• Support unemployed people to access work, learning and volunteering
  
• Support employers to recruit and retain staff
  
• Work in partnership with a range of service providers
  
• Maintain a client-centred approach

Since its establishment in 2002, NewCEP have assisted 1558 local people to move towards employment, of these:

• 33% have secured and sustained employment
  
• 35% have entered training/education
  
• 7% have entered voluntary work or a work placement to improve skills

Demand for NewCEP's services continues to remain high, with referrals increasing year on year. NewCEP maintains a wide partnership and referral network to ensure that as many clients as possible access the service and that we link to the needs of local business.

The CESI report 2006 has identified NewCEP as a model of good practice for local supported employment to meet the needs of East Sussex.

In 2006/2007 NewCEP succeeded in:

• Providing information, advice and guidance on work, learning and volunteering opportunities to 356 local people.
  
• The majority had many barriers to work: 198 people (56%) having qualifications below NVQ level 2, 67 people (19%) having a disability, and 120 people being long-term unemployed (34%)
  
• 93 people (26%) were receiving inactive benefits (ill or lone-parents)
  
• 141 people successfully moved into paid employment (40%)
  
• 165 people undertook training (45%)
  
• 33 people progressed into voluntary opportunities (10%)
  
• Established 2 additional outreach service at Lewes District Foyer and Peacehaven Library. We are already delivering outreach provision at Newhaven Jobcentre Plus and the Denton Island Children and Family Centre as well as Summerhayes.
  
• Delivering the NewCEP range of services to disadvantaged clients funded through the Area Investment Framework, ESF, Next Step, and co-financed projects from the Learning and Skills Council with Sussex Downs College & Impact Initiatives. We also started delivering the Skills Coaching contract to Jobcentre Plus customers whose main barrier employment is a skills gap.
  
• NewCEP secured additional funding for IT equipment and to develop Jobsearch workshops - a short course devised specifically for NewCEP clients to assist those with low skills to move towards employment.
  
• NewCEP overachieved on the delivery of the ESF funded project giving advice and guidance to 323 clients; Next Step contract met targets working with 185 clients; LSC with Sussex Down College assisted 34 local volunteers to attend 48 training courses; LSC with Impact assisted 26 disabled adults to move towards employment.
  
• Working with 41 business to improve their capacity to recruit NewCEP clients.
  
• Providing short non-accredited courses in Human Resource and Health and Safety issues to encourage business to engage with the project and employ clients. 201 employees attending 26 courses.
  
• Maintaining the HR cluster meeting quarterly to support 8 local businesses in their HR practice.
  
• NewCEP started delivery of a job club every Friday afternoon to assist clients on a regular basis with completion application forms, compilation of CVs and job search support.
  
• Conclusion of the research funded through the East Sussex Economic Partnership and undertaken by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion which established a robust model of the economic impact of the NewCEP brokerage service and its potential as a model of good practice for other areas of deprivation in East Sussex, particularly the market towns. We have been working with partners to seek funding to pilot the NewCEP model in the market towns.
  
• Investigating future funding with partners to maintain and develop work with the most disadvantaged jobseekers and establish a hub for advice in the town. Negotiated Small Rural Towns funding with East Sussex Economic Partnership.
  
• Reaccreditiation of NewCEP with the Matrix standard for information, advice and guidance with 11 areas of excellence.
  
• Maintaining a service model of one to one tailor-made support; partnership with employers, training providers and other partners; community-based and skilled staff team.

Steering Group:

Advice on the implementation of NewCEP has been through an active steering group including representation from: local businesses (Sussex Signs, Enterprise Works and Main Systems), Sussex Downs College, Sussex Careers, Connexions, Newhaven Strategic Network, Tideway School, Jobcentre Plus, Sussex Learning and Skills Council, East Sussex Economic Partnership, SEEDA and Rainer Housing.

User Involvement:

• NewCEP gains operational advice from the Partnership Forum of representatives from a range of partner agencies including Connexions, Sussex Downs College, Jobcentre Plus, Sussex Probation, EYDC, ESDA and Millennium Volunteers.
  
• 4 Users forums took place to enable clients to comment on services and steer the project; feedback was also gathered through telephone and postal surveys.

 

                  

   

 

20th November 2008