From Strength to Strength in Employment Solutions

We go from strength to strength in Employment Solutions where, as the end of the year fast approaches, it is perhaps time for some reflection and also to peer into the future. This year has seen a number of resounding successes by RBLI. Our Welfare team was awarded an ‘A’ grading by Kent County Council for its exceptional performance in delivering the Supporting People Programme and our wonderful staff in the Workstep team continued to deliver above target both on job outcomes and sustainments. The team also executed a professional and comprehensive handover to the new Workchoice providers. Although sad to see some of our people transfer over on TUPE to the new providers; this is very much the way of life in the Welfare to Work industry. However, we remain in touch through our successful RBLI alumni programme.

We have also said farewell to a few of the management and support staff due to the cessation of Workstep in the South East. However, we have welcomed new staff with a new Project Manager for our exciting training delivery programme with the Army Recovery Capability; two new advisers on our Business to Business team and have reinforced our Work Programme team to ensure we provide our normal first rate quality of service to the Prime Contractors on the Work Programme framework agreement. Our Access to Work Assessment team is growing in size to match the success and growth in this area. We are currently helping over 500 clients on the Pathways Programme. Also, early in 2011 we have plans to launch a vocational assessment service (called Lifeworks) which will have national coverage for the Armed Forces Community. Busy days ahead I think.

Our Manufacturing Division, with over 104 disabled employees, also goes from strength to strength and is now formally accredited as a Social Enterprise and will be re-titled early in the New Year. Our ‘Fulfilment’ team achieved a world record for the construction of the tallest model railway at St Pancras Station and the order books are filling up as a result.

Our strong links with Kent County Council are also developing further with our mutual ambition to ‘do more’ together to assist disabled people back into employment and reach out to those from the Armed Forces Community. This will reinforce our ability to deliver sustainable outcomes in the new Work Programme.

A Fascinating Week

In which we warmly welcome Jonathan Shaw as an Associate of RBLI. Jonathan is a former government minister and qualified social worker.

Our Aylesford offices sits inside Jonathan’s previous parliamentary constituency and so he brings a wealth of local and national knowledge and experience to help our charitable aims.

The senior management team and the Board of Trustees held a most productive day designing and agreeing, in principle, the new Strategy for RBLI to be launched in early 2011.