Employment support

Fair Start Scotland employment support service

The Fair Start Scotland employment service will provide tailored, person-centred support to a minimum of 38,000 people, from April 2018.

The voluntary service will have respect and fairness at its core, supporting people to achieve their full potential.

Nine contracts lasting up to five years have been put in place to deliver the service. These are:

Contract Area 1: City of Glasgow
Awarded to: People Plus Group Limited Estimated contract value: £19.1 million

Contract Area 2: North and South Lanarkshire local authority areas
Awarded to: Remploy Limited Estimated contract value: £12.6 million

Contract Area 3: Tayside - covers Perth and Kinross and Angus and Dundee
Awarded to: Remploy Limited Estimated contract value: £7.3 million

Contract Area 4: Forth Valley - covers Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire local authority areas
Awarded to: Falkirk Council in partnership with public sector partners Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council and NHS Forth Valley
Estimated contract value: £5 million

Contract Area 5: East, covers Edinburgh, Midlothian, East and West Lothian, Fife and the Borders
Awarded to: Start Scotland Limited Estimated contract value: £21.3 million

Contract Area 6: South West - covers Dumfries and Galloway and the three Ayrshire local authority areas
Awarded to: Start Scotland Limited Estimated contract value: £10.1 million

Contract Area 7: North East - covers Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire local authority areas
Awarded to: Third sector organisation Momentum Scotland Estimated contract value: £5.6 million

Contract Area 8: Highlands and Islands - covers Argyll and Bute, Eilean Siar, Highland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland
Awarded to: People Plus Limited Estimated contract value: £6.2 million

Contract Area 9: West - covers East and West Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire
Awarded to: Third sector organisation The Wise Group Estimated contract value: £8.8 million

The contract in the West area was specifically reserved for supported businesses to bid into. These provide permanent employment for those disadvantaged in the labour market. This is the first time we have exercised this power.

All providers have committed to a Fair Work, Workforce and Community Benefits agenda - including paying the living wage and avoiding use of zero hours contracts.