Following the recent announcement of a £2.9bn investment into the new Restart scheme, it is clear that for the coming months DWP employability providers will be busy building their supply chains, processes and systems to ensure success when the scheme launches this coming summer. At Pellcomp we have been looking back at our experience of providing systems for employability programmes and considering what capabilities providers will need in order to effectively deliver the Restart programme.
A key characteristic of the Restart programme will be the need to engage not only with customers who are relatively close to the job market, but also with those that may have longer-standing barriers to work. The key to operational efficiency will be in quickly identifying who will respond positively to light touch or self-serve, who will require more structured interventions, and having the flexibility to deliver both.
On the Restart programme, many customers will already have valuable, transferable skills and experience, but will need help understanding how this can be applied to new occupations in a post COVID-19 world. Access to sophisticated career profiling and rich searching tools will help to improve customers' understanding of the diversity of opportunities available to them.
At this point it is still difficult to predict the extent to which COVID-19 will be a continuing public health issue during the roll out of Restart. Cautious planning should consider how remote interventions can be delivered, utilising technologies such as video conferencing and digital signatures. Operational efficiency will require the use of these technologies where a customer's digital skills make this possible, as well as seamlessly integrating them into processes that are flexible enough to accommodate those with lower levels of digital literacy.
Finally, it is clear to us that providers, while focusing on these new operational challenges and opportunities, should not lose sight of the operational requirements of all large scale employability programmes. These include the need to be able to efficiently process large volumes of PRaP referrals and to manage a complex supply chain in a flexible manner that maximises the benefit of specialist and localised capabilities, while requiring a sophisticated monitoring structure to ensure that KPIs are achieved and outcomes are reported to the DWP in a timely fashion.
Our Case Management System, PICS, has a proven track record of providing a robust, workflow-driven data flow that will support operational efficiency in complex supply chains from PraP referral through to job outcome. Our integrated jobseeker portal provides support to those suited to self-service whilst our role-specific key worker portal keeps delivery staff focused on next-step actions driving improved outcomes. We have a suite of integrations with products such as EntitledTo, Careers Radar and BKSB to provide a true best-of-breed solution and we are hard at work implementing further features targeted at the operational challenges of Restart.
To find out how PICS can support you to successfully deliver Restart, click below.
