A significant number of people who have been unemployed for a year or more have health or social issues that make their return to work more difficult. Figures released recently have suggested that economic and unemployment problems have triggered a 43% rise in prescriptions of anti-depressants in the UK over the last four years. Recent articles in the press bamboozle us with statistics from government, think tanks - and suppliers like my company A4e - with the number of people who are, or are not, 'fit for work'.
All this is a slightly academic debate - my optimistic view says everyone can work, eventually. However, working through people's personal barriers, health issues, problems at home and so on, doesn't become any easier following this assessment. One good thing about some recent UK reforms to welfare and other public services is that people who previously could not access support or help can now do so. That is a good thing.
However, public service providers must do more to treat their customers as individuals. For example, it is essential that new welfare approaches from the UK government which allow operators that freedom (the Work Programme) respond to that challenge.
Personal budgets, which were an important component of the government's recent Public Service White Paper, are a significant part of this. One way my organisation has sought to differentiate its services to customers is the way we personalise what we offer. We seek to design and deliver the services around the needs of individuals. We are a business built on tackling issues and generating positive outcomes. We will not shirk away from walking towards difficult or intractable problems- we will try to find solutions.
The range of markets we work in - health, legal services, debt, skills, independent living - reflect the needs of our consumers. Our customers have personal advisors who broker and deliver the support they need and help people address the difficulties they are dealing with. We need to work with lots of different organisations expert in these areas to ensure the individual gets the support they need. Where customers can use personal budgets, it is amazing to see the positive decisions they make, the changes in their behaviour and often the savings created as they take responsibility for managing the services to address their needs.
Through our services for people who are unemployed, one of the critical issues we deal with is the raft of other problems that people accumulate as they spend longer being unemployed. As well as a loss of confidence and self-esteem, disconnection from the labour market and loss of skills, there are deeper issues such as mental health problems, debt, family difficulties, housing issues and, in some cases, drug and alcohol addiction that must be taken into account.
An important aspect of how we approached welfare services in the UK and overseas, where we are funded on outcomes based on supporting individuals, is the 'black box' approach. We design tailored, specific services to address the needs of each individual on the programme in a personalised way throughout their journey into work. Each person's route will be different and our services - and those of our partners - must reflect that. It is not easy and we do not always get it right first time but we continuously need feedback from consumers on how we make this work better as well as delivering against the priorities of the governments we work with.
It might sound obvious but the needs of graduates seeking employment are very different to young people with no qualifications, quite apart from the social issues that might have a bearing on their circumstances. It's therefore vital that we have a range of support structures in place. A4e's holistic approach incorporates comprehensive support services, including; health, nutrition, technology access, motivational courses, and financial advice. Similarly for older people out of work, the range of services, and those who provide that, will be distinct from other groups of customers.
In recent years, many public services have become 'over programmed'. Every new issue was seemingly addressed by a new 'initiative'. Commissioners, suppliers, financiers, consumers - we all need to adjust our expectations. We must be bold and innovative. The Work Programme in the UK is at the cutting edge of this change - coupled with payment by results - and will need to be iterated to succeed and develop new ways to support people into work and self employment. More quickly, more people, for longer!