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A new document outlines what Social Security Scotland's principles of "dignity" and "respect" will mean in practice.

Created by people with experience of the existing social security system, “Our Charter” outlines in detail what people will be able to expect from the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland when accessing Scotland’s new social security system.

Following production of the charter, the Scottish Government must explain to the Scottish Parliament what it has done to make sure its commitments are being delivered. The Scottish Commission on Social Security, chaired by Dr Sally Witcher, will also report to the Scottish Parliament on how it thinks the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland are doing against “Our Charter”.

Image: Dr Sally Witcher, OBE

Cabinet Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “This charter' explains how Scotland will do things differently, creating a positive and supportive system that is there for all of us should we need it. There are few, if any, parallel examples of a Government working so closely with the people it serves to shape a public service.  The charter therefore goes to the heart of our commitment to work with the people of Scotland to co-design a system based on fairness, dignity and respect.”

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ABC Note: The Scottish Security Alliance Charter can be downloaded below:

Think Tank Demos launch the Carers Covenant.

The rise of informal carers is one of the biggest demographic shifts in recent British history. Demos estimate there are now almost eight million informal carers in the UK. This makes the informal care economy equivalent to £139 billion – more than seven times the UK’s total annual spend on adult social care.

But as our new research finds, government policy has failed to keep pace with these changes, leaving too many carers without the support they need. Demos report sets out a radical overhaul of current policy, including the introduction of a new Universal Carer’s Income for all carers providing more than 35 hours a week, paid at the same rate as Jobseeker’s Allowance.

With the Government’s upcoming social care Green Paper and the potential for a shortage in social care staff post-Brexit, now is the time for a Carers’ Covenant.

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ABC Note please download the PDF below:

The ABC had a wonderful piece of publicity today from the highly prestigious: The Parliament magazine.

A special thank you goes to Managing Editor, Brian Johnson who picked up on our story. 

PLEASE click on the logo to visit The Parliament magazine website and to read the article:

Southern Regional College launches Assured Skills Welding Academy

Southern Regional College (SRC) is teaming up with two local companies to offer 10 people the opportunity to gain valuable welding skills at its Portadown campus.

The Department for the Economy’s Assured Skills Academy offered at SRC will give participants five weeks of training in the college, followed by a two-week placement at either steel fabricators Walter Watson Ltd of Castlewellan or Loughgall-based specialised vehicle manufacturers Annard Ltd.

Successfully completing the course will result in a guaranteed interview for employment.

Highlighting the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience, Ann Williamson, Head of Employer Skills at the Department for the Economy, said: “This Assured Skills Welding Academy follows the successful delivery of similar collaborative training models with other Further Education colleges and companies in Northern Ireland. By enabling participants to learn in a college environment and subsequently in a company, we are helping local businesses to access the skilled workforce they need to grow their operations.”

Terry McGonigal, Director of Finance and Planning at SRC, said: “This Academy offers an opportunity for people to gain the necessary skills for a career in welding. No experience or qualifications are required as we will give successful applicants the required training to get started in a career in welding.

“The college is proud to collaborate with local employers to deliver training and knowledge support and this Assured Skills Academy is another step forward on that journey.”

Image: Learn to weld at the Southern Regional College.

Trevor Scott, General Manager of Walter Watson Ltd, said: “We very much appreciate the support from the Department for the Economy and Southern Regional College in enabling us to source skilled people who will help the company continue to grow. The model of collaboration is a successful one and we look forward to working with successful applicants.”

Jeanette Cherry, Head of Purchasing at Annard Ltd, said: “We are always looking out for new skilled people to join our dedicated workforce and this Assured Skills Academy is the ideal way for someone to get involved in welding and potentially set themselves up for a rewarding career.”

Applications for the SRC Welding Assured Skills Academy are open until 25 January 2019. Applicants must be age 18 by the closing date and no experience or qualifications are necessary. Applicants must not have asthma in order to be suitable for welding.

For more information and details of how to apply visit: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/assured-skills

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Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., today commented on the monthly unemployment figures, which were published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today and show that, by the end of 2018, unemployment now stands at 5.3 percent. The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed was 127,100 in December 2018 – a decrease of 20,000 when compared to December 2017. The figure for the end of 2018 represents a stark contrast to February 2012, when unemployment peaked at 16 percent – the same month the Government launched its first annual Action Plan for Jobs.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for young people (aged 15–24) was 12.2 percent, down from 13.3 percent in December 2017 and at the lowest rate since May 2008.

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Alchemy Technology Services in Derry~Londonderry has launched its second Assured Skills Academy offering 20 training places and a potential career path in the company.

Funded by the Department for the Economy and delivered in conjunction with North West Regional College (NWRC), the Academy will give five weeks of industry-relevant pre-employment training to successful applicants and a guaranteed job interview at Alchemy Technology Services upon completion of the course.

Speaking about the Academy, Ann Williamson, Head of Employer Skills at the Department for the Economy, said: “Following the successful establishment of Alchemy Technology Services in the North West last year, this second Academy is an excellent opportunity for local people to get involved in an exciting sector and kick-start their career.

“The Department’s Assured Skills Academies help to support the local economy by offering employers access to people with the right skills to help their expanding businesses thrive. In 2018 more than 1,300 jobs were promoted through Assured Skills Academies and we are continuing to work with businesses, Further Education colleges and universities to deliver more Academies across a range of sectors.”

John Harkin, Director and Founder of Alchemy Technology Services, said: “Alchemy is committed to growing our business in the North West and to this end we are delighted to once again be working with North West Regional College and the Department to offer 20 people high quality training opportunities and a guaranteed interview at Alchemy to those who complete the training.

