Tuesday 14 th January 2014 Craven Arms Community Centre

1. WelcomeMarches LEP - Wider Group Event EU Structural and Investment Fund Growth ProgrammeSocial Inclusion Tuesday 14th January 2014 Craven Arms Community Centre

2. Today’s Agenda

3. Introduction Alex Fitzpatrick • Welcome • Housekeeping • Background • Work Completed To Date

4. Overarching view of LEP and role of VCS Fiona Fortune

5. European Structural and Investment Funds Strategy 2014 - 2020 • Radical change in how EU funding is managed in England • LEPs as oppose to regional bodies • ERDF, ESF And EARFD all included • UK Government will remain Managing Authority • UK Government will sign off Operational Plan with European Commission • National Opt-ins agreed with Government to provide match – LEPs will agree if they want to Opt-in • EU Investment Strategies developed in line with guidance • LEP Board to sign off, UK Government will agree

6. Management Arrangements Managing Authority – UK Government Opt-ins Marches LEP Strategic Activity 2 Strategic Activity 3 Strategic Activity 4 Strategic Activity 1 Strategic Activity 5 Strategic Activity 1 – Enhancing Competitiveness, Research and Innovation and Enable Technology Strategic Activity 2 – Supporting the Shift Towards a Low Carbon Economy Strategic Activity 3 – Supporting the Environment Strategic Activity 4 – Employment and Skills Strategic Activity 5 – Social Inclusion

7. Voluntary and Community Sector • VCS Leading development of Strategic Activity 5 – Social Inclusion • VCS Mini-group established • VCS wider stakeholder events to broaden input • Social inclusion also in other Strategic Priorities • VCS will be represented in the Marches LEP governance • Equality a cross cutting theme, with sustainability Positive feedback on Marches collaborative approach with sector

8. Value of the Sector and Evidence Base of Need Bridget Cameron Peridot Associates LTD

9. Highlights where social inclusions issues exist across the Marches LEP area. This will support work to design service approaches and delivery mechanisms to meet identified need. 2000 emails to organisations inviting them to contribute to the evidence base; 150 phone calls to talk to individuals about their work in the Marches; Received 61 questionnaire returns. Evidence of Need

10. Themes without responses The themes without responses are: • Adults in residential care • Asylum seekers • Gypsies and Travellers • Children in Care • Children subject to a Child Protection Plan • Teenage Parents

11. Emergent Trends • Local authorities are reducing funding within all aspects of service delivery. The impact of this on the voluntary and community sector. • Lower level need support users are having to be ‘dropped’ by voluntary and community sector services as they focus on the higher need, more complex cases. • Service users are presenting with increasingly complex needs – filling in form (debt, transport, stress, housing, relationship troubles) • Services users often do not know what is available to them and where to begin to search for support – crisis point • Services need to be flexible in their delivery options – length of service

12. Continued: • Transport limitations are already impacting on those who are socially excluded but for many people this is expected to become increasingly difficult. • Service users need increasing help to complete forms to access benefits. • Debt is an ongoing theme mentioned by all

13. Particularly marginalised groups • Black and minority ethnic groups: • Finding professionals who understand cultural and faith backgrounds • Language barriers • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender • Need professionals who understand the issues they are going through and are non-judgemental • Particular needs for transgender groups • Often labelled or not understood if victims of violence

14. Disabilities and Mental Health • Budget implications • Young people needing support and somewhere to ‘hang out’ to discuss in safe environment • Children and young people not meeting thresholds • Affordable support • Emotional support for families and friends • Higher needs (particularly if associated with complex needs or challenging behaviour) struggling to get respite i.e. carer needs to be present

15. Complex issuesEarly intervention services Domestic violence Drug and alcohol • Transport issues, housing, relationship troubles, people in various states of need, stressed, mental health issues, alcohol issues, compounded by debt • People are stuck and can’t get out to access services or support (transport or no one to sit with their loved one/friend) • Carers become very socially isolated

16. Below Thresholds of NeedDisabilities (adults and children) Mental health Drug and alcohol • Real need for support for those below the threshold of need • Support from local authorities dropping • People struggling to access support • Often reaching crisis before able to find help • Often needing longer length of support than 8 or 12 week package of support offered

17. Rises in:Housing Domestic violence Disabilities Homeless Debt Unemployed • Those that have lost housing, those in poor housing • Victims of domestic abuse • Income management/budgeting • Form filling and correspondence (literacy and numeracy) • Advocacy and liaising with landlords or professionals • Welfare Reforms support, including bedroom tax • Changes to PIP, LDA and claimants in general • People needing support on discharge from hospital; foot care • Numbers wanting voluntary placements and training

18. Hardest groups to reach or support • Apprenticeships for people with disabilities (disabilities) • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender groups, particularly for older people (LGBT) • Black and minority ethnic groups whose language or culture means they find it hard to seek support (BME) • Homeless and those sleeping rough (former services personnel) • Those with mental health, learning disabilities, older people and travellers (homeless) • Those who are socially isolated by transport or because they cannot leave their caring roles • Those at point of need i.e. those becoming stressed, who are in a downward spiral of need • Those who are technologically disadvantaged i.e. no computer, internet or IT skills • Those whose literacy levels are poor

19. Continued • Those with dementia and their carers • Those who live in isolated rural communities who are struggling with mental health • Finding placements for those with mental health needs to help them step back into work slowly and steadily

