Guidance

Guidance: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care

Updated 18 December 2023

Applies to England

Glossary of terms

Term	Description
Activity Delivery Partner	A Third-Party partner instructed by a Grant Recipient to carry out any part of the IPSPC provision on behalf of the Grant Recipient
Additional Grants	Has the meaning given to it in Appendix A.
Additional Points	Additional points in respect of Grant Applications which have not become Rejected Grant Applications, which will be awarded based on Grant Applicants’ scores for economic inactivity and employment rates in accordance with Appendix A.
Approved Activity	Any activity undertaken as part of a Participant’s IPSPC journey (including work)
Assessment Criteria	The scored questions 3.1 to 3.7 in the Grant Application.
Baseline Threshold Job Outcome	When a Participant has worked for a minimum of 7 hours per week for 13 weeks in a 16-week period whilst being supported on the Initiative, earning the Going Rate of Pay of the National Living Wage for their age group. Work of 16 hours a week or more will also be recorded as part of MI Template returns.
Cluster	a group of persons acting together for the purposes of applying for and receiving the IPSPC Grant and carrying out the activities to be funded by the IPSPC Grant.
Disabled People	Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 - GOV.UK website
Disability Confident	A scheme to support employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace.
Duplicate Funding	Funding provided by a Third Party to the Grant Recipient, which is for the same purpose for which the IPSPC Grant was made but has not been declared to DWP.
Eligibility Criteria	The eligibility criteria described in this Grant Guidance document which must be satisfied by a potential Participant to be eligible to join the IPSPC programme.
Employment Specialist	Employment Specialists will work with Participants to help them find a suitable job which aligns with their preferences.
Fidelity Assessment	An assessment of adherence by Grant Recipients to the Place, Train and Maintain model.
Fidelity Kitemark	Trademark awarded following an audit of any supported employment initiative against the Supported Employment Quality Framework.
Fidelity Review	An IPS fidelity review uses the 25-item Supported Employment Fidelity Scale (2008) for quality improvement. In line with international practice the fidelity reviews take place over 2 days with 2 reviewers and include an observation of employer engagement practice. Fidelity reviews are the best way of measuring how a service is doing and how effective their delivery of IPS is.
Funded Activities	As described in this Grant Guidance document, and more particularly defined in the Grant Funding Agreement.
Funding Period	The 24-month period during which Grant Recipients are actively recruiting and supporting Participants into employment (3 April 2023 to 31 March 2025)
GDPR	GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) and UK (United Kingdom) GDPR means the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, as transposed into United Kingdom national law by operation of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, together with the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
Going Rate of Pay	Paid at least the minimum hourly rate for the Participant’s age group.
Grant Applicant	A person who submits a Grant Application.
Grant Application	The application for funding via a grant which is submitted by a Grant Applicant, to be in the form of the Grant Application at Annex B Appendix A of the Grant Guidance document.
Grant Funding	IPSPC grant funding which is payable pursuant to a Grant Funding Agreement
Grant Funding Agreement	The grant funding agreement to be entered into by DWP and the Grant Recipient (if the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application is successful), in the form provided (or to be provided) by DWP in connection with this Grant Application process
Grant funding letter	The grant funding letter to be issued to Grant Recipients, in the form provided (or to be provided) by DWP in connection with this Grant Application process
Grant Guidance	This IPSPC LA Grant Guidance document.
Grant Recipient	A successful Grant Applicant who is awarded Grant Funding.
Health Services	A service that provides medical treatment and care to the public or to a particular group.
Higher Threshold Job Outcome	When a Participant has worked for a minimum of 7 hours per week for 26 weeks in a 32-week period. Work of 16 hours a week or more will also be recorded as part of MI Template returns.
Implementation Period	The period assigned to activity to prepare for delivery of the IPSPC Initiative, for example, recruitment and marketing.
Individual Placement and Support / IPS	Individual Placement and Support
Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care / IPSPC / Initiative	Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care. The provision of Supported Employment in accordance with this Grant Guidance and funded by this IPSPC Grant.
Initiative Starts	The first meeting with a potential Participant, following confirmation of eligibility, where they formally agree to take part in the IPSPC programme
In-Work Participant	A Participant who is employed and either off sick or struggling in the workplace due to their disability.
In-Work Participant Recruitment Phase	The first 20 months of the Funding Period, during which Grant Recipients will be seeking to identify and establish eligibility of potential Participants who are in-work.
In-Work Participant Support Phase	The last 4 months of the Funding Period where no further Initiative Starts will be permitted and Grant Recipients will be providing in-work support to existing IPSPC In-Work Participants
IPSPC Grant	Individual Placement Support in Primary Care Grant
Job Start	IPSPC Job start will be counted after 7 hours of paid work is achieved in a single week. For the avoidance of doubt, it includes a ‘job start’ for individuals out of work at referral, a ‘job return’ for those in-work and off-sick at referral, and ‘job retention’ for those in-work and struggling at referral.
LA	Local authority
LA-PED	Local authority Partnership Engagement and Delivery division (of DWP)
MI	Management information (MI), submitted by the Grant Recipient (known as the MI returns) MI is returned by the Grant Recipient on the MI Template
Out-of-Work Participant	A Participant who is not employed at the time they start on IPSPC.
Out-of-Work Participant Recruitment Phase	The first 20 months of the Funding Period, during which Grant Recipients will be seeking to identify and establish the eligibility of potential Participants who are out-of-work.
Out-of-Work Participant Support Phase	The last 4 months of the Funding Period where no further Initiative Starts will be permitted and Grant Recipients will be providing support to existing IPSPC Out-of-Work Participants.
Participants	A person who meets the Eligibility Criteria for IPSPC and agrees to participate in the Initiative.
Place, Train and Maintain	An approach that places people in work at the earliest opportunity, trains them to do the job in the way the employer wants it done and provides ongoing support to maintain them in the job.
Profile template	The profile template, in the form set out in Appendix C, submitted by a Grant Applicant as part of its Grant Application.
Quarter	Each consecutive period of 3 calendar months during the Funding Period, save that the first Quarter shall be the period from 3 April 2023 until 30 June 2023 (both dates inclusive). Quarterly shall be interpreted accordingly.
Ranking Characteristics	Has the meaning given to it in Appendix A.
Rejected Grant Application	Has the meaning given to it in Appendix A.
Responses to Questions Score	The sum of scores for the responses to each of the 7 scored questions (3.1 to 3.7) in the Grant Application.
Scoring methodology	The scoring methodology set out at section 9 of Appendix A (Grant Application Instructions and Selection Criteria)
Selection Criteria	Questions 1.1 to 1.5 in the Grant Application requiring a Yes/No response.
SPOC (Single point of contact)	Single Point of Contact
Supported Employment	Supported Employment was developed in the United States in the 1970s and covers any service that helps people with disabilities obtain and maintain paid employment.
Third Party	Any person or organisation other than the Grant Recipient or DWP, and any government department other than DWP.
Third Party Match Funding	means any contribution to the Funded Activities from a Third Party to the Grant Recipient or a Cluster member to meet the balance of the Eligible Expenditure not supported by the Grant.
Total Score	Has the meaning given to it in Appendix A.
Upper Tier LA	Upper Tier LAs including County, Metropolitan Councils, London Boroughs and Combined Authorities
Vocational Action Plan	A live document containing a Participant’s vocational profile and job/ educational experiences.

