What does the report say?

Evaluation of Gender Equality and Equal opportunities (GE&EO) in ESF: DWP Research Report 667

The need for practical, on-the-ground support, improvements in delivery, and a tightening of policies lie at the heart of the recommendations of this evaluation, undertaken by the National Centre for Social and Economic Research and based on extensive research with Contract Managers and providers. Within a strong and challenging context of domestic and European legislation and contract demands, the report highlights plenty of good intentions but plenty of opportunities for improvement.

Effective implementation hinges on the skills, capacity and knowledge of those responsible, but also on their attitudes. With CFO Contract Managers clearly in the front line, targeted action to support their work is recommended, and the training and toolkit delivered by ECOTEC in 2009 is seen as invaluable.

Service delivery across ESF features a ‘dual’ approach of EO integrated into all services, but also targeting, outreach, flexibility in provision, and active employer engagement. The evaluation highlights widespread recognition of the effectiveness of approaches based on these principles, but also points to a lack of consistency across the programme and concerns about contracting arrangements driving out diversity. The adoption of EO targets in the programme is assessed as aiding understanding of progress and identifying areas for particular attention (such as female participation in Priority One), but also as introducing risks of distorted priorities and delivery to meet ‘paper targets’.

Although policies were good at an overall level, the evaluation recommends greater specificity, including clear responsibilities for named individuals, published timetables for review, and more use of Equality Impact Assessments.

The report features a wealth of specific good practice examples, such as:

For policies, monitoring and funding bodies:

  • statutory bodies making their Equal Opportunities policies available to sub-contractors as hard, practical examples
  • policies setting out key principles of direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation and harassment, being explicit about the underpinning legislation, and giving practical examples and clear signposting for readers
  • acknowledgement of the duty placed on public bodies to promote racial, disability and gender equality, with reference to the new requirements of the Equality Act 2010
  • regular, formal reviews with clear timetables, criteria and individualised responsibilities
  • well organised training course, lasting up to two days, on equality strands, legislation, and public duties, with uniform attendance, and tailoring to roles and responsibilities
  • equality Impact Assessments (EIA) taken seriously with clear setting out of their aims, benefits, and value, not just the process
  • toolkits for EIA available within the organisation.

Promotion of retention through flexible design and delivery of provision:

Mentors are often recruited from participant cohorts and can provide participants with an important source of support, with new participants able to identify with them. Peer Mentors are often successfully used to support young and older participants, and those undergoing career or sector changes.

Flexible timing, locations and structure of courses are important. Venues should be easy for participants to reach. Remote learning could be considered for people with disabilities and specific groups, for example, Muslim women.

For young people:

  • continuous support, including during school holiday periods
  • content and delivery designed to be engaging
  • youth-led sessions encouraging more ownership.

For ethnic minority groups:

  • assisting with English language skills, which positively affects the participant’s confidence in their ability to access employment
  • assisting participants to have their skills and qualifications recognised in the UK (awareness of the UK Conversion programme).

For the over-50s:

  • overcoming perceptions of employer prejudice, providing reassurance and confidence
  • creatively exploring participants’ skills, for example, self-employment possibilities through interests such as sewing
  • sending participants on training to update employment and work-related skills, making them more relevant to current labour market needs
  • increasing motivation to enter employment, and confidence in employers through work placements
  • overcoming participant unwillingness to undertake learning by providing neutral venues such as libraries and community centres (not school-related venues).

For working with employers:

  • help to make employers more aware of simple adjustments that can be made to facilitate a suitable environment for people with disabilities, and providing them with advice and support
  • tackling employer perceptions that making these adjustments is not financially viable, for example, by providing information on the government’s Access to Work Scheme
  • access to opportunities for remote working, one-to-one support, and provision of support as it is required (for example, for people with learning disabilities).

Examples of successful targeting include:

  • posters, and having staff in provider organisations with specialised knowledge
  • arranging outreach events targeting specific ethnic minority communities
  • visiting community centres, craft and sports clubs, charity shops, school gates
  • employing staff who can communicate with non-English-speaking communities, and who understand their specific needs and can raise awareness, and understand needs and aspirations
  • important staff skills – the ability to speak a relevant Asian language, for example, and strong links with local ethnic minority communities.

The ECOTEC Equal Opportunities Toolkit, referenced as a particularly valuable resource, is available exclusively here on ESF Works, as is our interview with Patrick Eastwood from the West Midlands Councils, showing how in one region a focused initiative amongst providers is helping to improve the quality of policies in practice.