Scotland's Devolved Employment Services: statistical summary May 2022

Fair Start Scotland (FSS)

Introduction

Fair Start Scotland is the Scottish Government's devolved employability support service, and aims to help those further from the labour market to move into and sustain fair work. FSS launched on 3 April 2018 with funding to support up to 38,000 people into work over an initial three year referral period to end March 2021. In response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, referral into the service has been extended to March 2023.

FSS provides individualised one-to-one support to unemployed people who face the greatest challenges to obtaining work, including people with a disability or health condition, people with convictions, care-experienced young people, single parents, refugees, ethnic minorities, and people who live in some of the most deprived areas in Scotland. More information about the service can be found on mygov.scot - get help to find a job.

Fair Start Scotland is delivered by a mixed economy of public, private and third sector providers across nine geographical areas throughout Scotland. Potential participants can engage with Fair Start Scotland in a variety of ways. A referral can be made by an individual's Jobcentre Plus (JCP) Work Coach. Alternatively, participants can be signposted to Fair Start Scotland through third party organisations or they can self-refer to their local provider if they meet specific criteria. Third-party referrals relate to referrals from outwith JCP.

After a referral is made, the participant is matched with a provider in their local area. The provider makes contact and offers an introduction in which the service is fully explained. The participant is then given the necessary information to engage with Fair Start Scotland.

How many FSS referrals and starts have there been?

There were 67,619 referrals to FSS between its launch in April 2018 and the end of March 2022. Of the total referrals to FSS, 45,030 went on to start receiving employability support. This includes 2,447 people who have already been supported by Fair Start Scotland.^[5]

Referrals and starts have decreased from a high point observed in April – June 2021, but remain high compared to levels seen in recent years, and especially when compared to the lower numbers of referrals and starts seen in the quarters after the first lockdown (April – June 2020 onwards, see Background Information section on the impact of COVID-19). Referrals have risen by 20% to 4,798 this quarter and starts have increased by 18% to 3,184. Compared to the equivalent quarter in 2021, referrals have risen by 7% and starts have increased by 5%.

How many people have joined FSS?

42,583 people started on FSS, from the 45,030 total starts on the service between its launch in April 2018 and the end of March 2022, with the difference reflecting people re-joining the service. From April 2021, with the extension of FSS beyond the initial three year period, people who have previously received support may re-join the service. As a result of this change, the total number of FSS starts in years 1 to 3 is the same as the number of unique people but from the start of year 4 and thus overall, the total number of FSS starts is not the same as the number of unique people who have received support.

The breakdown of equalities groups for the 42,583 people is shown in Figure 3; showing the characteristics that were reported for participants when they first joined FSS.

Overall, 38% of people who have joined FSS were women and 62% were men. The proportion of women in FSS increased from years 1 to 3: from 35% in year 1, to 37% in year 2 and 40% in year 3. In year 4 overall the proportion of women in FSS remained at 40%, whilst in the most recent quarter of year 4 (January – March 2022), 38% of participants were women.

The most common age group of people joining FSS was 35-49 years (28% of people), followed by 50 years old & over and 25-34 years (both at 25%), and 16-24 years (20%). Over the course of years 1 to 3, there was an increase in the proportion of participants from the younger age bands (16-34), and a decrease in the older age bands (35+). Participants aged 16-34 made up 38% of all starts in year 1, 44% in year 2, and 53% in year 3. In year 4 however there was a reversal, with a decrease in the proportion of participants from the younger age bands and an increase in the older age bands. In year 4 the proportion of participants aged 16-34 fell to 42%, primarily due to a decrease in 16-24 year old participants, from 23% in January – March 2021 (year 3) to a low of 13% during October – December 2021 in year 4. Participants aged 35 and over made up 60% of all starts in year 1, 52% in year 2 and 47% in year 3. The proportion of older (35+) participants increased in year 4 to 57%, mainly due to an increase in participants aged 50+, from 21% in January – March 2021 (year 3) to a high of 29% during October – December 2021 in year 4.

Overall, 5% of people who have joined FSS were from minority ethnic backgrounds and 72% were white, with ethnicity unknown for the remaining 23% of participants. In the most recent quarter, 9% of participants were from a minority ethnic group and 85% of participants were white. Monitoring changes to the proportion of minority ethnic participants over time is difficult due to the percentage being low and the high proportion of unknowns, and there is ongoing work to improve data quality and collection.^[6] In year 1, 4% of participants were minority ethnic, 6% in year 2, 4% in year 3, and 7% in year 4.

44% of people joining FSS reported a disability. The proportion of disabled participants decreased between years 1 and 3: from 55% in year 1, to 44% in year 2, and 32% in year 3.^[7] In year 4 it increased once more to levels similar to year 2, with 47% of people joining in year 4 reporting a disability.

Overall, 63% of people joining FSS reported having a long-term health condition, 30% reported no long-term health condition, with the rest (6%) unknown. In the most recent quarter of year 4 (January – March 2022), 65% of people reported a long-term health condition, 34% did not, and for 1% this was unknown.

