The Teacake Club

Building a learning community of front line welfare to work staff

Richard Scothorne, Rocket ScienceFaye Thomas, Cardinalis

Creating a learning network of third sector front line staff to enhance service

performance and create sustainable organisations

Outline

• The situation• Needs and responses• Sustainability and replicability• What is happening elsewhere?

The situation…

• Range of small community based third sector organisations

• Some specialist providers (eg BME)• Varied staff skills and experience• Mixed performance• Managing shift to outcome based approach

Objectives…

• Deepen staff skills• Enhance client experience• Strengthen organisational performance• Increase likelihood of thriving with outcome

funding

Needs…

• Feel part of a sharing and learning community• Understanding who can help• Specific areas of learning – facilitated sharing

and external input• Ready source of tools and techniques• Strengthen performance management• Help to put into practice and deal with issues

An integrated response…

• Monthly networking lunches (‘The Teacake Club’)

• Members only website• Development programme – workshops tailored

to needs• Access to new tools/methods • Support to develop bespoke tools for their role• Support hotline (email and phone)

Teacake Club website

Development Programme• Designed with participants• Priority areas for development• Confidence levels around each topic• Key issues for exploration• Specialist skills

• Learning from peers• External input and discussion• Good practice, tools and techniques• Action planning

9

Development Programme• Assessment • Great CVs• Helping clients get motivated• Collecting and using management

information to improve performance• Engaging with employers for sustained

outcomes• Helping clients stay in work

10

Workshop Taster….Assessment• Objectives• The Learning Journey• Assessment types• Key aspects of good assessment – What works for you?• The assessment process• Assessing employability• Legal and Quality Assurance requirements• The Individual Learning Plan• Review and action planning• Useful tools

Supported breakouts

Observed role play

Role play

Action Planning

• Each adviser creates an action plan which:– Describes what they will do individually to

improve their practice– Describes how they will influence their

organisation to improve performance

Big themes emerging• Demand led – start with jobs and work back• Clarity about markets – Which clients? Which employers?• Measure, review and improve performance• Draw on clients and employers: intelligence, co-design• Get the match right• Staying true to values• Creating a cost effective delivery community• Co-designing the commissioning process and KPIs (funder

present)

Big themes emerging

Control

Influence

Anticipate

Observe

Scorecard results….What retention in work involves

I’m not clear what retention in work involves

I know a bit about what retention in work involves

I’m reasonably clear about what retention in work involves

I’m clear about what retention in work involves

I am completely sure about what retention in work involves 2.94.5 +55%

Why people lose jobs

I don’t really understand why people lose their job

I understand aspects of why people lose their job

I understand most aspects of why people lose their job

I understand why people lose their job

I completely understand why people lose their job 3.34.4 +33%

Why people succeed in a job

I don’t really understand why people succeed in a job

I understand some of the aspects of why people succeed in a job

I understand the main aspects of why people succeed in a job

I understand the range of aspects of why people succeed in a job

I completely understand the full range of aspects of why people succeed in a job 3.54.4 +27%

How to enhance job retention

I don’t know much about how to help my clients stay in work

I know a bit about how to help my clients stay in work

I know the basics about how to help my clients stay in work

I know most of what I need to know about how to help my clients stay in work

I’m completely confident I understand how to help my clients stay in work

2.94.2 +45%

Action – me I am not clear about what I need to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I know a little about what I need to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I know some of the main things I need to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I know many of the main things I need to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I am very clear about what I need to do to enhance job retention among our clients 2.84.2 +50%

Action – my organisation

I am not clear about what my organisation needs to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I know a little about what my organisation needs to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I know some of the main things my organisation needs to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I know many of the main things my organisation needs to do to enhance job retention among our clients

I am very clear about what my organisation needs to do to enhance job retention among our clients

2.94.2 +45%

Before and after scores/5

• Assessment 2.7 3.9• Management information 2.8 4.0• Client motivation 2.9 4.4• Employer Engagement 3.1 4.4• Retention in Work 3.0 4.3

What they said...

“Thanks for the sessions last week…awesome… they have all said how much they enjoyed it.”

John PowellSenior Project Officer

Employment and Skills Team

What they said...... delivered in an enthused, refreshing way. Tackled the hurdles,

practices and procedures welfare to work providers encounter...extremely useful both personally and for the development and motivation of my staff.

..well structured and informative..new ideas which I have used to improve the quality of our provision.

… good to share best practice and experiences with other advisors and

find out more about their organisations and what they can offer. ...took away best practices, reflective practices, useful information,

experiences from other people, which we have used to improve performance.

Why it works…

• Led by staff needs• Responds to different ways of learning• Accessible when people need it• Creating a community – feeling less isolated

and part of a greater service• Take away techniques and approaches that

are seen as practical and valuable• Low cost, maximum impact

Questions and issues

• Other integrated approaches?• Other development programmes and the

difference made?• What works in other areas?

Thank you!

• Richard Scothorne– 07774 141 610– richard.scothorne@rocketsciencelab.co.uk

• Faye Thomas– 07929 430 035– fayethomas@cardinalis.uk.com