Fair Start Scotland: evaluation report 4 - year 3 overview

4. FSS Participants' Motivation to Return to Work and Reasons for Leaving Early

This chapter starts by reporting on the motivation of FSS participants to return to work, the impact joining FSS had on this motivation and the reasons for joining FSS. It then focuses on describing barriers to work experienced by FSS participants. The chapter concludes by describing reasons why some FSS participants left the service early (i.e. left the service before the end of pre-employment support period of 12-18 months and without having sustained employment for at least 3 months) and what they felt could have been done to prevent 'early leavers' from leaving the service.

The chapter draws on a number of data sources including the independently conducted telephone survey and case studies, as well as internally conducted analysis of Management Information data, interviews with participants and an online survey of early leavers.

4.1 Motivation of FSS participants to return to work

As part of the Year 3 telephone survey, respondents who were not in work or worked less than 16 hours per week were asked about their motivation to return to work. 80% of FSS participants reported that they wanted to return to work 'to a great extent' and further 11% reported that they wanted to return to work 'to some extent'. 2% of respondents indicated that they did not want to return to work at all.

Younger participants (aged 16-24) were more likely to want to return to work than participants overall (99% compared with 94% overall). Those aged 50 or more were more likely than participants overall to say that they did not want to return to work (5% compared with 2% overall). Further, those with no formal qualifications were also more likely not to want to return to work than participants overall (7% compared with 2% overall).

The telephone survey found that taking part in FSS generally had a positive impact on participants' motivation to return to work. 61% reported that their motivation to return to work (full-time) increased, either 'a lot' (35%) or 'a little' (26%) since starting on FSS. 26% reported that their motivation has not changed as a result of joining FSS and 10% reported that their motivation to return to work had deceased since joining FSS.

Those aged 25-34 reported the largest increase in motivation to return to work (44% reported that their motivation increased 'a lot' and 31% that their motivation increased 'a little' since joining FSS) compared with participants overall. Among those aged 50 years or older, only 44% said that their motivation increased (either 'a lot' or 'a little') due to FSS. Further, those with a limiting health condition were less likely to report an increase in motivation (42% reported no change or a decreased effect on motivation) compared to those with a non-limiting or no health conditions (27% and 31% reported no change or a decreased effect on motivation respectively).

Interviews conducted with FSS participants as part of case studies identified a number of reasons for wanting to join FSS. One of the Year 3 FSS participant said that they hoped that FSS could "point [them] in the right direction" and help them to find vacancies that would be suitable with regards to their particular circumstances. Other FSS participants commented that they felt they could perform well in jobs they were applying for but needed support in relation to the job search and application process itself. For example one Year 3 FSS participant found it "difficult to express myself at interviews" and thought FSS could help with this.

4.2 What were FSS participants' barriers to work?

The telephone survey found that FSS participants (who at the time of the survey did not work or worked fewer than 16 hours per week) reported a range of barriers to work, the most commonly mentioned barrier being that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for them to find work (35%). The other most commonly mentioned barriers were not having the right skills or experience (14%) and there not being enough suitable jobs in the area (14%). Other relatively commonly mentioned barriers included family or caring responsibilities (8%), health condition making it difficult to carry out tasks at work (7% for a physical health condition and 6% for a mental health condition), difficulty traveling to work for reasons not related to health (7%) and lack of support in applying for jobs (6%).

The telephone survey also reported several variations in the barriers experienced by different groups of participants. For example, those with no qualifications were more likely to experience a physical health condition or disability that made it hard to carry out tasks at work (13% compared with 7% overall). Similarly, older participants (aged 50 years or older) were more likely to have a physical health condition or disability that made it difficult to carry out tasks at work (13% compared with 7% overall).

Qualitative interviews with FSS participants who belong to groups that have been identified as having particular barriers to getting into work^[10] also provided insights into how these barriers were experienced by those who took part in the service.

Lack of confidence, feeling 'not good enough' and the associated feeling of anxiety was mentioned by several interviewees as a barrier to work. This was often linked to not having been in paid employment for a long period of time, and also to having applied for jobs but being rejected by employers prior to joining FSS.

One interviewee observed that, for some people, not having the right clothes for a job interview and having to go for an interview while being hungry is a significant barrier to getting a job as it affect the person's confidence and also how they behave during the interview.

