Fair Start Scotland - evaluation report 5: participant phone survey - years 4 and 5 - November 2023

7. Outcomes & motivation to return to work

This chapter explores participants’ motivation to return to work and any impact that FSS has had on their motivation. It also describes the barriers and issues preventing participants from working and the extent to which FSS support has helped them to overcome these barriers. This chapter then explores improvements to indicators relating to work performance and pay, before looking at participants’ overall job search skills. Findings in this chapter focus on outcomes for the 2021-22 cohort.

7.1 Views on returning to work

At the time of the survey, 63 per cent of participants were not in work (or working for fewer than 16 hours per week). These participants were asked about their motivation to return to work. The questions were phrased as either ‘returning to work’ or ‘returning to full time work’ depending on whether they were not working or working less than 16 hours^[33].

As shown in Figure 33, the majority of participants wanted to return to work (full time), with two thirds (67 per cent) saying they wanted to return ‘to a great extent’. Only four per cent of participants said that they did not want to return at all.

Source: IFF Research telephone survey of FSS customers. E2: To what extent would you like to return to (full time) work in the future? E8: To what extent would you say your motivation to find (full time) work has increased or decreased from when you began receiving support from the Fair Start Scotland service? Base: All 2021-22 cohort who work fewer than 16 hours per week (476) Note: Results are presented with answers the following answers combined: (Increased a lot and Increased a little), (No effect, Decreased a little, Decreased a lot)

7.2 Impact of FSS on motivation

As shown on the right of Figure 33, the FSS service had a positive effect on motivation to find employment for the majority of participants who were not in work at the time of the survey or working less than 16 hours. Over six in ten participants (64 per cent) reported that their motivation to return to work (full time) had increased since they began receiving support from FSS, comprising around a third (36 per cent) who reported that their motivation had ‘increased a lot’, and over a quarter (27 per cent) whose motivation had increased ‘a little’.

A quarter of participants (24 percent) reported that their motivation had not changed since receiving support from FSS, while a minority (10 per cent) said that their motivation had decreased since joining FSS.

Participants who were limited by their health condition were less likely to report an increase in motivation than those with no health condition (38 per cent limited by their health condition reported no/decreased effect on motivation, compared to 22 per cent of those with no health condition).

Early leavers were less likely to report an increase in motivation compared to those who reported not being an early leaver (46 per cent of early leavers reported no/decreased effect on motivation, compared to 30 per cent of those who were not early leavers).

Overall change in motivation levels as a result of support did not differ significantly between male and female participants, between participants from different ethnic backgrounds, between participants of different ages, between participants with different qualification levels, between participants who had worked in the last five years and those who had not, or between new joiners and re-joiners.

There was no significant difference in the effect of FSS services on motivation to find work between Wave 3 and Wave 4.

7.3 Barriers to work

Participants were asked about the barriers they faced that prevented them from working, from the point when they first joined service, until they either found work, or until the point of the survey (whichever came first). A range of issues were reported that prevented participants from working, the most commonly mentioned of which was having a physical health condition/disability that makes/made it difficult for them to carry out tasks at work (reported by 15 per cent of participants).

Other commonly mentioned barriers to work related to not having the right qualifications, skills or experience (13 percent), or having a mental health condition that made it difficult to carry out tasks at work (13 per cent). Participants also mentioned a range of other barriers that were not related to their health. Figure 34 shows the full list of issues or barriers experienced by participants.

Source: IFF Research telephone survey of FSS customers. F1A: What would you say are the main issues or barriers preventing you from working (full time)? Base: All 2021-22 cohort (745)

There were several differences in the barriers experienced by particular groups of participants.

Those who had worked in the last five years were more likely to report there not being enough suitable jobs in their area than those who had not worked (9 per cent compared to 5 per cent), as well as the COVID-19 pandemic making it difficult to find work (6 per cent compared to 2 per cent).

Not having the right qualifications was more likely to be reported by minority ethnic participants than white participants (21 per cent compared to 11 per cent), as well as those without health conditions (18 per cent, compared to 9 percent of participants who were limited by their health condition).

Not feeling confident about applying to jobs was more likely to be reported by those who were not early leavers (11 per cent, compared to 4 per cent of early leavers), and those with no health condition (13 per cent, compared to 7 per cent of participants who were limited by their health condition).

Minority ethnic participants were more likely to report language barriers as one of the reasons that prevented them from working compared to white participants (4 per cent compared to less than 1 per cent), whereas white participants were more likely to report physical and mental health-related reasons making it difficult to carry out tasks at work as barriers compared to minority ethnic participants (17 per cent compared to 4 per cent for physical health conditions and 14 per cent compared to 4 per cent for mental health conditions).

