Introduction
We warmly welcome the opportunity to have input into the development of the Government’s Economic Strategy, particularly in these most pressing of agendas. We applaud the Government’s commitment to prioritising poverty and inequality as they represent the very core of many other pressing social issues. In this response we have attempted to draw out some key issues for consideration and to identify examples of good practice in our own work. We would welcome the opportunity to play a continuing role in the development of the Government’s strategy for tackling poverty and inequality.
Understanding Poverty
The Government Economic Strategy rightly regards poverty as more than just the lack of income, we would concur with this analysis and would suggest that, with particular reference to employability, poverty comes in many forms:
Poverty of ambition: Many children, young people and young adults from deprived areas in Scotland live with role models (parents and grand parents) who exhibit a lack of qualifications, chronic long term unemployment and low self esteem. Growing up and living in such an environment often leads to a deep lack of self expectation or aspiration.
Poverty of lifestyle: Similarly, ambition can be undermined by persistent drug and alcohol abuse, which are common accompaniments to social deprivation and low self esteem. When coupled with the financial demands of maintaining a family, such circumstances can lead to exacerbated poverty. The proposed framework rightly seeks to improve the capacity of families and individuals suffering disadvantage and poverty to help lift them out of it, through early intervention. It is in this area in particular (illustrated below), that Aberlour is seeking to give women, coping with drug or Alcohol dependence, routes back into employment.
Poverty of Skills: A lack of self expectation or ambition can lead in many circumstances to a disengagement from socially recognised routes to employment such as education and training. Crucially in this regard the individual will not only miss out on core work skills development, but also on the personal skills necessary for not only obtaining but holding down continuous employment, these include, working to deadlines, working as part of a team, self motivation, time keeping and fulfilling the terms of a job description.
Poverty of encouragement: Everyone, at some point in their lives, relies on an individual to help them to galvanise belief in themselves and to find the courage necessary to push themselves forward bolstered by encouragement and support. If an individual has experienced the first 2 kinds of poverty identified above, then it is less likely that they will come into contact with a role model or adult figure who would seek to build their self esteem. In our experience, engagement with a service which carries its strength from the relationships that staff foster with service users can reduce this deficit. Aberlour prides itself in the commitment invested by our staff in building the hopes and aspirations of all of our service users.
Each of these kinds of poverty can have a direct and negative impact on a person's employability and subsequently their relative poverty in income terms. This in turn increases demand on the state at the expense of economic growth and statutory services.
Supporting people to achieve their potential
It is critical that the Economic strategy look at a means of ensuring that once engaged in employment, individuals are supported and equipped with the skills necessary for sustaining their employment over the long term. As such the Economic Strategy should not see connecting people in poverty with employment opportunities as a goal in isolation. It must recognise the importance of sustainable employment and work with organisations who provide interventions that offer a holistic approach to ensuring that individuals have the skills necessary, unencumbered by social barriers, to hold down sustained employment. Aberlour is an example of one such organisation.
A joined up approach to addressing each of these is unquestionably required. Job Centre Plus can only go so far in terms of helping individuals to access the employment ladder as employability requires development in a range of life skills and competences that Job Centre Plus cannot offer alone. It is subsequently clear that many different services and interventions should be employed to address each of these issues as part of a joined up approach. The third sector should unquestionably represent a key stake holder in any such enterprise. Aberlour in particular can offer many years of experience in helping to tackle poverty through projects designed to help people reengage with employment.
Interaction between Holyrood and Westminster
It is unquestionable that Westminster should continue to have a stake in the employability agenda in Scotland. As welfare benefits, tax credits and employability schemes such as New Deal are all still reserved, any employability strategy should be cognisant of emerging Westminster policy in this regard.
Interaction between Holyrood and Local Authorities
As Aberlour currently operates in 31 of Scotland's local Authorities, the way in which Holyrood interacts with Local Authorities on this issue is of critical importance to our organisation as it is with many others. The paper rightly asks how Community planning partners can be supported to help reduce poverty through the Fairer Scotland fund. CPPs can be supported to deliver quality services as long as they are aware of the comprehensive range of services at their disposal that exist in the voluntary sector. In addition it is important to recognise that whilst the Concordat between COSLA and the Scottish Government sets out key outcomes on increasing employment and thereby decreasing poverty, there is a distinct need for third sector involvement in pursuit of this aim. To this end it is critical that voluntary sector organisations be involved in the design of local outcome agreements, by Local Authorities, at a local level. Such involvement should be reviewed following the first year of the concordat's implementation.
Case study: Aberlour Employability Provision, (Glasgow Dependency Services)
Aberlour's contribution to this agenda can be illustrated in the work of our Dependency Services, and the employability provision they offer to women in Glasgow. Working with women aged over the age of 18 experiencing problems with drugs or Alcohol, the service aims to work to address chaotic lifestyle issues, health problems, discrimination and difficulties accessing services generally whilst focussing on barriers to entering training and employment.
We seek to provide service users with routes towards opportunity readiness and job readiness. Upon engagement with our service, individuals are assessed as to their level of need and offered an individually tailored learning programme focussing on learning, training and employment issues. Encompassing one to one and group work the programme also provides access to external courses and facilities, 'brought in' depending on individual needs.
The programme seeks to build development in a range of core work skills including, literacy and numeracy, assertiveness, and ICT competence. Participants can, if they wish, obtain accreditation in the form of VQ units as part of their individual employability programmes. An operational overview of each participant's progress is maintained through regular contact between members of staff.
The service complements the parenting and dependency work provided by our residential out reach services. Child care is provided to give women the means to participate in the programme and the programme is also designed to take specific account of participants who have Methadone maintenance programmes, in helping them to engage with employment.
About Aberlour Child Care Trust
- Aberlour is the largest, solely Scottish, children’s charity
- We provide 46 services for over 6000 of Scotland’s most vulnerable children, young people and families each year.
- Our dedicated team of 800 staff work across the country from Stranraer to Elgin.
- Over 90% of our £18m income is directed to front line services
Aberlour provides a range of care and support for children and young people that are hardest to reach and face the most difficult barriers.
- We support children and families affected by disability, drug and alcohol dependency
- Our residential care service supports young people with social, educational and behavioural difficulties.
- Our community services promote positive parenting, play and early learning to boost self esteem in deprived areas
- Our refuge and outreach for runaways helps young people in crisis situations who run away from home
Aberlour believes in giving young people positive choices. We don’t give up – even if they are excluded from school, possibly offending and demonstrating the most challenging behaviour and needing the most intensive support.