Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Hillingdon Homeless Employment Support Programme
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Executive Decision Notice – 12 March 2024 Page 1
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision UKSPF HILLINGDON HOMELESS, EMPLOYMENT,
SUPPORT PROJECT (HESSP)
Reference No. 1060
Date of decision Tuesday 12 March 2024
Call-in expiry date Tuesday 19 March 2024
Relevant Select
Committee
Residents’ Services Select Committee
Relevant Wards All
Decision made
Cabinet Members
making the decision
Councillor Ian Edwards – Leader of the Council
Councillor Eddie Lavery – Cabinet Member for Residents ’
Services
Decision Approved
That the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for
Residents’ Services accept ed the tender from SEETEC
PLUSS LTD for the PROVISION OF A HILLINGDON
HOMELESSNESS & EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT PROJECT
for a FOURTEEN MONTH period from 31 JANUARY 2024 to
31 MARCH 2025 and at the value of £178,558.92.
Reason for decision This project has been set up as part of the UK Shared Prosperity
Fund (‘UKSPF‘) allocations via West London Alliance (WLA)
following consultation with the GLA. UKSPF funding is a
replacement of the previous Europ ean Structural and
Investment Funds (‘ESF’) Programme. The UK Shared
Prosperity Fund is a new funding stream for local investment
and the current allocation of funding must be spent by the end
of March 2025. The significant change to previous ESF
programmes is that all local authorities receive an allocation via
a funding formula based on
population. It supports central
government’s levelling up agenda and help places across the
UK to deliver on local priorities, such as communities and place,
support for local businesses and people and skills.
It is noted that the funding allocated via the WLA can only be
committed to delivering employment support projects and that
the allocation comes with outputs and outcomes, such as
helping residents secure employment. The WLA have agreed a
set of outputs and outcomes which are to be delivered by each
of the West London Boroughs.
Executive Decision Notice – 12 March 2024 Page 2
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Whilst not yet confirmed by central government, there is every
likelihood that the UKSP funding approach will be extended
beyond March 2025. With the prospect of further funding in the
offering, it is in Hillingdon’s interest, as a borough that has not
previously delivered employment
support projects, to
demonstrate it can manage successful UKSPF projects.
Additionally, UKSP funding allows Hillingdon to deliver projects
that address specific local challenges. Hillingdon have agreed to
provide employment support for economically inactive people
who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. It will
provide intensive and wrap- around support to move people
closer to and into employment. Getting a job is an important part
of leaving homelessness behind or preventing homelessness in
the first place.
Seetec Plus Ltd have supported those individuals with a variety
of complex needs to gain and sustain employment/ self-
employment through bespoke package of support to enable
them to understand and maximise skillsets and strengths. This
includes:
• Intensive Support, driven by their Customer Service
Standards, and clear employment focused Action Plans
are developed with SMART actions to create a service
with regular
engagement with a clear pathway to work
identified and evolved throughout the participant journey.
• ‘Better Off Calculations’ to enable individuals to
understand their financial situation (e.g., identifying
benefits eligibility), supported by signposting and
specialist interventions, by Hillingdon’s, Housing Options
team.
• Finance Benefit Debt sessions.
• Individuals with specific health and wellbeing needs are
also provided with specialist health and wellbeing support
through Seetec Plus Ltd’s third party supply partner. This
includes peer-to-
peer workshops, increasing
communication and empathy through group activities,
and signposting to community Health & Wellbeing
support, e.g., working alongside supply partners who
undergo health checks on behalf of the NHS and offer
interventions for smoking cessation.
Over the past two years, Seetec have delivered the Department
for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Restart Employability
Programme in the London Borough of Hillingdon (LBH) on
behalf of Ingeus. During this period, they successfully engaged
with 3,004 participants, enabling 1,283 individuals to secure
employment or self -employment. 659 of those reached the
Threshold Earning Requirements Outcome which represents
104% of contract to date expectations (as of June 2023).
Executive Decision Notice – 12 March 2024 Page 3
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Seetec Pluss (Seetec), deliver £426m of employability
programmes nationally, engaging with over 117,933
participants. They understand the critical importance of these
services in supporting individuals, especially those facing
complex challenges, including those who are homeless or are
threatened with homelessness on their journey towards stability/
sustainable employment. Due to their wealth of experience,
commitment to excellence, and comprehensive track record we
recommend that Seetec Plus Ltd are awarded this contract.
Alternative options
considered and
rejected
WLA have awarded this contract to boroughs to upskill residents
and support those furthest away from the labour market and
ones who face additional challenges.
The Council could decide not to participate in the UKSPF
programme and therefore not provide any support to those
residents in need of it most. By supporting these residents, we
will reduce the impact on our housing service.
Classification Part II – Members Only and Not for Publication
Link to associated
report
That this report be declared as exempt from publication as it
involves the disclosure of information in accordance with
Section 100(A) and paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) to
the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), in that the report
contains information relating to the financial or business affairs
of any particular person (including the authority holding that
information) and that the public interest in withholding the
information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.
Relevant Officer
contact & Directorate
Jaspreet Ruprah – Central Services Directorate
Mathieu Rogers – Central Services Directorate
Any interest declared
by the Cabinet
Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in
[Internal Use only]
When can this
decision be
implemented by
officers?
Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice only
from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is:
5pm on Tuesday 19 March 2024
However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a
valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise
the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold.
Councillor scrutiny
call-in of this
decision
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this notice
may request to call-in this decision. The request must be before the
expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above.
Executive Decision Notice – 12 March 2024 Page 4
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call-in App (link below) on their
devices to initiate any call-in request. Further advice can be sought
from Democratic Services if required:
Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure)
Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The
Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access
to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive
decision, including links to the reports where applicable.
If you would like more information on this decision, please contact
Democratic Services on 01895 250636 or email:
democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk.
Circulation of this decision notice is to a variety of people including
Members of the Council, Corporate Directors, Officers, Group
Secretariats and the Public. Copies are also placed on the
Council’s website.
Democratic Services
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