Introduction

  1. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) are providing Grant Funding for around 6 Upper Tier local authorities (LAs) in England, to take part in Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) (the “Initiative”).

2. The IPSPC Initiative is aimed at adults who have a physical or mental health disability, as defined by the Equality Act 2010, to help them to move into competitive employment^{[footnote 1]} providing the support they need to maintain that employment.

3. IPSPC builds on the core principles and the fidelity scale adopted by the established Individual Placement Support (IPS) model, as well as learning from the IPS Health Led Trials (HLT). IPSPC will be delivered in primary and community NHS (National Health Service) services applying a modified version of the eight key principles of IPS (see paragraph 24) and will be integrated with an individual’s health treatment (as required).

4. Through funding and providing a quality framework for IPSPC, DWP will enable the delivery of high-quality support that shows fidelity to the IPS model. The longer-term ambition of this Initiative is to provide further evidence of the value of IPSPC which will help to build sustained investment and secure effective employment for Participants.

5. IPSPC will be delivered in primary and community NHS services applying a modified version of the 8 principles of IPS. IPS is a model of Supported Employment that is well-evidenced internationally and proven to be effective for people with severe mental illness. IPSPC should be integrated with a Participants normal health treatment (as required).

6. Local authorities are invited to submit the Grant Application set out at Annex B – Appendix B, which will be evaluated against the Assessment Criteria set out at Annex B – Appendix A.

7. The IPSPC Grant will be paid under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act (1973).

8. This IPSPC LA Grant Guidance (“Grant Guidance”) document sets out the:

• background
• Grant details
• Grant payment
• Grant Application process and requirements
• Management Information (MI) reporting requirements

9. This Grant Guidance document should be read in conjunction with the:

• Grant Competition launch letter (June 2022)
• Grant Application Instructions and Assessment Criteria
• Grant Application
• MI Template

10. This Grant Guidance document is subject to change. Updated documents will be circulated following any required changes.

Background

11. The employment rate for disabled people (53.8%) is significantly lower than the employment rate for non-disabled people. The NHS Long Term Plan recognises that mental health and musculoskeletal conditions remain the main reason for sickness absence increasing. Supporting people to access employment through IPSPC will build on individuals’ strengths and skills, enabling them to realise their potential for recovery. IPSPC will support inclusive growth and help to achieve a reduction in health inequalities.

12. The IPSPC Initiative provides an excellent opportunity for LAs to improve employment and health outcomes in their local area. Too often people face a negative experience of declining health which excludes them from work, often leading to long term worklessness, which in turn causes further deterioration in health.

13. The number of Working Age people with health conditions who are outside the labour market has increased by over 10% over the last two years to 2.2million. Attached at Appendix E are some indicators which demonstrate the impact in local areas – showing the prevalence of out-of-work health benefit receipt in local populations, the employment rate gap between disabled and non-disabled people and the rate at which people leave work due to health conditions.

14. Supporting people to access employment builds on their strengths and skills and enables them to realise their potential for recovery. Supporting disabled people into work will:

• help them recover more rapidly and effectively from their health issue or build strategies to manage their health condition and barriers to work
• build social connections and support networks.
• gain financial independence, and
• improve their general health and wellbeing

15. Where a disability is proving an obstacle to maintaining or obtaining employment, providing employment support whilst working closely with primary care services helps to ensure that Participants receive the holistic service, they need to address potential barriers to employment.

16. Delivered through existing primary and community NHS Services, IPSPC will apply a modified version of the principles of IPS. IPSPC will be integrated with a Participants normal health treatment encouraging recognition of employment as a driver of an individual’s health and wellbeing.

17. Local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will be key to successfully delivering IPSPC. Each Integrated Care System (ICS) will have an ICB (Integrated Care Board), a statutory organisation bringing the NHS together locally to improve population health and establish shared strategic priorities within the NHS. ICBs will replace existing Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

18. IPSPC will support local ambitions to deliver inclusive growth and help to reduce health inequalities.

Background to Individual Placement and Support

19. IPS is a replicable, evidence-based, Supported Employment programme that has been shown to deliver superior employment and health outcomes for people with severe and enduring mental health problems and there is growing evidence that IPS also works for other groups.

20. IPS defines competitive employment as a job that any person can apply for regardless of their disability status. These jobs may be full or part time and can include self-employment. Workers in these positions should earn at least the minimum wage and receive similar wages and benefits as their co‐workers. Volunteering, training, and work placements are not considered an employment outcome but may, in specific cases, be activities that help an individual secure paid competitive employment.

21. There is a large international body of robust evidence including randomised controlled trials on IPS. Previous evidence has demonstrated that IPS can achieve up to twice as many job outcomes for people with severe mental illness than traditional programmes, in other words, 2013, 55% of IPS Participants were found to be in competitive employment for at least one day compared to 28% of people in the control group^{[footnote 2]}.

Health Led Trials

22. HLTs (Health Led Trials) were conducted in South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) from 2018 to 2020. The HLTs tested whether a Supported Employment intervention, based on IPS principles, had the impact of improving employment, health, and wellbeing beyond that which can be achieved with existing support for individuals with common mental health and/or physical health conditions.

23. Since concluding the trials in October 2020, post-trial provision has continued in the trial areas to maintain support and protect the expertise, relationships, and momentum of the service.

Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care

24. The IPSPC approach is based on a modified version of 8 key IPS principles as follows:

i. It aims to get people into competitive employment in the open labour market

ii. It is open to eligible people who want to work

iii. It aims to find jobs consistent with people’s preferences

iv. It works quickly – a Place, Train and Maintain model of rapid activation and job search alongside delivery of work, health, and wider support needs

v. It brings IPS Employment Specialists into clinical teams

vi. IPS Employment Specialists develop relationships with employers based upon a person’s work preferences

vii. It provides time limited, individualised support for the person and their employer

viii. Access to specialist benefits advice is included

25. The IPSPC model of Supported Employment is about achieving a mainstream Baseline Threshold Job Outcome or Higher Threshold Job Outcome at the Going Rate of Pay with necessary support provided for the individual and employer to sustain the job.

