Background

Kaleidoscope began working in partnership with the Jobcentre Plus in 2008 to support lone parents who had been unemployed for more than ten years back into work in the education sector. The initial pilot welfare-to-work project aimed to support 20 lone parents back into sustainable employment within a six month period. Kaleidoscope successfully placed all of them in local schools and nurseries, over 95% remained in this employment for more than one year. Since then they have delivered  job outcome rates of 85% on all of the job brokerage services they provide to the economically disadvantaged groups with whom they work.

Project delivery and key roles

It takes teamwork to deliver the specialised support needed for both enabling participants to get into employment, but also to sustain the employment. The key roles within the project are:

• Project manager - Responsible for the overall running of the project , capacity building and organising partnership work with other community and voluntary organisations.
• Sector-specific job broker – Each job broker has local contacts supported by a proven track record in that specific industry sector . Sectors that have been identified to offer most appropriate employment prospects to parents are administration, education, hospitality and retail. The project works with job brokers in each sector to support participants in the area of work they wish to enter.
• Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG )and training adviser – The IAG adviser specialises in preparing the customer for the labour market. This includes strengthening interview technique, confidence, and addressing – and removing, if possible – any barriers such a childcare issues, literacy and numeracy, etc. In one-to-one sessions the adviser helps them with long-term career goals, organises appropriate training options and supports them in learning other life skills such as finance and budgeting.
• Employer Engagement Officer – Develops and builds relationships with employers and searches for new positions and sustainable vacancies in the participant’s chosen job sector.
• In-work support – These advisers support the customer for up to 26 weeks after they have entered their employment and liaise with the employer to ensure all is well. The ongoing support is a key element to the project’s success in achieving sustainable employment.

Aims and challenges

Project aims

The Kaleidoscope Prepare, Access and Success project gives non-working parents consistent long-term one-to-one support and sources sustainable employment through their programme of job brokerage. The target group for this project is lone parents based within the London boroughs of Croydon, Merton, Sutton, Richmond, Kingston and Southwark who are long-term unemployed. This includes people from workless households currently in receipt of income support who are not actively looking for work. The purpose of the project is to prepare the parents for work which starts, initially, with discussing what it can mean to return to work to help them develop some confidence and reduce fear or stress. The project gives each parent an individualised support service and is able to take the time needed to find the right career and training opportunities for each participant. Kaleidoscope expects to achieve sustainable employment and further training opportunities which will lead to employment for their participants. They also aim to develop the participant’s financial independence, confidence and self esteem.

Barriers to participation

Their families are the highest priority for this group and for a job to be sustainable, it must both fit well around their family life and provide them with the means to be financially better off working, as the key barriers this client group faces when returning to work often relate to childcare issues and the financial pressures of being the sole "breadwinner" for the household. Other barriers include relatively little work experience and lack of qualifications, lack of confidence, care responsibilities, generational barriers, fear, and lack of self worth. The project has also supported parents with drug and alcohol dependency issues, domestic violence and mental health issues. Although there are common factors relating to family responsibilities, each participant brings a different combination of challenges and the project tailors their services and support to help each individual to overcome whatever is preventing them from gaining employment.

Tailored support for sustained outcomes

Every participant is given a minimum of six hours of individual support during which parents receive advice and redirection onto a pathway towards sustainable job opportunities in their chosen career field. Project advisers work with participants to develop a personal action plan which includes activities designed to develop vocational skills and qualifications, opportunities for work-related activity and which, ultimately, leads to placing parents into sustainable work or moves them considerably closer to the labour market. Kaleidoscope also work in partnership with training providers that offer level 2 or 3 qualifications, allowing participants to embark upon a course of training which may take between six months and a year. These qualifications support their participants in feeling more confident and work-ready. Work placement opportunities offer an excellent way to build a person’s confidence. The project identified growth sectors such as retail and education which offer family-friendly vacancies and, in many cases, coordinate with school term times. Kaleidoscope works closely with public sector organisations such as schools, and local community organisations, to facilitate candidates' access to these positions.

Kaleidoscope Ltd's equal opportunity strategy

It is the project's policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of:

• Gender, including gender reassignment
• Marital or civil partnership status
• Having or not having dependants
• Religious belief or political opinion
• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins)
• Disability
• Sexual orientation
• Age.

The project is opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. All job applicants, employees and others who work for the project will be treated fairly and will not be discriminated against on any of the above grounds. Decisions about recruitment and selection, promotion, training or any other benefit will be made objectively and without unlawful discrimination. The project recognises that the provision of equal opportunities in the workplace is not only good management practice, it also makes sound business sense. The equal opportunities policy will help all those who work for the project to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the workforce will be utilised fully to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.

Kaleidoscope Ltd's sustainability strategy

Kaleidoscope Ltd is committed to promoting sustainability. Concern for the environment and promoting a broader sustainability agenda are integral to Kaleidoscope’s professional activities and the management of the organisation. Kaleidoscope aims to follow and to promote good sustainability practice, to reduce the environmental impact of all their activities and to help clients and partners to do the same.

Kaleidoscope Ltd's sustainability policy is based upon the following principles:

• To comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
• To integrate sustainability considerations into all business decisions.
• To ensure that all staff are fully aware of the Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.
• To minimise the impact on sustainability of all office and transportation activities.
• To make clients and suppliers aware of the Sustainability Policy, and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
• To review, annually report, and to continually strive to improve sustainability performance.

Work Programme

Kaleidoscope is working in partnership with A4e to provide an innovative service to support jobseekers from Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich. Kaleidoscope will be delivering the core elements of provision from their new training rooms based in the centre of Elephant and Castle. Kaleidoscope's end-to-end provision has been tailor-made to give customers a choice, meet their individual needs, and provide opportunities to work in a variety of different sectors including childcare and education, hospitality, administration, and retail and sales. Kaleidoscope has established partnerships with a number of high profile employers and large retail chains.