20. LEP EU Structural and Investment Funds Strategy 2014 – 2020 and Social Inclusion Fiona Fortune

21. Marches LEP - Five Strategic Activities Strategic Activities with investment allocations are: • Enhancing Competitiveness, Research and Innovation and Enabling Technology • Supporting the Shift Towards a Low Carbon Economy • Supporting the Environment • Skills and Employment • Social Inclusion Social inclusion however is also reflected in some of the other Strategic Activities, such as digital inclusion in Activity 1 Marches LEP is now consulting on the Strategic Activities

22. Social Inclusion – 4 Sub-Priorities (with indicative activities) • 5.1 - Provide the means through which under-represented groups BECOME WORK READY, and are able to access learning, training and job opportunities • 5.2 - Engaging and supporting under-represented groups to enable them to OVERCOME BARRIERS to employment • 5.3 - Develop capacity at a local level which SUPPORTS AND EMPOWERS under-represented groups • 5.4 - Target GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS with high levels of unemployment, low education attainment levels and low income through a Community Led Local Development approach

23. What can be funded - Eligible Activity Focus is on supporting people furthest from the job market so they can make the transition to employment The investment is from Europe and can only fund eligible activity, it is about the economy and growth New guidance on potentially eligible activity • Outreach activity including taster courses to help improve take up and retention, eg summer schools, work based access courses • New methods of delivering learning to reach remote learners • Financial/bursary support for course related costs • Additional learning support HOWEVER, the eligibility will depend on final agreement with the European Commission

24. Social Inclusion Indicators Result Indicators (ESF) Number of participants engaged in positive activities that address barriers to work or widen participating in training (for example improving basic skills or life skills, volunteering in the community, undertaking work experience - Draft targets (312 MD) and (725 T) Output Indicators (ERDF) Number of enterprises receiving support, including social enterprises Output Indicators (ESF) Total number of participants - Draft targets (156 MD) and (362 T) Number of unemployed (including long term unemployed) participants Number of inactive participants Number of employed (including self employed) participants Number of participants aged 15-24

25. 5.4 - Target GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS (CLLD) CLLD characteristics: • Focus on smaller areas, • Investment typically into small local projects • Based on partners forming a Local Action Group • Change delivered through Local Development Strategy EU Investment • Both ERDF and ESF • Government has provided guidance Marches LEP have identified urban areas with highest levels of deprivation (IMD)

26. CLLD – WHAT NOW Within these deprived areas: • What are the challenges to be addressed? • Which groups should we be working with? • What type of activity is needed? Some questions the LEP need answers to: • One Local Action Group or do we need more? • Who should be on the Local Action Group? • Who would be the Accountable body, guidance says LA? Timescale: March 2014 Expression of interest Launched by Managing Authority June 2014 Deadline for expressions of interest September 2014 Successful applicants develop Local Development Strategy March 2015 Final strategy submitted May 2015 Strategy agreed, delivery starts

27. Exercise 1 - World Café Review the sub priority on your table. Working in your group highlight any changes/issues/comments on your flip chart paper. The facilitator on your table will be able to help you.

28. Coffee Break

29. Feedback from Exercise 1

30. Financials and Match Funding Fiona Fortune

31. Marches European Investment Framework 7 years (2014 – 2020) More Developed – Herefordshire Transition area –Shropshire and Telford& Wrekin Investment profiled across the 7 years – subject to EU and government

32. Investment Framework - Match Funding Social Inclusion Total EU Funding - £9,236,85 • All EU funding requires match funding Big Lottery Opt-in (Opt-out) • Match the social inclusion allocation, except CCLD • Big investment of £6,529,552 • New money - Additional to existing commitment e.g. Talent Match • Through voluntary sector • Will fund local need - not funding an organisations own agenda • Flexible and proportionate, LEPs have a say in approach CLLD • Match funding would need to be found from other sources

33. Big Lottery Opt-in, latest thinking Big Lottery application process, subject to change: • Big will deliver LEP allocation and lottery match • Partnership development funding – grant to LEP to help identify the most important partners to help to seek a lead organisation • Stage one – ideally single application from lead organisation with a number of delivery partners • Stage two – development funding to help applicants prepare business/delivery plan • Funding commences – 5% lead in payment to set up monitoring • Smaller scale investments could be via RC type application LEPs involved at all stages including on Big Lottery panel/committee Big lottery will need processes in place to be ERDF compliant and ensure spend and delivery will meet investment profiles

34. Other potential funders DWP • EU funding to accordance with DWP opt-in • Focus on employment and skill outputs • DWP would be contracted to deliver Princes Trust • Funding to match work with young people • Would look to extend current programmes Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund • Lottery funding would be available • Local priorities would need to meet the funder priorities • Unclear if a new programme for LEPs or through current programmes Other trust and funders Local funding where additionally can be demonstrated

35. Exercise 2 - Priorities Look back the sub priority on your table. Which activities would you prioritise under: a) Biggest need a)Higher percentage of spend Highlight your decisions by using a star system: *** three stars for high priority ** two stars for medium priority *one star for low priority Use your flipchart paper to capture why you have made these decisions.

36. Feedback from Exercise 1

37. Next Steps and Priorities Sonia Roberts

38. Thank you for attending