European Social Fund in England

Crossing boundaries

Project Title: Crossing Boundaries (1.1a)

Lead Applicant: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames / Connexions South London

Region: London, including all 5 London LSC areas (North, East, South, West and Central)

Funding: LSC Pan-London ESF Objective 3

Target group: Unemployed young people, particularly from BME groups

Nature of activity: Provision of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) and referrals to further learning / training

Outcomes:

• 2000 initial contacts
• 760 beneficiaries receiving IAG
• 532 beneficiaries who progress onto further learning, training or education on leaving programme (including progression to Level 1-2 NVQ training)
• 2 Research reports
• Pan-London Connexions Information Sharing protocol

The project pilots the use of brokers to ensure that young people who are at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) are effectively tracked and supported. The project primarily focuses on young people who receive their education outside of their home London borough. It targets beneficiaries suffering from a number of barriers to employment, often multiple barriers, to prevent them from becoming long-term unemployed. The manageable size of the broker's workload means that s/he can offer intense, holistic support to young people in need. Working with educational and social services across Boroughs where appropriate is, for instance, an important element of the tailored approach provided.

The project is a pilot focusing on six London Boroughs to be rolled out across Connexions services regionally if successful. Prior to the project, there was little work across Connexions boundaries meaning beneficiaries were not often tracked successfully. The project has led to enhanced tracking results thanks to the use of the dedicated brokers and cross-boundary work which has meant earlier intervention and lower risk of young people falling into NEET. Communication, information sharing and collaboration between Connexions partners/providers across London have also been improving as a result of the Crossing Boundaries project.

Results are already evident. In Islington, beneficiaries actively targeted by the broker have benefited from the broker's assistance, including motivation and encouragement as well as CV writing, with the ultimate aim of reducing high rates of NEET in this Borough. 55% of beneficiaries supported so far within the Islington pilot had never visited a Connexions centre prior to the initial contact with the project. In Haringey, the broker is particularly targeting young pregnant women and young women with children with an interrupted career pattern and who have attended schools and colleges outside this Borough.