26. IPSPC will develop strong links and referral arrangements with community organisations and local partners such as GPs, and LAs, Jobcentre Plus, social care, community health services, health navigator services, educational institutions, volunteering organisations, and housing services among others.

27. Delivery of IPSPC must adhere to the IPSPC key requirements, set out at paragraph 30.

Scope

28. DWP is aiming to deliver IPSPC for up to 21,000 Participants in around 6 areas. Using evidence from other IPS programmes and the HLTs, the aim is to deliver the expected benefits of IPSPC.

29. Stretching but realistic job outcome targets are required, with a focus on maximising sustained paid employment. LAs will be required to use the baseline levels below but also consider if levels above the baseline are appropriate, based on local participant data/ demographics/ employment and vacancy levels:

• The main target is for 30% of total Initiative Starts to achieve a Baseline Threshold Job Outcome.
• 40% of Initiative Starts should achieve a Job Start
• 75% of people who achieve a Job Start should achieve a Baseline Threshold Job Outcome (in other words, 30% of total Initiative Starts)
• 65% of people who achieve a Baseline Threshold Job Outcome should achieve a Higher Threshold Job Outcome (in other words, 20% of total Initiative Starts)

30. The key requirements of the IPSPC Initiative are to:

• Support local economic growth through the employment of people with a mental or physical health condition or disability
• Enable sustained employment of Participants in employment but whose disability is impacting their ability to work
• Develop a framework for effective, locally driven integrated employment support that can be sustained
• Continue to build the evidence base for innovative employment interventions to facilitate a potential national proven approach.
• Improve Participants general health and wellbeing, including support to help people recover more rapidly and effectively from their disability, which could include building strategies to manage their disability and barriers to work and gain financial independence.

Grant details

31. IPSPC Grant Applicants are invited to apply for Grant Funding to deliver IPSPC to between 1000 to 3500 Participants per year per Grant Recipient, across the IPSPC Funding Period 1 February to March 2025.

32. As a guide, around 75% of Participants should be Out-of-Work Participants and in need of support to attain employment and 25% In-Work Participants needing support to avoid falling out-of-work.

33. Recruitment of Participants can occur for up to the first 20 months of the programme. Grant Applicants will be required to submit a profile of projected volumes for both Participant groups for the Funding Period (see Appendix C – Profile Template). Grant Applicants should consider the periods of recruitment and support within their Profile Template.

34. When determining the number of Participants that Grant Applicants are committing to support with the IPSPC Grant, they should ensure they provide a clear rationale within their Grant Application to validate this. The rationale should reflect on their ability to set up and operate a successful programme for the Funding Period including securing an Activity Delivery Partner (if the delivery model requires), staff recruitment, required integration within the local health system, managing referrals, location (rural or urban), Participant demographics and any other relevant internal or external factors, which might impact the number of Participants they can successfully recruit to the programme and effectively support.

35. Each Grant Recipient must enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with DWP. The Grant Funding Agreement must be signed for, and on behalf of, the Grant Recipient (as set out in the Grant Funding Letter) and returned to DWP within the specified timeframe.

Funded activities

36. Delivery of IPSPC will follow the 8 key principles outlined at paragraph 24 of this Grant Guidance document, as well as limiting the length of time that an Employment Specialist can support a Participant, to an expected maximum of 12 months for Out-of-Work Participants, or 4 months for In-Work Participants. Limiting the support period in this way for most Participants has been shown to allow more people to use the service without impacting outcomes^{[footnote 3]}. This time limit may be exceeded on a case-by-case basis where individuals are actively seeking employment or in need of continued in-work support.

37. IPSPC will support people to achieve their employment aspirations with a focus on:

• paid, competitive employment, including self-employment where relevant
• voluntary participation underpinned by informed consent and a focus on understanding and supporting Participant needs
• IPS Employment Specialist is closely aligned with primary and community care and physical health care teams where appropriate, with Participants receiving employment advice alongside other healthcare support.
• Supported Employment via the Place, Train and Maintain model of rapid activation and job search, followed by in-work support tailored to the individual needs of a person.
• rapid support for In-Work Participants needing support with their health issues and involvement of employers as appropriate.
• ‘Zero Exclusion’ based on the nature of health condition and barriers to work (within the Eligibility Criteria)
• Employment Specialist inputting into the treatment/discharge or clinical assessment and review process as appropriate.
• working alongside health professionals to see the value of and embed the value of work to help improve health

38. Grant Recipients will:

• deliver the implementation activities outlined in their Grant Application and agreed by DWP, such as development of supporting processes and procedures, recruitment, training, and marketing
• deliver IPSPC for people with a physical or mental health disability who meet all the Eligibility Criteria
• ensure that a Participant’s eligibility is checked as outlined in this Grant Guidance document
• market the IPSPC Initiative to reach the target customer group
• start consenting Participants onto IPSPC who satisfy the Eligibility Criteria
• ensure that a Job Start is achieved for at least 40% of Participants
• ensure that a Baseline Threshold Job Outcome is achieved for at least 30% of Participants
• ensure all Participants work towards securing a minimum of 7 hours work per week, with as many as possible supported to work more than 16 hours per week for a minimum of 13 weeks duration
• ensure all Participants work towards a Higher Threshold Job Outcome to work for a minimum of 7 hours per week for 26 weeks in a 32-week period
• ensure Participants are being paid at least the Going Rate of Pay
• provide all information/documentation requested by DWP for the purposes of activities undertaken by DWP to evaluate the effectiveness and success of the IPSPC Grant

39. In managing the volumes of referrals and Initiative Starts, and identifying appropriate participants for IPSPC, Grant Applicants should carefully consider:

• the drop-out rate between referral and Initiative Starts as well as the numbers currently participating in the Initiative
• maximising referral routes, using all appropriate organisations for signposting and managing self-referrals
• clarifying the support offer as part of any communications, with an emphasis on paid employment outcomes and wider health benefits.
• that any marketing could include targeted information to specific referral routes or potential participants being encouraged/referred by health professionals, for example, targeted text messages, marketing materials supplied in a health appointment
• the language and branding used in communications, for example, references to patient not claimant has been effective in the HLT sites. Using health branding including the NHS logo can also be effective
• that delivery will need to respond to the evolving employment, welfare, and health landscape during the Funding Period

40. In delivering this Initiative the Grant Recipients should carefully consider the current and planned delivery environment within their location including but not limited to considering post COVID-19 NHS impacts and local labour market factors and plan delivery accordingly.

41. Activity Delivery Partners will report to the Grant Recipient on delivery of the Initiative, who in turn will be required to provide information and assurances about the delivery of the Initiative. This includes monthly monitoring and reporting of agreed outcome measures and performance. Maintaining the quality of delivery at all times is essential, including ensuring appropriate staff are in place throughout the delivery of IPSPC.

