Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the first Discover Work Conference at The Steeple on Wednesday 13th November 2024. We were delighted with both the attendance and enthusiasm people brought to the day. We benefitted greatly from the local, regional, and national leaders who spoke on behalf of our partnership, highlighting the exceptional work happening and the work ahead of us.
Feedback from attendees indicated that they enjoyed the opportunity to connect with stakeholders, get a better understanding of what our partnership is trying to achieve, and that future conferences should build on the interactive sessions.
As part of two interactive group sessions, facilitators collated feedback via digital and physical formats on key subjects. Attendees were asked to give their thoughts on:
- The customer journey and examples of interventions
- Key challenges to achieving our partnership goals
- Potential solutions to address challenges
- How they can contribute to the future
We have condensed the feedback from these sessions as much as possible and provided a summary below. While we may not be able to remove all challenges and implement every solution, we have aligned these to the relevant Strategic Goal within our Discover Work Strategy for further exploration, and may come back to you for more information. We may also ask that you lead / support activities to develop potential solutions.
As a reminder, our Strategic Goals are:
- Strengthen the functions and effectiveness of Discover Work;
- Improve employability outcomes for customers; and,
- Establish, promote, and increase awareness of Discover Work.
Key Challenges:
Health (including Mental Health): Lack of access to support and overcoming stigma.
Workforce Development: Limited resources and financial constraints.
Employer Engagement: Racial bias and lack of opportunities.
Customer Engagement: Difficulty engaging clients and lack of input from partners. Low self-worth, generational poverty, and trauma, whole family approach
Data Sharing: Lack of understanding around sharing data between partners
| Challenge | Potential Solutions | Strategic Goal |
| Health (including Mental Health) | Establish better links between health service and employability service for referrals | 3 |
| Better awareness of health provision amongst employability key workers (networking) | 2 | |
| Mental health services become part of the pathway | 2 | |
| Employer Engagement | Equality Disability and Inclusion Training for employers | 2 |
| Supporting employers to understand how they can help and what’s in it for them | 2 | |
| Increased outreach & communication with employers | 2 | |
| Workforce Development | Upskilling employability staff on benefits/fuel poverty advice | 2 |
| Mental Health First Aid training for Discover Work key workers | 2 | |
| Better-off in-work calculations | 2 | |
| Sharing success and good practice | 3 | |
| Practitioners’ forum | 3 | |
| Co-location hubs for shared info/practice | 3 | |
| Develop a shared understanding of each partner’s role and responsibilities. | 1 | |
| Regular updates: Share regular updates on progress and outcomes. | 3 | |
| Continuous Improvement: Implement a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. | 2 | |
| Customer Engagement | Work together more closely for all household members | 2 |
| Managed transitions (school to college, inactivity to work, etc.) | ||
| Process for missing/unconfirmed clients post-school/like in-school engagement | 1 | |
| Door knocking | 2 | |
| Social media | 3 | |
| Support system for 16–19-year-olds | 1 | |
| Whole family engagement and incentives like training allowances | 2 | |
| Data Sharing | Improve data sharing processes | 2 |
| Promotion of choice for customers | 3 | |
| Shared system – Schools, SDS, Third Sector | 1 | |
| Wider partnership working with all services a customer may come in contact with | 2 | |
| Clearer communication: Improve clarity and consistency of communication between partners. | 3 | |
| Improved information sharing to avoid duplication and ensure a holistic approach. | 2 | |
| Develop more efficient and effective referral processes | 3 | |
| Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilise data to inform decision-making and improve service delivery. | 2 |
We invite colleagues from across our partnership to contact us via [email protected] if you have further feedback or wish to contribute to the strategic goals of Discover Work. We can also provide further detail on progress to date and next steps towards our action plan.