Work First Scotland contract information and outcomes: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


FOI reference: FOI/17/02990
Date received: 11 December 2017
Date responded: 21 December 2017

Information requested

1. Please can you provide me with a complete cost breakdown of how much funding each successful contractor will receive for their involvement in each support service.

1a. Please can you also break this down by contract area.

2. Please can you provide me, in detail, the responsibilities of each contractor in each contract area.

3. Can you also provide detail as to what measurable targets and deliverables are expected of each successful bidder, contractor, and sub-contractor/delivery partner.

4. Please can you also tell me why each contractor was chosen for each role.

Response

On 12th December 2017, we advised you that Work Able Scotland is managed by Skills Development Scotland, and as FOI requests cannot be transferred between public bodies, you should contact Skills Development Scotland directly for information. As a result the response below refers to Work First Scotland (WFS) only.

The answer to your question 1 is:

Regarding a response to questions 1 detailed above, under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you (see Annex A for reasons for not providing information). If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed in Annex A, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

The answer to 1a is:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. The pricing cannot be broken into individual contract package areas as Mobilisation and Implementation and Operational Costs were priced in their totality and not broken down to each CPA.

The answer to your question 2 and 3 is:

WFS providers are contracted to deliver high quality employment support to those with a disability in Scotland, who want and need help to enter and remain in the labour market. Providers deliver a programme of support which offers customers a 12 month package of pre work and in work support, to meet the needs of people with disabilities who need more specialised support to find employment or keep a job once they have started work. The programme is required to be tailored to individual need and provide a voluntary and coherent range of specialist support which responds flexibly and effectively to the needs of disabled people and their employers.

In terms of measurable targets and deliverables providers are expected however to ensure delivery across the following Key Performance Indicators:

1. Job Outcomes (non-supported and supported) must be for a minimum of 16 hours per week, with continuous employment which has lasted 13 weeks (no breaks in employment).

2. Sustained Job Outcomes must be for a minimum 16 hours per week, with continuous employment which has lasted 26 weeks out of 30 from the date of progression into non-supported employment (breaks in employment must total no more than 4 weeks.

3. Induction interview should be conducted face to face by the service provider within 10 working days of the initial referral.

4. Commencement date on Programme Starts on programme to be commenced on to the Programme within 10 Working Days of Induction interview.

5a. Intervention / Customer Engagement Customers will receive weekly interventions, including reviewing and updating the Customer Action Plan, discussing progress and agreeing future activities and actions.

5b. Intervention / Customer Engagement As a minimum at least one intervention every 4 weeks must be undertaken face to face.

6. In Work Support (IWS) Plan to be agreed with the Customer within 10 Working Days of job start.

7. Review of IWS Plan with Customer and, where appropriate, the employer carried out face to face every 8 weeks. ("Where appropriate" assumes customer consent to talk to the employer)

8a. Procedure for Disengagement by Customer The Service Provider must evidence attempts to contact the Customer within 1 Working Day to establish circumstances surrounding disengagement.

8b. Procedure for Disengagement by Customer If the Service Provider is unable to engage the Customer within 5 Working Days of failing to attend service provision they must contact JCP Work Coach/SRO.

9. Supported Job Outcome activities The Service Provider must ensure that Customers entering supported employment undertake a minimum of 8 hrs. of activity per month to aid progression to a non-supported Job Outcome.

10. Customer Programme Exit and Leaver Plan The Service Provider must produce a detailed Leavers Plan for each Customer, who has provided consent, returning to JCP/ SRO, within 10 Working Days of Customer's end date.

11a. Quality feedback process The Service Provider must operate a quality feedback process for Customers, ensuring the voice of the Customer is recognised and valued in service delivery and demonstrates how this shapes provision going forward.

11b. Quality feedback process The Service Provider must ensure that dedicated feedback inbox details are given to Customer and promoted/displayed on marketing leaflets and public areas of Service Provider's premises.

12. Complaints The Service Provider must acknowledge receipt of complaints/concerns within 2 Working Days of receipt and provide a formal response to Customer within the next 5 Working Days

13. Payments to sub-contractors are to be made within 30 days of an accurate invoice being received.

14. Information Requests The Service Provider must provide timely response (in line with the stipulated timeframes) to the Purchaser's requests for information.

15. Management Information The Service Provider is required to provide management information to the Purchaser in accordance with this Specification.

16. Invoicing should be accurate and presented on-time.

17. Retention Customers The Service Provider must make contact with the Customer within 2 Working Days and conduct a face to face meeting within 5 Working Days from initial referral.

18. Employer Engagement The Service Provider must undertake active engagement with employers.

The answer to your question 4 is:

In accordance with Regulation 33 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, three contracts were placed with the existing DWP Work Choice providers to support disabled people and those at risk of long term unemployment into the labour market. With contracted empoyment support being devolved from the UK administration to Scotland under the Scotland Act 2016 this created a need to ensure appropriate interim arrangements were in place that would allowed the Scottish Government time to run a fully compliant OJEU tender process for Fair Start Scotland Employability 2018.

To ensure we achieved the best possible value for public money the Scottish Government's Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the interim arrangements was issued to the three suppliers on the 26 July 2016. The suppliers tender responses were evaluated against a series of Selection and Award criteria included in the ITT. The Award Criteria were based upon a Best Price Quality Ratio of 70/30 in favour of quality.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses

FOI-17-02990-Annex A.pdf

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference

Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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