42. Grant Recipients will need to commit to the above requirements (as paragraph 41) and therefore Grant Applications are expected to demonstrate how the staffing response adheres to the fidelity of IPSPC. It is expected that Activity Delivery Partners will align and partner with other organisations as necessary.

43. Employment Specialists are expected to work at any one time with a caseload of between 20-25 active cases. Evidence has shown that this is an effective caseload to provide the support required. An active Participant is defined as someone who has been in contact with the service in the last 4 weeks and continues to be engaged in their Vocational Action Plan. Each Grant Applicant should though determine their caseload size based on their IPSPC delivery model and local information. The size and management of caseloads will be a key feature of Fidelity Reviews.

44. Grant Recipients will recognise and adopt best practice and tailor the IPSPC to the Participant’s needs. Grant Recipients will be expected to work closely with each other to help achieve performance agreements and share best practice.

45. Grant Recipients may outsource elements of their IPSPC Initiative to one or more Activity Delivery Partners as they see fit. Activity Delivery Partners will report to the Grant Recipient on delivery of the IPSPC Grant including agreed outcome measures and performance, ensuring that the appropriate number and quality of staff is maintained at all times.

46. It remains the responsibility of the Grant Recipient to meet all obligations of the Grant Recipient under the Grant Funding Agreement. This includes effective performance management of any Activity Delivery Partner the Grant Recipient uses to meet agreed performance expectations.

47. Each Grant Recipient must ensure that in carrying out the Funded Activities, it complies with all of its obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018 including, but not limited to any records relating to the Participants and the Participants’ involvement with the Initiative.

48. Grant Recipients must acknowledge and act in accordance with their duty of care to protect vulnerable adults enrolled on the Initiative during all activities related to it. This includes ensuring that all Grant Recipient staff, Activity Delivery Partners and employers are appropriately trained and that sufficient background checks have been carried out to safeguard Participants in line with the Grant Recipient’s existing safeguarding policy for vulnerable adults.

49. Grant Recipients will be required to collect MI to support IPSPC Grant payments and validation of payment.

50. All communications with Grant Recipients will be issued to the Grant Recipient’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC). It is the responsibility of Grant Recipients to notify DWP of any change to SPOC details.

51. Grant Recipients must, as appropriate and practical, reference that the Grant is funded by DWP, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) or UK Government in any publicity material, including online channels and media releases. Materials produced by Grant Recipients must not adversely affect the reputation of the initiative or DWP, DHSC or the government, for example Grant Recipients should not produce marketing materials, communications or messages which could lead to adverse media attention or could be misunderstood or misinterpreted.

52. Grant Recipients must ensure that all Participants can access information and must ensure such information is available in a variety of alternative formats which may be requested by Participants.

53. Any complaints and conflict management in relation to Funded Activities must be handled by Grant Recipients in line with their established complaints management policies and procedures.

Evaluation plans

54. It is expected that Grant Recipients will undertake their own robust local impact evaluations. We expect to see local theories of change or logic models of delivery plans and outcomes as part of Grant Applications, alongside high-level evaluation plans and commitment to deliver these. Local evaluations are a means through which Grant Recipients can demonstrate both the value for money and the impact of their intervention in their local context. This will form a core part of any future dialogue with funders, once the Funding Period ends and needs to be designed-in at the outset to future-proof your business case for continuing the intervention beyond the Funding Period.

55. Evaluation should be proportionate, and it is suggested it could cost up to 5% of Grant Funding. Guidance and resources on how to create logic models and develop local evaluation plans can be found at the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth website^{[footnote 4]}. The performance measures set for the IPSPC Grant will inform the outcomes and impact of your theory of change/logic model.

56. It is also expected that you would participate in any national evaluation that is decided upon as a condition of receiving the IPSPC Grant. This might include analysis of MI and a theory-based evaluation into best-practice delivery mechanisms. The research would focus on establishing the employment, health and wellbeing outcomes for participants, the causal mechanisms between delivery structures, local relationships, and a cost-benefit analysis. Guidance on evaluation can be found in the Magenta Book^{[footnote 5]}.

Fidelity Reviews / IPS Grow

57. IPS Grow is a national programme that supports IPS services to achieve high quality provision and high levels of employment outcomes (see www.ipsgrow.org.uk for further information).

58. IPS Grow support for Grant Recipients or their appointed Activity Delivery Partner can include implementation support, quality assurance fidelity reviews and technical on-site support. The specific details of the support, including implementation support will be discussed and agreed with successful Grant Applicants.

59. The purpose of the Fidelity Review is to provide expert assistance to support the development and delivery of evidence based IPS employment services across the health system. Evidence indicates that services achieving higher IPS fidelity scores typically deliver higher levels of job outcomes

60. It is expected that each Grant Recipient (or their Activity Delivery Partner(s)) should undertake up to two Fidelity Reviews during the IPSPC Grant, fully engaging with the review process, including completing the improvements outlined in fidelity action plans, and fully utilising the support on offer from IPS Grow. Each Activity Delivery Partner should be assessed separately.

61. All Fidelity Reviews will use the 25 item Supported Employment Fidelity Scale for quality improvement on the IPS Grow website.

62. A Fidelity Review report will be provided by IPS Grow, which will include recommendations on how the delivery of IPSPC can be improved. These reports will be shared with DWP to enable DWP to work with each Grant Recipient to support implementation of the recommendations.

63. Information on implementation will be provided to successful Grant Recipients once these have been decided. Some useful information can be found at the IPS Grow website.

Engagement

64. DWP will facilitate invitations to regular regional workshops and teleconferences with Grant Recipients throughout the IPSPC Initiative, including some face to face, allowing Grant Recipients to share their experiences and help each other to deliver IPSPC effectively, maximise agreed outcomes and help resolve issues:

• DWP aims to hold a MS Teams call with all the potential Grant Applicants’ representatives who have submitted an expression of interest form for the IPSPC Grant for potential Grant Applicants to ask questions prior to submitting a Grant Application

Table	IPSPC information event
Speakers	DWP
Event call time	20 July at 10.30am (90 minutes) (Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London) Please join the call 5 minutes before the scheduled start time as it will start promptly
MS Team meeting	Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer or mobile app Join the meeting Or call in (audio only) +44 20 3787 4277,,794101128# United Kingdom, London Phone Conference ID: 794 101 128# Find a local number, Reset PIN, Learn More, Meeting options, Legal To join, use the MS Teams link.

