Agenda item

Consider report by Director of Resilient Communities.  (Copy attached.)

1.1       There had been circulated copies of a report by the Director of Resilient Communities which provided an update on Scottish Borders Council’s (SBC) commitment to deliver Employability Support in the Scottish Borders.  The report provided a brief breakdown of the diverse employability interventions SBC and the Council’s partners were utilising to tackle unemployment in the region and in particular supporting priority groups.   It also outlined the coordinating role of the Local Employability Partnership (LEP).  The unemployment rate in the Scottish Borders had risen since February 2020 from 1,860 to 2,015 as of August 2022, measured by the Universal Credit claimant count.  It was anticipated that Covid-19 had impacted significantly on the number of people seeking employment, as well as claimants moving onto Universal Credit and those affected by the crisis in the Ukraine.  This had created a high demand on support services especially for young people and those with additional barriers.  The report highlighted the Council’s, and its partner’s, significant commitment to support those most in need to reach their employment goals.  It highlighted the work of SBC’s Employment Support Service and other departments and the various projects and interventions funded through external funding from Scottish and UK Government. 

1.2       The Chief Officer – Economic Development, Ms Samantha Smith presented the report and highlighted that the focus of the LEP had been to simplify the support landscape and deliver employability services which were fit for purpose.  The key focuses of the LEP included ensuring that skills support matched demand, that support was available for people of all ages, and that processes were people centred.  Members thanked officers for the report and welcomed the work that was ongoing.  Ms Smith explained that the job of the LEP was to ensure that support was available for people who wished to get back into work, and that agencies and groups were linked up in an effective way with employers and employees.  In response to a question regarding the percentage of working age people that were no longer in work following the Covid pandemic, Ms Smith explained that the number of working age people in work was approximately 75%, and that the LEP was focused on helping people get the right skills, for the right job, and that it was possible to examine on a local level what the labour market needed.  Regarding the Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Ms Smith explained that success was defined by people in paid employment in a permanent job.  There were a considerable number of other KPIs, which were on track, and Ms Smith undertook to report back to the Committee at a future meeting.  Regarding instances where people transected multiple criteria, Ms Smith explained that regardless of where a person came into contact with the LEP, they would be assessed and directed to the correct support for them.  In response to a question regarding support for those with additional needs as they transitioned from children to adult services, Ms Smith explained that the supported employment team had a special focus on those with additional support needs and undertook to provide more detail at a later date.  The Director of Resilient Communities advised that a future meeting of the Anti-Poverty Reference Group would have a focus on employability, which would allow the pathways from children to adult services to be discussed in detail.  The Chairman explained that the Council viewed issues related to employment as extremely important, and highlighted the appointment of an Employability Champion as a reflection of its commitment.  

DECISION

AGREED to:-

(a)        note the Council’s ongoing commitment to employability support services in the Scottish Borders;

(b)       endorse the establishment of the Local Employability Partnership and its objective to align and integrate support; and

(c)        note the challenges and impact on employability deliver relating to short term in-year funding.