The Scottish Government's evaluation of the third year of the service was published in October 2021^[8] - with accompanying statistics tables published at the same time.^[9] It showed that compared to the unemployed population of Scotland there were some groups that were under-represented in FSS in year 3: women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people from the youngest (16-24) and oldest (50-64) age bands, while a higher proportion of disabled people and people aged 25-34 used the service. For gender, ethnic group and disability, this pattern was also true for year 1^[10] and year 2.^[11] For age there was a change – all younger age groups (16-34, rather than just 16-24) were under represented and older groups were over represented before year 3.

Figure 4 shows the long-term health conditions for the 42,583 people on FSS. For the individuals that have re-joined FSS, only their long-term health conditions that were reported when they first joined FSS are included. Overall, the most common type of long-term health condition reported was mental health (34%). Between year 1 and 2 there was a 5 percentage point increase in people reporting a mental health condition among those joining FSS, from 31% to 36%. This remained at 36% in year 3, but decreased to 34% in year 4.

The second most commonly reported type of health condition was a long-term illness, disease or condition, which affected 17% of people joining FSS and has remained close to this level over time. In the most recent quarter (January – March 2022), the proportion was higher at 20%.

A physical disability was the third most common type of long-term health condition reported at 10%. The number of people reporting a physical disability has varied over time from 14% in year 1, to 10% in year 2, 6% in year 3, and 10% in year 4.

How many FSS early leavers have there been?

Someone is defined as having left FSS early (an 'early leaver') if they leave FSS before the end of the pre-employment support period and without having sustained employment for at least 3 months. The pre-employment support period usually lasts for up to 1 year. In some cases, it can last up to 18 months, but this has only applied to a small number of people so far.

There have been 20,535 early leavers from the 45,030 FSS starts, including the 2,447 people who have previously received support. As with job outcomes, as time goes on we get a more complete picture of the proportion of starts on the service that stay on FSS or leave early. Where we have a complete picture 50% of starts left early. There was a reduction in those leaving early between years 1 and 2, with 53% of participants who joined in year 1 leaving early compared to 46% in year 2. In year 3 there was an increase to 51% of participants leaving FSS early.

Figure 5 shows that the percentage of starts leaving early is similar across each of the equalities groups. However, the percentage was higher for those reporting a disability, particularly for those who have a long-term health condition that limits daily activities a lot (55% left early); compared with those with a long-term health condition that did not limit daily activities at all (45%). Younger participants also had higher rates of leaving early: 54% of those 16-24, compared with 47% of those 50+.

How many FSS starts entered and sustained employment?

There has been a total of 15,355 job starts from the 45,030 FSS starts, including the 2,447 people who have previously received support, since the launch of FSS.

COVID-19 has had an impact on the operation of FSS as well as the labour market context^[17] (See background notes for more information). This has had an impact on job starts within FSS, though there is not a simple explanation for changes.

Figure 6 shows changes in FSS job starts since January 2020. Since COVID-19 restrictions began in March 2020 this has shown a lot of variation.

There was a reduction in job starts during April 2020 after the first lockdown in Scotland, followed by a large increase up until November 2020 (peaking at 477 job starts in August 2020). Levels of job starts rose in March 2021, after the seasonal decrease, reaching a peak of 516 jobs in May 2021 before subsequently falling, dropping to a low of 210 job starts in December 2021. In the latest quarter, following the 2021 seasonal dip, job starts rose to 257 in January 2022 and continued to rise across the quarter with 319 job starts in February and 369 job starts in March 2022. Figures for recent months are likely to increase in future publications as there can be a delay between a participant starting a job and it being recorded by service providers.

Of the 15,355 job starts, so far 10,083 had sustained employment for at least 3 months (13 weeks), 7,361 sustained employment for at least 6 months (26 weeks), and 4,468 sustained employment for at least 12 months (52 weeks), as of March 2022.

Job outcome rates can only be reported for start cohorts where enough time has passed in pre-employment support and for outcomes to be achieved. These show:

• Most FSS starts did not enter work or go on to sustain employment: 38% started a job, 27% sustained employment for 3 months, 21% sustained employment for 6 months, and 14% sustained employment for 12 months^[18]
• however, high levels of job starts are sustained: 72% of FSS starts that entered employment went on to sustain employment for 3 months, 80% of those who sustained employment for 3 months went on to reach 6 months, and 76% of those who sustained employment for 6 months went on to reach at least 12 months.

Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 show how the rates of job starts and outcomes compare between different equality groups.

The rates of job starts do not show a difference by gender, though slightly higher rates of outcomes were achieved by FSS starts that were women. 38% of both female and male starts started a job. 28% of female starts and 26% of male starts achieved a 3 month job outcome, 23% of female starts and 20% of male starts achieved a 6 month job outcome and 16% of female starts and 14% of male starts achieved a 12 month job outcome.

