The Government has set a clear direction of travel towards greater devolution of
employment support. The challenge now is how to do so without disrupting essential
services, weakening performance and losing the national capability built through successful
programmes such as the Restart Scheme. This paper argues that devolved services can be
delivered consistently well providing the right conditions are put in place. By combining local
commissioning with a strong national framework, the Government can give Mayoral
Strategic Authorities (MSAs) greater control over employment support while protecting
continuity for the people who rely on these services, maintaining quality standards and
allowing all areas to progress to the required standard of delivery in a reasonable
timeframe.