The City of Edinburgh Council funds third party services to support Edinburgh citizens to access and progress along the Strategic Skills Pipeline, with the goal of securing and sustaining training and employment.

Due to significant changes in the labour market and the new operational context as a result of Covid 19, three of these services are being reviewed using a co-production methodology to ensure they remain fit for purpose and value for money. These services are: the complex needs employability service, targeted and integrated employability service, and supported employment service.  The Council are investigating the possibility of commissioning a blended employability service which meets Edinburgh’s requirements. Although the services are linked, each service has its own distinct requirement:
  • Supported Employment Service (currently All in Edinburgh - delivered by ENABLE Scotland, The Action Group, IntoWork and Forth Sector);
  • Complex Needs Employability Service (currently Encompass - delivered by Access To Industry); and
  • Edinburgh Targeted and Integrated Employability Service (currently Next Step - delivered by Community Renewal Trust).
The Supported Employment service follows the Scottish Government’s five stage Supported Employment model and is a pan-disability service.  It ensures a “no wrong door” approach for anybody with a disability or long-term health condition who is looking to secure, sustain and, where appropriate, progress in employment.

The Complex Needs Employability Service is a funded as a partnership between Business Growth and Inclusion (formerly Economic Development), Criminal Justice and Edinburgh Alcohol and Drugs Partnership. The service provides a range of supports to people with complex barriers to accessing and sustaining education, training or employment.  The service is for those in recovery from substance misuse, previous offending behaviour, homelessness and other complex issues.

The Edinburgh Targeted and Integrated Employability Service (ETIES) aims to people who have barriers to employment, including short-term unemployed or facing in-work poverty.  It helps them to secure and sustain employment and upskills unemployed and workless individuals into learning or work with a focus on outreach to the most disadvantaged communities in Edinburgh.

The City of Edinburgh Council now wish to consult with service providers, stakeholders and residents to analyse the future needs of these commissioned employability services, with new services commencing on 1 October 2021.

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* 1. Are you aware of the employability services: All In Edinburgh, EnCompass or Next Step?
(All In Edinburgh is delivered by ENABLE Scotland, The Action Group, Forth Sector and Into Work. EnCompass is delivered by Access To Industry. Next Step is delivered by Community Renewal Trust.)

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* 2. If you have worked with any of these three services, how do you think it could be improved?

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* 3. Do you work with any clients who you would define as either having a disability or long-term health condition, complex needs, or someone who has barriers to employment or requires in-work support?

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* 4. What support do you think an employability service should include for people with a disability or long-term health condition?
(for example: what support do you think would help people with a disability or health condition, how could the service best support people into employment?)

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* 5. What support do you think an employability service should include for people with complex needs?
(For example: what specific support would help people with complex needs, what extra services would help people with complex needs to move towards and into employment? See the introduction for what we mean by complex needs.)

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* 6. What support do you think an employability service should include for people with barriers to employment or in-work poverty:
(For example: what specific support would help people who are struggling because of other factors including redundancy, poverty, debt and many other issues.) 

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* 7. Who should a Supported Employment service be targeting?

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* 8. Who should a Complex Needs Employability service be targeting?

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* 9. What client groups should a Targeted and Integrated Employability service be targeting?
(For example: This service should meet the needs of client groups not covered by national provision and other local specialist provision. Who do you think will need the service? Are there specific client groups who are not being supported?  What stages of the Strategic Skills Pipeline should it cover?)

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* 10. Anything else we need to consider?

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. It will help the City of Edinburgh Council to make informed decisions about future employability services.

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