"If you're somebody who has not got the right clothes to go for an interview that could be a huge barrier...You're not going to be confident if you're wearing the same pair of jeans that you've had on all week...It could be just even if you've not had a breakfast or lunch and you've gone to an interview on an empty stomach...Because if you're sitting there thinking, I'm starving, I'm starving you're not really gonna give your interview are you?"

-FSS participant

One interviewee, who had recently moved to Scotland commented that not having a work experience within the Scottish labour market was a barrier for her to find a job:

"...I have almost 15 plus of experience but my 15 plus of experience was not much recognised here in Scotland because I don't have Scottish experience. So it was a little difficult for me to get a job initially...[at] interviews I went for also, it was like 'you don't have Scottish experience, you are good, but you don't have Scottish experience'."

-FSS participant

Similarly, another interviewee commented that not having professional qualifications that were recognised in Scotland (often despite having the relevant training and / or experience) was a barrier for those who recently started living in Scotland to find employment, especially skilled employment in their chosen profession.

Some interviewees also commented that having recently moved to Scotland meant that they did not know the local context well, in terms of how to approach looking for a job in the specific field they were interested in (e.g. which recruitment websites or specialist employment agencies to approach) or what the legal aspects of setting up one's own business were.

Some interviewees felt that their age was a barrier and that being an older candidate was a disadvantage in the job market.

"The age thing is always going to be an issue. I'm in my 50's so...that's going to be a barrier for some jobs, without a doubt."

- FSS participant

Several interviewees also mentioned caring responsibilities as a barrier to employment

"I've not got a lot of child care, I cannot work - I can only work when I can get child care."

- FSS participant

Finally, having a previous conviction was also mentioned as a barrier to employment by some interviewees.

"Like I said the criminal conviction thing can be a bit of a problem because obviously most employers don't want an ex-con at their workplace."

- FSS participant

In summary these findings suggest that the barriers which FSS participants face include a mixture of both structural and personal barriers, ranging from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market, to the tangible impacts of poverty on individuals through to child care issues and a lack of confidence on the part of some participants.

4.3 Who left the service early and why?

A person is defined as having left FSS early (i.e. an 'early leaver') if they left before the end of pre-employment support period (that lasts for up to 12 months but can be extended to up to 18 months in some cases) and without having sustained employment for at least 3 months.

Of the 10,357 who joined FSS in the third year, 3,704 (36%)^[11] left the service early.

Figure 6 compares the key characteristics of FSS participants who started on the service in the third year and left early with those who started on the service in the third year overall. This data suggests that young people (aged 16-24), those with conviction, those who were care experienced and those who lived in the 15% most deprived areas were more likely to leave the service than FSS participants in general.

Figure 7 presents key reasons for participants leaving the service early based on the findings from an online survey of FSS early levers. The invitation to take part in the online survey was sent out to all first, second and third year FSS participants who left early and whom email address was available, of these 349 early leavers (4% response rate) completed the survey. From Figure 7, it can be seen that the most common reasons given were those related to the service not meeting the participant needs ('I didn't find the service useful / relevant to my needs' (36%) and 'the service wasn't being adapted to my needs' (15%) and getting a job (15%). Other commonly mentioned reasons were those related to issues with the key worker, including 'lack of contact' (9%), 'thinking that the service is not able to help the respondent' (8%), and 'not feeling well enough to return to or start work and reasons related to ill health' (8%).

Source: FSS Management Information data

* LTHC - Long Term Health Condition

** The proportion of participants who were early leavers from a minority ethnic background has not been reported for the third year of FSS delivery to reduce the risk of individual participants being identified.

Source: Online survey with those who left FSS service early, Q: Why did you leave FSS early?

* Please note that the online survey with those who left the service early included first, second and third year FSS participants. In total 349 FSS participants who left early completed the survey (4% response rate).

The Year 3 telephone survey found that the most common reasons for leaving FSS (for those who left early and those who completed the service combined) were that they found work (29%), they felt that the programme of support had come to an end (15%) and that the service was not relevant to their needs (14%).

Further, participants with no health condition were more likely to have left the service because they moved into work or training than those with a limiting health condition (41% compared with 22% respectively). Those with a limiting health condition were also more likely than participants on average to have left the service as it was not relevant for their needs (19% compared with 14% overall). Finally, those with a limiting health condition were also more likely to have left due to their health deteriorating (12% compared to 5% overall), and to have left because they found the staff / advisers unhelpful (5% compared with 2% overall).

