The DWP has today issued a consultation on its Commissioning Strategy for future employment support provision, which will run until 27 September.
The new consultation aims to gather stakeholder views on future commissioning of employment services, drawing on experiences of existing provision. It is composed of 14 questions requesting feedback on all areas of commissioning future welfare to work provision, including: encouraging specialist provision; improving sub-contracting arrangements; promoting social investment; encouraging innovation and addressing barriers to co-commissioning. The DWP is not widely publicising the consultation and for that reason will not be issuing a media statement.
There will be a number of opportunities to feed into ERSA’s response to the paper:
- Written responses are requested to be sent to policy@ersa.org.uk by 18 September. Alternatively please call 020 7960 6317. All feedback will be kept in confidence.
- Regional roundtables will take place during September. These will also form part of ERSA’s own consultation on the shape of Work Programme 2 which will launch in early September.
- The Supply Chain Forum, taking place on 27 August, will hear from DWP officials formulating the strategy and will provide an opportunity to feed back.
Commenting on the launch of the 2013 DWP Commissioning Strategy consultation paper, Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive of ERSA, said:
“The DWP’s Commissioning Strategy should provide a valuable opportunity to draw on the extensive experience of welfare to work providers who have the indepth knowledge of how to get the long term unemployed into work and keep them there. The UK welfare to work market has evolved significantly over the past 10 years and providers have adapted their approaches to changes in the UK economic landscape to deliver value to the UK tax payer.
“ERSA is keen to ensure that future provision draws on providers’ experiences, whether operating as prime contractors and subcontractors, and that the new commissioning strategy facilitates programmes which deliver for jobseekers, providers and the taxpayer.”
The full consultation is avaliable here.