• The first face-to-face workshops will be delivered (dates and locations to be confirmed) once successful Grant Recipients are known
• Follow up meetings and teleconferences are expected to take place on a regular basis as and when required
• Grant Recipients will be asked to attend checkpoints via teleconference with DWP throughout the Implementation Period and delivery phases

65. Each Grant Recipient will be assigned and made aware of their Regional Engagement Lead (REL), who will work with Grant Recipients, share good practice, and provide ongoing support to Grant Recipients throughout the Initiative Implementation Period and delivery phases.

66. REL support will continue throughout the Funding Period.

Eligibility

67. Participants for IPSPC will come from 2 distinct cohorts. Out-of-Work Participants who require assistance and support to move into sustainable employment, and In-Work Participants who are employed and either off sick or struggling in the workplace due to their disability.

68. We propose that the Initiative should be aimed at people who meet the following Eligibility Criteria:

• have a physical or mental health disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010
• are willing to participate in IPSPC to remain in paid work or be willing to find and sustain paid work
• are not currently receiving employment support, other than from Jobcentre Plus
• are not on another DWP employment programme or provision
• may or may not be in receipt of DWP benefits
• are of Working Age
• if already in-work, must have been employed for at least 6 months before starting IPSPC and be working a minimum of 7 hours per week
• For those who are self-employed, in order to access the in-work element of IPSPC they must be able to show they have operated a viable business for 6 months
• have an entitlement to public funds

69. If employed under a zero hour contract, the individual would not receive support through either the out of work or in work service because they are neither unemployed or working more than 7 hours per week.

70. This Initiative will be particularly suitable for those who have common mental health and/or physical health disabilities and are disengaged from the labour market because they believe they cannot secure or maintain employment.

71. Participants must not be on another DWP employment programme or provision. For example, this includes but is not limited to:

• Work and Health Programme (WHP)
• Individual Personalised Employment Support (IPES)
• Local Services and Regionally based support
• Employment Advisors in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)

72. Participants on a programme or provision delivered by another government department, charitable trust, or Third Party, which is not primarily focused on employment, would be eligible for IPSPC as long as they are still able to fully participate in the IPSPC Initiative and that it would not be detrimental to either provision and there was no Duplicate Funding. These instances will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

73. Activity Delivery Partners must complete an eligibility check for each proposed Participant. In this check the Activity Delivery Partner should:

• Confirm the Participant meets the Eligibility Criteria for IPSPC and is suitable for the Initiative, including agreeing with the Participant that they agree to the voluntary activities required, including completing a Vocational Action Plan

74. This step is important to ensure that Participants will benefit from IPSPC and includes confirmation of eligibility/suitability for all potential Participants including self–referrals. Participants who are not eligible/suitable should be signposted to other support as appropriate.

75. Check that the Participant is not already in receipt of employment support. If they have any doubt about this, they should take steps to verify using local information/contacts.

76. DWP may conduct a post eligibility check of a sample of Initiative Starts to verify Eligibility Criteria is met and discuss this as part of performance reviews.

77. An example Participant journey (IPSPC process map) is at Annex A.

IPSPC Grant Funding

78. The IPSPC Grant will be paid to the respective Grant Recipient Quarterly in arrears based on the financial profile of the Grant Recipient and the achievement of profiled key performance indicators (KPIs).

79. Grant Applicants need to profile potential Initiative Starts over the first 20 months of the Funding Period.

80. To manage DWP internal yearly budget allocations some payments may need to be deferred to the following year, if a Grant Recipient exceeds its projected profile of Initiative Starts.

81. The IPSPC Grant will be paid as one combined Quarterly payment. Payment may be withheld if a Grant Recipient fails to meet agreed performance targets once all other avenues of performance management have been exhausted.

82. Funding provided by a Third Party to the Grant Recipient, which is for the same purpose for which the IPSPC Grant is made but has not been declared to DWP, represents Duplicate Funding and is prohibited.

Set up costs

83. A set up payment will be available for all Grant Recipients. Each Grant Recipient will be able to apply for set up costs of up to 10% of the total grant value. The payment will be based on an invoice of actual costs. This payment will be available for existing trial sites/areas at a rate of 5% of total grant value.

Eligible Expenditure

84. Funding can be used for all costs directly associated with the IPSPC Initiative including:

• scheme administration costs
• staffing costs, including recruitment
• marketing/advertising including webpage design
• training of staff and Participants
• employment events such as job fairs
• transport costs where a Participant would not otherwise be able to attend employment/training
• costs associated with providing care for Participants
• costs associated with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
• childcare or replacement caring costs. See below for further details

85. Grant Recipients should signpost Participants towards agencies who can support Participants with appropriate advice. This could include helping Participants to access DWP’s Access to Work Programme, where appropriate.

86. To be considered Eligible Expenditure under IPSPC, all costs must be over and above any existing form of IPS provision including IPS Drugs & Alcohol. For example, IPSPC Employment Specialist costs must be in addition to staff delivering existing IPS services. Duplicate Funding is prohibited, therefore any intended Third-Party funding for activities that are the same or similar to the Funded Activities of the IPSPC Grant will need to be declared as Third-Party Match Funding and will be subject to prior written consent of DWP.

Implementation

87. Grant Recipients should consider how to ensure the successful delivery of IPSPC. This will include consideration of:

• facilitating workshops with GPs and relevant other primary and community care pathways, supporting the ongoing engagement of GP (General Practitioner) and clinicians throughout the project
• wider stakeholder engagement to promote IPSPC
• liaising with national and international IPS experts to adapt fidelity guidelines for primary and community care
• liaising with DWP, DH, and NHS England and access to national support and expertise
• centralised data analysis, dependent on timely and consistent reporting from provider(s) and
• operational support from DWP and other experts to help resolve issues in delivery

Marketing and Communication of IPSPC

88. Grant Recipients must consider how to promote IPSPC including ensuring it is recognised across the locality, in particular with hard-to-reach communities. This will include:

• ensuring easy access to information on the trial, through social, online and print media
• making information about the trial accessible in formats suitable for people with sensory impairment and/or in other languages
• working closely with community and primary care teams to promote the trial; making use of existing or new networks to promote IPSPC across the health and employment systems

Partnerships and networks

89. Partnership working is considered essential to the success of the trial and therefore Grant Recipients will be expected to:

• be committed to developing and maintaining strong partnerships with primary and community health services, including establishing co-location and co-working arrangements with a range of clinical teams
• demonstrate, through outcomes, practices, policies, and procedures, a commitment to working with service users with a variety of health conditions in the design, delivery, and evaluation of all services

90. The Initiative should be operated in a person-centred way, which requires professionals and Employment Specialist supervisors to distance themselves from traditional roles as ‘experts’ and ‘providers,’ into partnership models that work with ‘individuals’ and ‘communities.

