Agenda item

Report to follow

The Committee scrutinised an Update report presented by Donna McLaughlin, Director of Social Value Creation, Northern Care Alliance on employment support, local recruitment and ongoing items from the NCA NHS Group in relation to the Oldham Care Organisation.

The NCA is one of the largest employers in Oldham. In September 21 an update was provided to the Oldham Overview and Scrutiny Committee on employment support and local recruitment.  Questions were asked in that report which are summarized below alongside with a general update on progress.

NCA has agreed by 2025 the following ambitions:

·                     Create 1000 pre-employment opportunities across the NCA for those furthest away from the employment from a baseline of 320. 

·                     85% of pre-employment learners will be supported into paid work from NCA

·                     60% of those employed by the NCA to be residents of Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, and Salford.

·                     Support 1000 staff to become NHS Career Ambassadors by 2023.

Donna McLaughlin informed the Committee that the goal is to getting local people into jobs. In response to a question regarding funding she advised that some funding has been obtained via partnerships and some through grants.

Currently the Oldham Organisation was in the process of seeking other sources of funding with the ultimate aim of achieving funding via internal resources. The Organisation had given itself a time frame until 2025 to prove its concept. She advised that a further 12 months operation of the various programme initiatives the Organisation was involved with will give a clearer view of funding resources for the future of the concept.

Responding to Members concerns about avenues for local people to get themselves onto career ladders when the bar for entering a profession was so high for many people. Donna McLaughlin informed Members that they are working with employers on recruitment with the aim to enable a line of entry to their professions by people who do not have the required qualifications but who do have knowledge and experience which would give them the background be admitted into an apprenticeship or similar way to qualify in a profession. She drew the Committee’s attention to the ‘One Stop’ recruitment event scheduled for 18 January 2023 which in partnership with DWP, Get Oldham Working and other health and social care employers is aimed at ‘level entry roles’ and Oldham residents can attend the event to receive advice, complete an application form, undergo a functional maths and english test, have an interview and receive a conditional job offer on the same day. She would provide a report for the Committee on the outcome of the event.

Resolved:

(i)         that Donna McLaughlin be thanked for her presentation and that she be invited to attend a Policy Overview and Scrutiny meeting in 12 months time to give an update on employment support and local recruitment in Oldham; and

(ii)        that a working group be set up in January 2023 comprising Members of this Committee to discuss the issue of funding for the Oldham Care Organisation NCA  NHS Group in relation to its programme of employment support and local recruitment for the Oldham Care Organisation.