The biggest differences in job start and outcomes rates were observed in age and long-term health conditions, which are often related. Of the FSS starts that were aged 16-24, 42% started work after joining FSS, compared to 34% of FSS starts that were aged 50 years or more - a difference of 8 percentage points. Differences were also seen in proportions of starts from these age groups that sustained employment at 3 months (28% for 16-24; versus 25% for 50+), 6 months (21% for 16-24; versus 20% for 50+) and 12 months (15% for 16-24; versus 13% for 50+).

Of the FSS starts with a long-term health condition that limited daily activities a lot, 25% went on to start work, compared to 46% starts that had a health condition that did not limit daily activities. The difference between these two groups was also observed in the proportions sustaining employment at 3 months (18% for those limited a lot, and 31% for those not limited at all), 6 months (15% and 24%) and 12 months (11% and 17%).

Of the FSS starts that were from minority ethnic backgrounds, 38% went on to start work, compared to 37% of white participants. Small differences were also seen for 3 month outcomes (27% for minority ethnic participants; 26% for white participants), 6 month outcomes (21% and 20%), and 12 month outcomes (16% and 15%).

How many parents have joined FSS?

Data on FSS participants that are parents was first published in May 2021 with the next annual release of parent data, covering year 4 (April 2021 – March 2022) of FSS, published in May 2022. There has been a revision to the number of participants recorded as parents for year 3 that was published in May 2021 due to a processing issue. Further information can be found in the Correction to an error in previous edition, in the Background Information.

8,348 people that were parents started on FSS, from the 8,891 total parent starts on the service between its launch in April 2018 and the end of March 2022, with the difference reflecting people re-joining the service. As with overall participants, the numbers of parent starts on the service in years 1 to 3 is the same as the number of unique people who received support. With the extension of FSS beyond the initial three year period, people who have previously received support may re-join the service. Therefore the total number of parent starts on FSS in year 4 and thus parent starts overall is not the same as the number of unique people that were parents receiving support.

Cumulative totals should be interpreted with caution and comparison of data between years is not possible, due to the way that the collection of data developed over time.^[24] In year 4, of the 3,490 parent starts on FSS there were 2,947 unique individuals. The 2,947 parents represented 29% of all 10,076 people starting in year 4. Of these 2,947 individuals, the following breakdowns were observed in terms of parents and those from families at highest risk of being affected by child poverty:^[25] 43% were disabled, 43% were lone parents, 3% were mothers aged under 25, 23% were parents with three or more children, 38% had a child aged under 12 months and 10% were from a minority ethnic background.^[26]

How many parent starts on FSS entered and sustained employment?

For the 8,891 FSS starts that were parents, job outcome rates can only be reported for start cohorts where enough time has passed in pre-employment support and for outcomes to be achieved. These show:

• Most parent FSS starts did not enter work or go on to sustain employment: 39% started a job, 28% sustained employment for 3 months, 22% sustained employment for 6 months, and 14% sustained employment for 12 months^[27]

39% of parents started a job, similar to the 38% of FSS participants overall that started a job. 33% of disabled parents started work, compared to 32% of disabled people who were not reported to be parents, and 42% of people who were not disabled and not reported to be parents. A job start was achieved by 32% of lone parent starts, 35% of FSS starts that were mothers under 25, 41% of parent starts with three or more children, 45% of parent starts that had a child aged under 12 months and 36% of FSS starts that were minority ethnic parents. These figures should be used with caution as some percentages are based on very small numbers.^[28]

28% of parents achieved a 3 month job outcome, similar to the proportion of FSS participants overall at 27%. 23% of disabled parents sustained employment for 3 months which was the same proportion of disabled people who were not reported to be parents, whilst 29% of people who were not disabled and not reported to be parents sustained employment for 3 months. Three months sustained employment was achieved by 23% of lone parent starts, 22% of FSS starts that were mothers under 25, 30% of parent starts with three or more children, 30% of parent starts that had a child aged under 12 months and 27% of FSS starts that were minority ethnic parents. These figures should be used with caution as some percentages are based on very small numbers.^[29]

22% of parents achieved a 6 month job outcome which was also similar to the proportion of FSS participants overall at 21%. 18% of both disabled parents and disabled people who were not reported to be parents sustained employment for 6 months and for people who were not disabled and not reported to be parents the proportion was higher at 23%. Six months sustained employment was achieved by 18% of lone parent starts, 15% of FSS starts that were mothers under 25, 24% of parent starts with three or more children, 24% of parent starts that had a child aged under 12 months and 20% of FSS starts that were minority ethnic parents. These figures should be used with caution as some percentages are based on very small numbers.^[30]

Both 14% of parent starts and participants overall achieved a 12 month job outcome after starting on the service. 13% of both disabled parents and disabled people who were not reported to be parents sustained employment for 12 months and for people who were not disabled and not reported to be parents the proportion was higher at 16%. Twelve months sustained employment was achieved by 13% of lone parent starts, 10% of FSS starts that were mothers under 25, 17% of parent starts with three or more children, 17% of parent starts that had a child aged under 12 months and 14% of FSS starts that were minority ethnic parents. These figures should be used with caution as some percentages are based on very small numbers.^[31]