Staffing and recruitment

91. Recruiting a large number of high-quality staff will be a critical success factor for this Initiative. Key roles will include the Employment Specialists and Team Leaders – Grant Applicants will need to consider and demonstrate in their Grant Application the ability to attract capable staff to deliver the initiative.

92. The Grant Recipient and their Activity Delivery Partners will need to determine the precise support to be offered, but this is likely to include a region-wide recruitment marketing effort, the development and delivery of a rigorous, standardised assessment process, and the development and delivery of a comprehensive, standardised induction training package to ensure all managers and frontline staff have a similar understanding of the intervention model.

Childcare costs

93. Where it is a barrier to participation in the IPSPC Initiative, childcare should be funded by the Grant Recipient as part of its Grant Funding. Childcare should only be funded if it is provided by:

• carers registered with OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education)
• a carer accredited under the Childcare Approval Scheme, run on school premises out of school hours or as an out of hours club by a LA, or
• schools or establishments exempted from registration under the Children Act 1989 or operated on Crown property

94. The Grant Recipient will be required to ensure that Participants are informed of the access to funding for childcare costs.

95. The parent or guardian can make alternative arrangements. However, costs should not be paid unless the carer is in one of the above categories.

96. DWP currently sets its costs for childcare up to the Tax Credit limits. Grant Recipients should consider the following limits when developing and pricing their proposals:

a. Help with childcare costs can be paid up to, but not including, the first Tuesday in the September following the child’s fifteenth birthday. Parents requiring childcare for five days a week can claim up to a maximum of £175 per week for one child and £300 per week for two or more children.

b. If the Participant is attending an Approved Activity of less than five days a week, they can claim up to the maximum daily rates of £35 per day for one child and £60 per day for two or more children.

97. The child/children must satisfy the age requirement and be a dependent of and reside with the Participant.

98. Grant Recipients must not recommend childcare facilities to Participants. This is to ensure that DWP and/or the Grant Recipient does not take on liability for the safety of children. It is the parents’ responsibility to decide with whom they entrust the care of their child/children.

99. Grant Recipients or Activity Delivery Partners may choose to arrange for a crèche facility to be on their premises. However, they must ensure it is the parents’ choice whether their child uses the facility. Grant Recipients should also ensure that any crèche facilities adhere to current legislation.

Replacement care costs

100. Where it is a barrier to participation in the IPSPC Initiative, replacement care costs can be funded by the Grant Recipient as part of its Grant Funding for participants who are:

• of Working Age
• not in work; and
• spend a significant proportion of their lives providing unpaid support to relatives, partners or friends who are ill, frail, disabled or have a mental health or substance misuse problem

101. Carers must be participating in an Approved Activity and/or incur one-off replacement care costs when attending an interview with a Grant Recipient or employer which has been pre-arranged/agreed by the Grant Recipient. Other alternatives, such as moving the time/date, should be considered before replacement care costs are paid.

102. The Grant Recipient will be required to ensure that Participants are informed of the access to funding for replacement caring costs.

103. Replacement care costs should not be paid if the replacement care is provided by family members.

104. Replacement care must be provided by Grant Recipient registered providers, a Grant Recipient preferred provider, or a recognised care organisation within the local area.

105. Grant Recipients must not recommend replacement care to Participants. The carer, or the person being cared for, must do this, as it is their responsibility to decide who should provide the care.

Ineligible expenses

106. Ineligible expenditure shall include but not be limited to:

• any contribution to the Participant’s salary
• the cost of submitting a Grant Application
• incentives paid to Participants
• contributions in kind
• interest payments or service charge payments for finance leases
• gifts
• statutory fines, criminal fines or penalties civil penalties, damages, or any associated legal costs
• payments for works or activities which the Grant Recipient, or any member of their Partnership has a statutory duty to undertake, or that are funded by other sources
• bad debts to related parties
• payments for unfair dismissal or other compensation
• depreciation, amortisation, or impairment of assets owned by the Grant Recipient
• the acquisition or improvement of Assets by the Grant Recipient and
• liabilities incurred before the commencement of the Grant Funding Agreement

Fraud

107. Grant Recipients should ensure that Activity Delivery Partners are genuine, qualified, and capable of delivering the required Funded Activities, and that the use of the Activity Delivery Partner by the Grant Recipient represents value for money. This may include the Grant Recipient carrying out due diligence, pre-procurement checks, ongoing performance management of all Activity Delivery Partners and the Grant Recipient making payments in arrears to all Activity Delivery Partners.

108. If the Grant Recipient knows or suspects, or should have known or suspected, that fraudulent activity of any kind has taken place in connection with IPSPC or the Grant, the Grant Recipient must notify DWP immediately providing full details of the fraudulent activity, including but not limited to, the nature, the scope, and the total monetary value of the fraudulent activity.

VAT

109. The Grant Recipient should seek its own independent advice regarding the VAT implications of the IPSPC Grant.

110. If Grant Recipients elect to charge VAT on payments made to them by DWP then they must provide DWP with full VAT invoices alongside the MI at he next reporting period.

111. If Grant Recipients incur VAT from Activity Delivery Partners or Third-Party suppliers, this remains the responsibility of the Grant Recipient. VAT costs incurred by the Grant Recipient should not be passed on to DWP and VAT costs incurred by the Grant Recipient do not constitute Eligible Expenditure.

Timeline

112. The deadline for submitting a Grant Application is at 17:00 on 31 August 2022.

113. Information and support regarding the Grant Application process can be obtained by sending questions to the DWP IPSPC Grant Team via the following inbox throughout the grant application process: [email protected]

114. DWP aims to assess Grant Applications in July and notify Grant Applicants of the outcome by the October 2022. It is expected that Grant Recipients will then begin the procurement process for Activity Delivery Partners and training partners, if applicable, as well as resourcing and staff training. Grant Recipients will have a 6-month Implementation Period before beginning to deliver the Initiative from April 2023 to March 2025. More details are provided in the table below. DWP will make every effort to notify Grant Applicants as early as possible in the event that the timeline needs to be adjusted.

Activity	Start Date	End Date
IPSPC Invitation to Grant Application issued to potential Grant Applicants	Week commencing 11 July 2022	-
Grant Application preparation period	Week commencing 11 July 2022	31 August 2022
Grant Application closing date	31 August 2022	-
Grant Applicants notified of outcome	27 January 2023	-
Grant Funding Agreement issued	27 January 2023	-
Grant Funding Agreement deadline for signature and return	2 weeks after receipt	-
Implementation Period	1 February 2023	31 March 2023
Funding Period	1 February 2023	31 March 2025

Implementation Period

115. During the Implementation Period, Grant Recipients should deliver the activities outlined in their Grant Application. Some examples include:

• procurement and appointment of Activity Delivery Partners and training partners, if applicable
• relevant recruitment and training carried out
• development of supporting processes and procedures ready for service
• marketing of the IPSPC Initiative
• regular engagement with the REL and DWP to support service set-up

Funding Period

116. The Funding Period runs from 1 February 2023 to 31 March 2025 and is made up of two phases: recruitment phase and support phase.

