So full details on Restart programme are now available! You need to be registered on DWP Bravo to see them: http://ersa.org.uk/media/news/full-specification-released-restart-programme
ut here's a long thread on it all if you're not...
Lots to welcome in the design but three pretty big issues too.
The good things first:
Restart funding is up to £2k per participant, with limit of 12 months of support. Both much better than Work Prog, where spend was £1.4k for 24 months!
More spending means lower caseloads and more access to support. Shorter service period reduces risks of 'parking'
Both positive.
And Restart has clear min. service levels: fortnightly 1:1 contact, face-to-face at least monthly, action plan w/in 8 weeks.
Work Prog had NO similar standards (tho 60% of ppl had fortnightly mtgs) so again welcome.
But I hope bidders exceed these mins- esp. on access to support
(p.s. I'm not wild about this obsession with 'diagnostic assessment' in progs . Too many start with a one hour questionnaire about 'barriers' collecting data that's never used.
Focus on goals, assets, capabilities; share the data we've got already; collect the rest as you go...)
Great too to see a strong focus on local partnerships, with a 'soft' reqt to work with LEPs and local govt. The Work Prog was VERY poor on this.
Also 12 CPAs is far better than the 6 we'd feared
Restart is very centralised in its design, but needs to be localised in its delivery.
Great too to see a strong focus on local partnerships, with a 'soft' reqt to work with LEPs and local govt. The Work Prog was VERY poor on this.Also 12 CPAs is far better than the 6 we'd fearedRestart is very centralised in its design, but needs to be localised in its delivery.
Great too to see a strong focus on local partnerships, with a 'soft' reqt to work with LEPs and local govt. The Work Prog was VERY poor on this.Also 12 CPAs is far better than the 6 we'd fearedRestart is very centralised in its design, but needs to be localised in its delivery.
Finally, welcome that Restart dials down 'mandation' cf. previous progs. Spec makes clear providers CANNOT mandate to the initial appt; must encourage engagement and not rely on conditions; and only mandate when things fail
Much more evidence-led and less damaging than Work Prog.
But, I've three big issues with the Restart design, and one big unknown.
1. Speed. Spec makes clear that Restart won't go live to July(!) and it will be tiny numbers til Sep/Oct
My rough calcs suggest ppl will enter it at *18 months* of unemployment til at least early/ mid 2022, not 12 months as advertised
I've illustrated this using Wales data below.
This is entirely understandable: Final bids submitted 12 March, then assessed, then contracts signed, then nine weeks mobilisation. July is v optimistic!!
But we have known this crisis was coming since early April (we published our proposals on the 8th).
We've lost a lot of time.
2. Disadvantage. Restart will be 'payment by results' with just one payment group and NO variation in min. service levels for different needs
Evidence from Work Prog was clear that the most disadv were seen less frequently, got less help and had worse outcomes - esp. older people
DWP is hoping that its 'acclerator' pyt model will minimise 'parking' by providers, but my fear is that relying on innovative payment mechanisms doesn't encourage better practice and innovation, it leads to more safety first approaches.
They really should have set far clearer...
... reqts for more support for eg older ppl, disabled ppl, single parents. So specialist advisers, smaller caseloads, access to approp support. Learn from what has worked, and what didn't in Work Prog
I really hope they mark up bidders that do this and mark down those that don't.
3. Decent work. Below says it all really. The 'job outcome' threshold is £3,707 in cumulative earnings over 12+6 months. So any job will do!
This really feels like a step backwards, at a time when we're facing real risks of growth in insecure, short-hours and low paid work.
Finally, I've a big unknown.
DWP thinks there'll be ~1.4 million reaching 12 months unemployed over next three years; my hunch is it'll be more like 800k.
So if we come in under, and so contracts are smaller, can we use some of that ~£1bn to support those even more disadvantaged?
Because Restart is really welcome, but there are 3.9 million disabled people out of work; 2.1 million ppl not working due to long-term ill health; 2.0 million ppl 'inactive' but who want a job.
All will be far more disadvantaged due to this crisis. We need to invest in them too.
Sorry, that was too long!
In sum: Restart has tons of potential and is great basis with enough ££ for providers/ptnrs to make a real success 👍
More to do tho.
Also you can see me, @Stephen_EvansUK and Dan Finn talking about it all to @CommonsWorkPen here! https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/0203c9e9-c4ec-41df-bf6f-9505d92e05f6?utm_source=IES+emailing+list&utm_campaign=34484e8eef-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_05_10_10_39_COPY_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f11585705b-34484e8eef-134119777
You can follow @tonywilsonIES.
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