Men were more likely than women to say that there were not enough jobs in their local area (nine per cent compared to fiver per cent), and that they didn’t have the right qualifications skills or experience (16 per cent compared to 8 per cent).

One in ten (11 per cent) of those aged 50 – 65+ were concerned that people wouldn’t employ them because of their age, significantly more than the overall average (4 per cent).

Participants based in Lot 6 (South West) were more likely to say that difficulty travelling to work for non-health related reasons was a barrier than the average across all respondents (10 per cent compared to three per cent)^[34].

Significantly less participants felt the lack of suitable jobs in their area was a barrier preventing them from working in Wave 4 than in Wave 3 (eight per cent compared to 14 per cent).

7.4 The impact of FSS support on overcoming barriers to work

Participants were asked the extent they thought the support received from FSS had helped them to overcome each of their reported barriers, on a scale of one ‘had no impact’ to five ‘helped a lot’. The proportion of participants who said that the support had helped them to overcome their personal barriers (i.e. scored either a four or five) is shown in Figure 35^[35].

Source: IFF Research telephone survey of FSS customers. F1B. To what extent do you think the support you received from Fair Start Scotland helped you to overcome these barriers? Base: All 2021-22 Cohort who selected barrier: Not feeling confident about applying for jobs (65) I do not feel mentally ready to return to work for other personal reasons (22) Concern that people won’t employ me because of my age (21) My health condition varies too much for me to be able to work (26) Not having the right qualifications, skills or experience (63) Family or caring responsibilities (80) The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to find work (31) I have a physical health condition/disability that makes/made it difficult for me to carry out tasks at work (104) I have a mental health condition that makes/made it difficult for me to carry out tasks at work (94) Not enough suitable jobs in my local area (55) I have/had difficulty travelling to work for other reasons not related to my health (16) I have a mental health condition that makes/made it difficult for me to travel to work (19) I have a physical health condition/disability that makes/made it difficult for me to travel to (34) Other (197)

Figure 35 shows that the support from FSS was most helpful to participants who did not feel confident applying to jobs, and for those who did not feel mentally ready to return to work. The support helped 72 per cent and 70 per cent of these participants to overcome these barriers, respectively.

The support also helped:

• 51 per cent of the participants who were concerned that people would not employ them because of their age
• 47 per cent of those who reported that their health condition varied too much for them to be able to work
• 43 per cent for participants who reported not having the right qualifications, skills or experience
• 43 per cent with family or caring responsibilities
• 43 per cent who found the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to find work
• 39 per cent of participants with a physical health condition and 37 percent with a mental health condition that made it difficult to carry out tasks at work
• 32 per cent who felt there were not enough suitable jobs in their local area
• 30 per cent who had difficult travelling to work due to reasons not related to their health

Participants were also asked an open text question about what part of the support they received made the most difference to them. The most commonly mentioned elements of support were one-to-one support (23 per cent), help with CVs and application forms (15 per cent), and confidence building exercises (12 per cent). Around one in ten participants also mentioned relevant/tailored support (9 per cent), friendly/understanding advisers (9 per cent), and help with job searches (9 per cent).

7.5 Job search skills

Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they felt that their overall job search skills had improved as a result of participating in FSS. Overall, 64 per cent of participants agreed that their job search skills had improved, whilst 12 per cent disagreed, as shown in Figure 36.

Source: IFF Research telephone survey of FSS customers. F2k. To what extent do you agree or disagree that your overall job search skills have improved as a result of participating in Fair Start Scotland? Base: All 2021-22 cohort (745)

Those who had a health condition that was not limiting were more likely to agree than those who were limited by their health condition that FSS had improved their job search skills (73 per cent compared to 62 per cent). Younger participants, aged 16 to 24 were also more likely to agree with this statement (78 per cent compared to 64 per cent on average).

Early leavers were more likely to disagree with the statement (22 per cent compared to 9 percent of those who were not early leavers). On the other hand, those who had worked in the last five years were slightly less likely to disagree with the statement (10 per cent compared to 14 per cent of those who had not worked in the last five years), as were priority families (7 per cent compared to 13 per cent of those not from priority families).

There was no significant difference in agreement between participants with different levels of qualifications, between male and female participants, between participants from different ethnic backgrounds and between participants in different Lots.

7.6 Progression & job satisfaction

Participants who were in work were asked about their experience of employment and quality of their job(s) since receiving support from FSS. The majority of reported that they had been provided with opportunities for training or development (59 per cent), with just under half given additional responsibilities (46 percent). Over a third of participants reported an increase to their pay rate, salary or income (37 per cent). The full list of responses are shown in Figure 37.

