A review of Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire’s Aftercare and Supported Level 2 Pilot

Aftercare is the concept of helping participants on employability schemes progress in work after the initial transition into work. The Scottish Enterprise (SE) Lanarkshire Aftercare and Supported Level 2 Pilot project aimed to improve outcomes among participants in the Get Ready for Work (GRfW) programme for 16 to 19 year olds. It was funded by the SE Innovation Fund and ran initially between August 2004 and June 2005, after which it was extended to March 2006. The aims of the evaluation were to: review the rationale of the project; assess whether the project met its objectives; explore the qualitative influence of the project on its beneficiaries; assess the project’s economic impact; and make recommendations for improvement.

The research involved: a workshop with members of the Employment Enterprise Consultancy (EEC) team responsible for delivering the Aftercare project; a telephone survey of the 373 beneficiaries of the project; ten face-to-face and twenty telephone interviews with employers; and fifteen consultations with partner organisations, GRfW providers and other stakeholders.

Helping GRfW participants progress at work reduces the incidence of re-entry into the GRfW scheme, thus saving on the initial investment. Aftercare is needed and, if used properly, represents good value for money. The project did not meet its targets in purely numerical terms, but nevertheless had a largely positive impact upon participants, with an overall satisfaction rate of 83%. The impact upon employers was also positive, mainly through reducing the costs of recruitment and retention: an estimated £153,140 has been saved by participating employers. Value for money, however, could be improved through improvements to staffing continuity, relationships between participants and Aftercare Workers, targeting support appropriately, speed of response, flexibility of support, relationships with employers and progression in work.

SE Lanarkshire should review the pilot in order to strengthen the links between GRfW providers and the delivery of aftercare, focusing particularly on: better information sharing between the two teams; more intense contact between the Aftercare team and participants prior to transitions; more involvement by GRfW in targeting vulnerable participants in need of immediate support; a stronger sectoral emphasis by GRfW to reduce the number of failed employment outcomes; and stronger review processes for participants at the three month stage and beyond. It was concluded that SE Lanarkshire was in a good position to tackle these issues.