunteer Management 6 Point Promise Valuing Volunteer Management6 Point Promise • Planning   • Recruitment • Induction  • Support and safety • Training and personal development • Involving, rewarding and recognising

23. Valuing Volunteer Management 6 Point Promise Benefits of 6 Point Promise • Recognition as an organisation that values volunteers • Improved recruitment and retention of volunteers • Higher profile – on www.volunteeringherts.org • Access to further support from local Volunteer Centres e.g. template documents, training • Recognition by potential funders • Eligibility for Valuing Volunteer Management Award • A starting point for accreditation e.g. IiV • Volunteer Management Day – 5th June, Hatfield

24. Build your own capacity: • New social network • www.ivo.org/skills-share-herts • Links professional skills to charities that need specific help • To find out more, contact your local Volunteer Centre

25. Local Volunteer Centres • Broxbourne & East Herts • Dacorum • Hertsmere * • North Herts * • Royston • St Albans * • Stevenage* • Welwyn Hatfield * * part of a CVS www.volunteeringherts.org

26. Table Discussions

27. 1. Sharing Best Practice • Round table – what experience of running employability programmes for parents? • Ideas to motivate parents and engage them? • What works/doesn’t work?

28. 2. Effective Partnerships • Round table – what experience of working with JCP and providers of advice and training? • What works/ doesn’t work? • Linking up with other Children’s Centres – what facilities and resources could you share?