The CASH (Careers, Advice, Support and Help) project for tackling worklessness in the village ward of Barking and Dagenham is a pilot project that has been developed in partnership between the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the Civil Service Capability Building Programme.
The project was designed to work with women carers in the ward who are out of work and to support their progression in the early stages of the pathway to work. It involved an ‘outreach’ and ‘coach’ function, and was based in a local Children’s Centre.
Renaisi was commissioned to carry out an evaluation of the pilot. The research was based on an analysis of management information, depth interviews with participants, and with staff and managers.
A detailed qualitative evaluation framework allowed Renaisi to combine its research and analytical strengths with its wide delivery experience of supporting people into work, and provide a set of conclusions and recommendations to help the authority consider its future work and commissioning priorities.
Some of the key recommendations that flowed from the evaluation, include:
- Outreach should build on existing networks and be focussed purely on reaching unknown groups and individuals
- The functions and flexibility of a coaching role should be retained in children’s centres, but with a stronger emphasis on helping clients establish targets and progress at the correct pace
- Context and social networks should be considered and built into thinking around the early stages of support for women
Click here for a copy of the report.