“Our first Academy proved very popular and this new Academy will build on that success. Applicants do not require any experience; all we ask for is a good academic qualification in a business or IT related discipline at HND or above. Academy participants will receive training with NWRC that will enable them to hit the ground running at Alchemy and launch a career in insurance technology.”

Nicola Curry, Business Development Manager at NWRC, added: “NWRC has established strong links with the local business community. Whether it be training new and existing staff, or providing cutting edge research and innovation expertise, the college, with support from the Department for the Economy, can help local businesses to maximise their potential and go further than before.

“We look forward to delivering training to the next cohort of trainees for the Alchemy Technology Services Assured Skills Academy and equipping them with the skills they need to excel in their future career.”

Applications for the second Alchemy Technology Services Assured Skills Academy are open until 23 January 2019. Previous experience is not required but a good academic result (such as a BSC in Computer Science or equivalent from third level institution) is desirable with the minimum level of education required to be successful in the role being HND in an IT related discipline. A degree in a Business / Finance area with technology included will also be considered, with any European language skills being a plus.

For more information and details of how to apply visit https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/assured-skills-training-programme

Image: The Alchemy Team

ABC Note: Assured Skills is a pre-employment training programme run by the Department for the Economy. More information at: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/articles/assured-skills-programme 

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Coleraine company, WD Meats is offering unemployed people job opportunities, after they successfully complete a two-week Bridge to Employment training programme.

In conjunction with the Department for the Economy, the meat processing company WD Meats has developed this intensive training programme, which covers, health and safety, manual handling, selecting, checking and packing of primal cuts, and standard operating procedures for online packing. The training will be based at the WD Meats premises in Coleraine.

The selection process for a training place will include an information day and an interview. Following successful completion of the training programme individuals will be guaranteed an interview with WD Meats with a view to offering permanent employment as Production Operatives.   

Launching this Bridge to Employment opportunity, Ann Williamson, Head of Employer Skills, said: “Through the Department’s Bridge to Employment programme, those who are unemployed have been able to successfully undertake training and gain meaningful employment in a range of jobs which contribute to the growth of the local economy. This pre-employment training opportunity with WD Meats will equip participants with some of the skills needed to start their career journey in the meat processing industry."

Image: Coleraine company, WD Meats

Lisa Ross, Financial Controller in WD Meats commented: “At WD Meats we are passionate about our products and offer rewarding and exciting opportunities for dedicated people. We hope that through the Bridge to Employment programme to gain young talent with the passion and drive to work in a challenging environment. We are keen to offer people the opportunity to gain experience in a vital sector of the Northern Irish economy and not only help them grow professionally but also develop skills for life.” 

Further information on this Bridge to Employment opportunity and how to apply can be found at: www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/bridge-employment

The closing date for applications is 21 January 2019 at 4pm. Applicants must be unemployed and between the ages of 18 and 24.

ABC Note: Bridge to Employment is a pre-employment training programme that helps companies recruit unemployed people whatever their experience of work.

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Amber Rudd today confirmed 10,000 people would go through a managed migration pilot with no assurances from the Secretary of State that any changes would be made to the deeply flawed system.

When questioned by the SNP MP in the House of Commons today, the Secretary of State was unable to commit to making any changes before the summer but confirmed the managed migration pilot would go ahead for thousands of people, adding to the million and a half already forced onto Universal Credit.

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The SNP has given a cautious welcome to reports today that the next stage of the controversial universal credit rollout is to be delayed.
 
The House of Commons was due to vote on proposals to move a further three million claimants onto the universal credit by summer 2019, but this will now be postponed with the Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd seeking approval to move just 10,000 onto the new system.
 
A United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty recently opened a scathing attack on universal credit warning that the system was “mean spirited and often callous”.
 
SNP MP Neil Gray has consistently led demands at Westminster to halt the roll-out of universal credit.
 
Commenting, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Neil Gray MP said:
 
“Any pause to the botched roll-out of Universal Credit is welcome, but it shouldn’t have taken this long for the Tories to listen to the SNP and the huge number of anti-poverty charities who have condemned the system.
 
“The roll-out of Universal Credit to areas across Scotland has already seen more people pushed into poverty, debt and destitution - forcing families to rely on food banks and emergency aid just to get by.
 
“Now that the penny appears to have finally dropped, the Tories must now take this opportunity to overhaul the system and fix the problems that have caused so much misery in Scotland and across the UK.
 
“The United Nations by Philip Alston confirmed that poverty is this Tory government’s political choice - the Secretary of State’s head in the sand approach to this criticism is itself a shocking indictment of this government's attitude.

“Any movement to mitigate the worst of the problems that the botched rollout of Universal Credit has caused is welcome, but fundamental reform is urgently needed for those who have already been affected.”

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A recent Parliamentary question to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has revealed that 90,000 employment and support allowance (ESA) claims were not processed within the 10-day target

Commenting on the question, Rachel Hickman, Senior Parliamentary and Public Affairs Adviser at Parkinson’s UK, said:

“This finding confirms what we hear from so many people with Parkinson’s, who say assessment delays wreak havoc on their lives – vital payments are delayed, and a huge amount of stress is piled on top of handling their often already difficult living situations.

“We hope this confirmation of the staggering scale of the failure will provide further incentive for the Government urgently to work with us to improve the system and, by extension, the lives of thousands of vulnerable people.

“The Government has sat on its hands for too long – the time to act is now.

Frank Field, chairman of the Commons work and pensions select committee, said the problem was on a scale of "historic proportions".

He said: "I'm still gobsmacked at the size and the nature and the extent and the coverage of people that have been wrongly impoverished by the department getting it wrong."

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