117. During the recruitment phase Grant Recipients will be seeking to identify potential IPSPC Participants, establishing eligibility, and supporting Participants either in their job search and into employment, or to remain in employment.

118. The Grant Recipient will recruit Participants for 20 months and offer support for 24 months. There will be no recruitment in the final 4 months. The ES will provide a maximum of 12 months support to an Out-of-Work Participant, and 4-months support to an In-Work Participant.

119. At the transition point from recruitment phase to support phase, if the Grant Recipient feels there are reasonable grounds for admitting further Initiative Starts, this can be discussed with the REL and will be considered by DWP on a case-by-case basis.

120. During the support phase of the Grant, the Grant Recipient should consider how to take the necessary steps to close the Initiative and as appropriate, transition Participants to alternative support.

Identification and referral process

121. The core target referral routes include:

• self-referral signposted from wider local services, for example, voluntary and charity sector, employers and Jobcentre Plus (web, telephone, in-person)
• primary care (GPs, practice nurses, allied health professions, other primary care staff members)
• community care and other care settings (IAPT, pain clinics, physio and other community care services, psychology, psychotherapy), and social prescribing

122. To ensure that the right levels and quality of referrals is achieved, Activity Delivery Partners will need to consider how to manage all referral routes effectively. This will include developing strong links and referral arrangements with community organisations, health services, local partners such as GPs, ICS and other LAs, Jobcentre Plus, social care, community health services, educational institutions, volunteering organisations, and housing services among others.

Grant Recipient / Activity Delivery Partner interaction with Participant

Initial meeting with Participant

123. The initial meeting with the Participant following referral will be critical to delivering IPSPC effectively.

124. The Activity Delivery Partner will need to check and agree Participant eligibility and suitability and collect relevant initial information about the Participant. The IPSPC provision is expected to conform to the modified version of the IPS 8 key principles (paragraph 24).

125. The initial meeting must be conducted face-to-face by the Employment Specialist who will deliver IPSPC. This should be at an agreed location that meets the preferences and requirements of the Participant, including consideration of the accessibility requirements of the Participant, for example, a community location. The reasons for this meeting being face-to-face are:

• this is in line with the principle of rapid engagement, which has been shown to be an important part of IPSPC
• increases the chances of the Participants not dropping out

126. Grant Recipients will be expected to make provision for Participants that do not have English as a first language. Grant Recipients will be expected to budget for translation services or other provision as appropriate to ensure they are able to reach the broadest range of potential Participants.

Informed consent

127. All Participants need to provide informed consent to start on IPSPC, to demonstrate that they understand and have agreed to the IPSPC offer. It also confirms their willingness to share their data in compliance with the Data Protection Impact Assessments including sharing specific information with specific third parties including for evaluation and contract management purposes.

128. If the Participant meets the Eligibility Criteria, the Employment Specialist will then need to explain the nature of the programme and ask the Participant to sign a consent form.

129. Participants will be given a copy of the signed consent form to take away with them. All the relevant materials for this part of the meeting will be provided by the DWP Grants Team.

IPSPC Delivery Model

130. The Grant Recipient or Activity Delivery Partner will deliver IPSPC according to the following requirements.

Employment Specialists are responsible for supporting people back into paid employment and to support those in employment to stay in work. They should not focus on condition management. Employment Specialists focus on delivering support to progress towards, move to, and sustain paid employment. Each Employment Specialist carries out all phases of the employment support, including intake, engagement, assessment, job placement, job coaching, and follow-along supports as necessary. Support may be face-to-face, telephone, in groups and via text or email as appropriate. In addition, Employment Specialist’s co-ordinate access to health and wider supports (for example – debt, housing, skills) working through local ICBs in the areas as appropriate.

Employment Specialists co-ordinate access to health and wider supports (for example – debt, housing, skills) working through ICBs in the areas as appropriate. The Employment Specialist should consider how best to integrate IPSPC with a Participant’s health treatment.

The Employment Specialist should aim to have an active caseload of up to 25 people. Each Participant should work with the same Employment Specialist for the duration of the IPSPC programme.

In addition, the Employment Specialist should co-ordinate access to health and wider support (for example – debt, housing, skills) working through local ICBs in the areas as appropriate.

Integration of IPSPC with health treatment

131. The Employment Specialist can form part of the clinical team working in primary or community care settings professional team or physical health teams in the same way as, for example practice nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists etc and attend regular team meetings to assess the employment support needs of patients.

132. They can work in a GP practice/health centre in person for at least part of their week and actively participate in practice team meetings and liaise with other staff.

133. They can be based within the practices/health centres. The Employment Specialist will use the primary care systems to record details of notes for documentation of the patients’ employment support alongside information recorded by other practice staff regarding their health treatment recorded by other practice staff and employment services.

Collaboration between the Employment Specialists, Jobcentre Plus and other government/DWP programmes

134. The Employment Specialist should liaise with other support and provision to ensure a co-ordinated approach.

135. The Employment Specialist will provide all Participants with clear guidance and any necessary support to communicate with Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches to demonstrate their participation in the IPSPC programme.

Benefits advice and work incentives planning

136. All Participants are provided with assistance in understanding benefits eligibility and obtaining comprehensive, individualised work incentives planning when considering job vacancies and assistance accessing employment benefits when making decisions about changes in work hours and pay.

137. Specialist benefits advice includes discussion of the impact on all sources of income and benefits (Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payments, travel concession, etc.) and all costs associated with commencing or changing employment.

138. Participants are provided with information and assistance about recording and reporting earnings and changes of circumstances to any other programmes and/or organisations, for example, Jobcentre Plus as required.

139. The use of the Access to Work scheme needs to be considered to provide support and adjustments in work. The Employment Specialist should seek advice about Access to Work to support the Participant.

140. The Employment Specialist should support Participants to evaluate their choices and informed decisions regarding what is revealed to the employer about having a disability.

Vocational profiling

141. All Participants will receive a co-produced vocational profiling assessment early in the support timeframe.

142. The resulting vocational profile form must capture a holistic understanding of the Participant’s circumstances, strengths, aspirations and needs across e.g., employment, health, personal and wider factors.

143. The initial assessment will inform a Vocational Action Plan. Both the vocational profile and the Vocational Action Plan are live documents and updated over time during the support journey. Sources of information can include the Participant, and with their permission, clinicians and clinical records, family members and employers.

Rapid job search for competitive jobs

144. For Out-of-Work Participants, active employment support, individualised job search and application must occur from day one alongside employment, health, and wider support.