Source: IFF Research telephone survey of FSS customers. F1D. Thinking about your work since receiving support from Fair Start Scotland, do any of the following apply? Base: All 2021-22 cohort currently in work (269), statements relating to promotions, bonuses and additional responsibilities asked to those in work excluding self-employment (251)

There were differences between participants with a limiting health condition compared to all participants. Participants with a limiting health condition were:

• less likely to report that they had received a promotion (5 per cent compared to 11 per cent on average)
• less likely to report an increase to their income (29 per cent compared to 37 per cent)
• less likely to have had opportunities for training or development (50 per cent compared to 59 per cent)

Participants aged 50 and over were less likely to report having been given additional responsibilities (31 per cent) compared to those aged between 25 and 34 (50 per cent) and 35 to 49 (51 per cent).

Those with a degree level qualification or higher were more likely than the average amongst all currently in work to report having been given additional responsibilities (57 per cent compared to 46%) and having moved to another job with increased pay (22 per cent compared to 14 per cent).

Participants from Lot 5 (East) were more likely to report having received a promotion (23 per cent compared to 11% per cent overall average) and having received a performance-related bonus (34 per cent compared to 14 per cent overall average)^[36].

There were no significant differences in the level of agreement with these statements between male and female participants, priority families and others, or between those from different ethnic backgrounds.

In Wave 4, participants who were employed, self-employed or who had worked in the week prior to the interview were asked how much they agreed with a range of statements about their current job. As shown in Figure 38, the majority of participants are satisfied overall with their current job (83 per cent), with more than half that number feeling strongly about this (44 per cent). In addition, most participants agreed that their job offered them the flexibility to manage family and household responsibilities (86 per cent). Satisfaction was also strong around the kind of work participants do day to day (82 per cent). Fewer participants felt that their current job paid enough for them to support themselves and their family (68 per cent) and that their job reflects their professional aspirations (61 per cent).

Source: IFF Research telephone survey of FSS customers, A10 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your current job? Base: All employed, self-employed or have worked in the last week (298)

There were some differences amongst subgroups around participants’ satisfaction with their current job:

• female participants were more likely to be satisfied overall than male participants (89 per cent compared to 79 per cent). Female participants were also more likely to feel their job reflected their skills and experience (83 per cent compared to 72 per cent for male participants)
• job satisfaction was particularly high amongst participants aged between 16 and 24 (95 compared to 83 per cent on average). They were also more likely to feel their current job pays enough to support themselves and/or their family than average (82 per cent compared to 68 per cent)
• Participants from priority families were more likely to agree that their job offered them the flexibility to manage family and household responsibilities (92 per cent), compared to those not from a priority family (83 per cent)
• participants aged between 25 and 34 were less likely to be satisfied with their current job than average (76 per cent compared to 83 per cent)
• minority ethnic participants were less satisfied with their current job than white participants (70 per cent compared to 86 per cent). A contributing factor to this could be that almost a third (31 per cent) of minority ethnic participants disagreed that that their job paid enough to support themselves and/or their family. This is significantly higher than white participants (17 per cent)
• just over one in ten (12 per cent) of those with a degree level qualification or higher disagreed that they are satisfied with their job, significantly higher than the overall average (7 per cent)
• job satisfaction did not differ significantly between participants from different Lots, and between new joiners and re-joiners

7.7 The impact of FSS on wellbeing

Participants were asked the extent to which they agreed that taking part in FSS had a positive impact on their general wellbeing. Overall, seven in ten (72 per cent) of participants agreed that it had a positive impact, and only one in ten (10 per cent) disagreed, as shown in Figure 39

Source: IFF Research telephone survey of FSS customers. F3. To what extent do you agree or disagree that taking part in Fair Start Scotland has had a positive impact on your general wellbeing. Base: All 2021-22 cohort (745)

Participants with a health condition that was not limiting were more likely to agree that FSS had a positive impact on their wellbeing than both those who were limited by their health condition, and those without (86 per cent compared to 70 per cent and 71 per cent respectively).

Those who had not worked in the last five years before participating in FSS were more likely to disagree that it had a positive impact on their wellbeing (13 per cent, compared to 8 per cent of those who had worked in the last five years). Early leavers were also more likely to disagree (20 per cent compared to only 8 per cent of those who were not early leavers).

Early leavers were twice as likely to disagree that taking part had a positive impact on their wellbeing than the overall average (20 per cent compared to 10 per cent).

Nearly nine in ten (87 per cent) of participants in Lot 4 (Forth Valley) agreed that participation had a positive impact on their wellbeing, significantly higher than the average across all participants (72 per cent)^[37].

There was no significant difference in agreement between male and female participants, between participants of different ages, between participants of different ethnicities, between participants with different qualification levels, between members of priority families and others, or between new joiners and re-joiners.