4.4. What could have been done differently to stop those who left early leaving the service?

Respondents to the early leaver survey were asked what FSS could have done to keep them engaged with the service. The three most commonly mentioned recommendations given by respondents were:

• Improving communication between the FSS service providers, including key workers and the FSS participants (e.g. answering calls and / or emails)
• Suggesting more suitable jobs and opportunities, including not compelling FSS participants to apply for unstable jobs and / or basic level or zero hours contract jobs
• Listening to participants and taking their specific needs into account when providing the service

Box 1 further describes the key themes that emerged.

Box 1: Key themes that emerged from the analysis an online survey with FSS 'early leavers': (question: 'What could FSS have done to stop you leaving the service?)

Improve communication

"Kept an appointment. I felt quite useless showing up to appointments and being a nuisance as no one communicated a change to me."
- FSS participant

Suggest more suitable jobs and opportunities

"Offered different types of job placements/experience that weren't just retail. I would struggle in that type of job and was finding myself getting sort of pushed towards a placement in Tesco or Marks & Spencer."
- FSS participant

Listen to me and take my needs into account, be more supportive and treat me better

"Recognised my barriers preventing me from taking opportunities. Which was child care. Listened to me as a person, instead of telling me what I should do."
- FSS participant

Be more flexible to meet participant's needs, offer a specific service, opportunity or training

"Unfortunately they did not seem suited to someone with my health conditions. There was not sufficient flexibility to allow me to attend. The activities I was asked to do were unhelpful as they were not suited to my situation. A more flexible approach would have been required to stop me leaving the service."
- FSS participant

Have more specialised staff and have better training for staff

"Although the [key worker] I was allocated was well intentioned, this person was clearly not trained to work with people who are potentially quite vulnerable and experiencing a variety of issues (e.g. mental health difficulties) (…) Better training and education regarding such matters would perhaps be helpful."
- FSS participant

Have better provision for more skilled participants

"Adapted their provision to accommodate my skills, experience and qualifications, rather than telling me 'you're not our usual client'"
- FSS participant

Allow extended time on service

"Extended the time on it as due to Covid I wasn't able to make use of service due to lockdowns. Surely my time should have been extended"
- FSS participant

What worked well?

FSS continues to demonstrate a positive effect on people's motivations to return to work, with this being particularly strong in the case of young people.

Leaving FSS early was not affected by gender, lone parent status, or coming from a rural area. A smaller proportion of those who had a disability, and who were aged fifty or over left the service early compared to those who started on FSS in the third year overall.

What were the challenges? / How could we improve?

The COVID-19 pandemic was noted to be a significant barrier and was the most commonly cited barrier identified by telephone survey respondents.

A higher proportion of people who were younger (16-34), care experienced, had convictions and lived in the 15% most deprived areas left the service early.

As with previous years' findings, participants who are of an older age continues to remain this as a barrier to both feeling motivated and to being able to return to work.

Interviews and a survey of early leavers found that there was additional scope to enhance the person-centred element of FSS delivery, with a greater focus on tailoring the service to meet the needs of those with complex barriers being identified.

What is Scottish Government doing?

In keeping with our commitment to continuous improvement activity and to reflect on the significant impact COVID-19 had on the ability of individuals to participate fully in Fair Start Scotland, we took the decision to allow participants to join Fair Start Scotland more than once. This ensured that those who had left early due to personal circumstances, or who had completed the service but still needed support, were given the opportunity to re-join Fair Start Scotland.

We recognise that tailored and person-centred support is central to the effectiveness of the FSS service offer. During 2020-21 we commissioned specialist diversity and disability awareness training, delivered by specialist independent organisations, with the aim of raising awareness and understanding, sharing expertise and building service providers capability to support participants with more complex barriers.

We are continuing to work with service providers to embed this learning through a range of "test and learn" pilots and continuous personal development activity. These activities are focused on increasing engagement with, and participation in FSS services, so that our service is more representative of Scottish society. We will monitor progress through service provider action plans and our performance management framework.

We also commissioned an external independent review the delivery of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) within Fair Start Scotland and are currently reviewing the recommendations ahead of publishing the report and our response by the end of 2021.

Following our internal review of Supported Employment provision, we have also commissioned an external independent review of Supported Employment delivery across Scotland, results from which are due to be published in early 2022.