145. Initial employment assessment and first job application/face-to-face employer contact by the Participant or the ES about a competitive job should occur no later than 30 days (one month) after programme entry.

Employer Engagement

146. The Employment Specialist proactively supports employer contacts to source new vacancies both directly and working with existing employment engagement mechanisms in each area as appropriate. The Employment Specialist should be aware of and utilise the Disability Confident^{[footnote 6]} employer scheme including maximising employment opportunities.

147. The Employment Specialist must have designated time each week for direct employer engagement and engagement with existing employer engagement mechanisms.

Job matching

148. Job matches must be based on Participant preferences relating to what each person enjoys and their personal employment goals and needs (including, experience, ability, health etc.) whilst understanding employer needs and vacancy roles, rather than just those jobs that are most immediately available.

149. The Employment Specialist will update the Vocational Action Plan with information from the vocational profiling assessment and new job/educational experiences.

150. The Employment Specialist within a team must share information about employment opportunities in the area.

151. The Employment Specialist assists Participants in obtaining different types of jobs as appropriate.

Individualised in-work support

152. In-Work Participants should receive personalised support to sustain work based on the job they are in, their preferences, work history, needs, etc.

153. Support should be provided and co-ordinated by the Employment Specialist and can include support from family, friends, peers, employer/line manager, co-workers, and health practitioners.

154. The Employment Specialist also provides support to the employer (e.g., educational information, job accommodations) when appropriate.

155. The Employment Specialist offers help with career development, i.e., assistance with education, more hours, more responsibility, a more desirable job, or more preferred job duties.

Participant secures employment

156. When an Out-of-Work Participant secures employment or becomes self-employed, the first date of employment must be recorded in the MI Template.

Participant leaves provision

157. Participants may leave IPSPC for a number of reasons, including but not limited to starting work, failing to engage with the programme after DWP has been notified that they have started on the IPSPC Initiative or the Participant no longer wishing to participate. Activity Delivery Partners should record the reason against the most appropriate option in the MI and provide any additional notes if required.

Disengaged Participants

158. Where Participants fail to attend appointments, the Employment Specialist should actively seek to re-engage Participants. Participants are informed that they will be no longer be a Participant of the programme if they do not re-engage.

MI and reporting requirements

159. Grant Recipients will be expected to populate and return to DWP the IPSPC MI Template each Quarter. The MI Template will include details of the current IPSPC staffing level relating to the reporting Quarter, and the total, cumulative numbers to the end of the reporting month for each data item. There is also the opportunity to capture relevant notes or information that give additional context to the reported information.

160. Grant Recipients are required to capture all IPSPC related expenditure over the 3-month period as a cumulative total from the start of the Initiative against each expenditure type stated to show adherence to Match Funding commitment.

161. The MI Template can be found in Appendix D. It should be returned by the 14th of the month following the end of the Quarter, containing updates on progress achieved over the previous Quarter to give a cumulative picture of Participant progress on the Initiative. MI should be returned to the following mailbox: [email protected]

162. The MI Template and its frequency of return may change before and during the operation of the Initiative, Grant Recipients will be required to support any changes where necessary.

163. Grant Recipients will need to obtain and retain evidence to provide assurance relating to hours worked, earnings and duration of employment, for example, information and documentation provided by the employer, wage slips, any Real Time Information (RTI) checks carried out with HMRC, evidence of self-employment.

164. DWP will monitor performance of the Grant Recipient regularly for the duration of the IPSPC Initiative against the Profile Template (Appendix C) of forecasted Initiative Starts, staffing level and expenditure set out as part of the Grant Application.

165. Assurance may be sought by DWP or its commissioned representatives through a variety of means, including but not limited to reviewing the Grant Recipients audit trail of evidence held to support the performance, in consultation with the Participant and or their employer(s), and/or through reference to other sources of assurance such as Government held data, for example, DWP, or His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) records, etc.

166. The DWP Grants Team will review the quarterly MI return. The Grants Team will:

• monitor progress
• arrange for grant payments to be made to Grant Recipients based on the agreed payment model and relevant MI
• engage with Grant Recipients to help support performance improvement where necessary and develop an improvement plan as required

167. Each Grant Recipient will be assigned a DWP REL. The REL will support the Grant Recipient through the Implementation Period, share good practice and provide support during IPSPC delivery. Grant Recipients will work with their REL to support the delivery of agreed processes and to provide evidence for quality assurance purposes.

168. Some of the areas of the MI return that the DWP Grants Team may contact the Grant Recipient to discuss could include:

• staffing levels
• number of Initiative Starts (compared to the completed Profile Template provided by the Grant Recipient).
• number of Job Starts
• number of Baseline Threshold Job Outcomes or Higher Threshold Job Outcomes

169. The DWP Grants Team will identify performance issues through analysis of MI returns against the following KPIs and co-ordinate performance management intervention:

• making referrals at less than 90% of the number in the agreed Profile Template
• initiative Starts at less than 70% of the number of Initiative Starts in the agreed Profile Template
• job starts for less than 40% of Initiative Starts
• more than 10% of Initiative Starts on provision leave it before 10 months for reasons other than a Baseline Threshold Job Outcome or Higher Threshold Job Outcome

170. When monitoring the monthly MI returns the DWP Grants Team will work collaboratively with the Grant Recipient and the REL to agree actions for improvement where necessary, in accordance with the Grant Funding Agreement.

Annual Grant review

171. DWP will review the IPSPC Grant annually. DWP will take into account the delivery of the Funded Activities against the agreed outputs set out in their Grant Application and Profile Template.

172. Each annual review may result in DWP deciding that (for example, a non-exclusive list includes):

• The Funded Activities and the Grant Funding Agreement should continue in line with existing plans
• There should be an increase or decrease in the IPSPC Grant for the subsequent Financial Year
• The outputs should be re-profiled and agreed
• The Grant Recipient should provide DWP with a draft Remedial Action Plan setting out the steps the Grant Recipient will take to improve delivery of the Funded Activities
• DWP should recover any Unspent Monies (as defined in the Grant Funding Agreement)
• The IPSPC Grant be terminated in accordance with the Grant Funding Agreement

Annex A: IPSPC Process Map

Appendix A: Grant Application instructions and assessment criteria

Appendix B: Grant Application

Appendix C: Profile Template

Appendix D: MI Template

Appendix E: Data Table

 

1. Defined as a job that any person can apply for regardless of their disability status; see paragraph 20 for further detail. ↩

2. UCL (2014) Increasing employment opportunities and retention for people with a long-term health condition or disability: local action on health inequalities ↩

3. Burns et al, 2015. ↩

4. See What works centre for local economic growth website ↩

5. See The Magenta Book ↩

6. See Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ↩