LifeWorks Plus

Well, it seems that the first residential course of LifeWorks Plus went off without a hitch last week.  We had a team of 5 from the Parachute Regiment staying with us and taking part in our specially developed Vocational assessment held in Capel Morris.

We have spent a long time develop LifeWorks and the feedback we’ve had so far has been extremely positive.  People have enjoyed the surroundings and atmosphere of the Village and the newly refurbished Capel Morris centre has been particularly well received.  In return, we were impressed by its diligence, determination and application shown by all 5 soldiers.  Most impressive!

Obviously I am delighted that we have started this process as it is particularly close to my heart.  Many of the Service men and women that I served with would have really benefited from this type of assessment, which can ultimately make a huge different to an individual’s chances of finding and, most importantly, keeping a job.  We need to keep working together to develop new initiatives to help our colleagues in the armed forces, particularly in these times of austerity, with increasing cuts to MOD budgets and greater demands made of the individuals in the services.

A big thank you our Condition Management Practitioners (CMP) team who delivered the course and to Sharon Patmore for her work in designing and developing the programme.  Further thanks to the ABF Soldiers Charity and to the Parachute Regiment Welfare organisation who combined to make this inaugural LifeWorks Plus course possible. Let’s keep up this good work!

Work Programme

Following the recent ministerial announcement regarding Organisations that have been selected as preferred bidders for Work Programme, we were delighted that RBLI is a partner for both of those who were successful in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. We look forward to working with them to deliver innovative and successful solutions for Work Programme customers.

The Work Programme is the Government’s flagship employment programme which combines most of the current programmes into one. Its aim will be to deliver innovation, customised support and sustainable jobs, all of which are at the heart of RBLI activities. The current economic climate will undoubtedly create some challenges for those delivering this new programme. However we believe our Social Enterprise model, condition management programme, motivational workshops, employability training courses and in work support services will ensure RBLI is well placed to overcome these.

In addition we continue to progress a range of initiatives which will enable us to increase the number of beneficiaries we support. Many of these can also be integrated into Work Programme to provide enhanced support to specific customer groups. Plans to set up the Learning Café at our head office site continue to progress. We are also excited about our involvement with the charity Blue Sky, as we work together to develop employment and training opportunities for ex Service personnel who also have a history of offending. Blue Sky run a number of projects which offer employment to ex offenders and amongst the group of individuals with whom they work have reduced re-offending to one quarter of the national average.

Social Firms

Our assessment for Social Firms has now been completed and we’re delighted to be accepted as full members of Social Firms UK, a charity formed in 1999 to lead the development of the Social Firms sector in the UK. Acceptance as a full member is recognition of the fact that RBLI operates under the Social Firms model. Not only does this formally acknowledge that our values and objectives in terms of our beneficiaries are at the forefront of our business but it opens up a range of marketing potential, such as the Social Firms Trade Directory which is actively promoted to and accessed by Organisations wishing to include Social Firms as part of their supply chains to buy quality products and meet some of their corporate social responsibilities. It also gives us access to advice on developing new activities within the business under a social firms model, helping with advice on set up funding etc.

Formal membership recognises the following:

• That we trade for social purposes and any profits we make are reinvested back into the business to help us achieve our social purpose
• One of our main social purposes is to create real, good quality jobs with opportunities for training and development to severely disadvantaged people, in a commercially focused environment

The Social Firms have three values:

• Enterprise (at least 50% of the turnover must be gained from commercial activity)
• Employment (at least 25% of the workforce will be severely disadvantaged in an open labour market)
• Empowerment (commitment to social and economic integration of disadvantaged in an open labour market)

Recognition from Social Firms UK confirms our belief in focussing on successful outcomes for our beneficiaries. It is also full alignment with our strategy to develop our Social Enterprises to benefit even more people.

RBLI Scores Top Grade

RBLI scores top grade (STRONG) in rigorous Provider Assurance Team (PAT) audit conducted in December 2010.

The audit covered contractual compliance and processes against contracts as well as core delivery practices to our clients. This confirms RBLI’s position as a robust, data secure provider which delivers as promised and has the training, systems and ethos to ensure compliancy.

Quoting from the report
“RBLI has a strong company ethos revolving around helping others”

We are proud of our customer service and this once again shone through as being really strong. The introduction of our ‘So Thin’ application to protect data provides a secure platform but it is the quality of the management and people which has ensured this top rating of STRONG. A fantastic team effort and a wonderful foundation for us to find further ways to improve delivery.

A great start to the New Year.

RBLI has quickly slipped into top gear in the early days of 2011 with the completion of final preparations for an assessment course for the British Army’s injured soldiers. The first course will run in mid February and Lieutenant Colonel Paul Meldon, the Commanding Officer of the region’s Personal Recovery Unit, is leading on the Army’s input to this important 2 week course.

Paul Meldon will also join RBLI staff later this month in the discussions with Paul Carter, Leader of Kent County Council, about RBLI and KCC’s alliance on the Welfare Pathway to improve the support to the Armed Forces Community in Kent. KCC is one of 3 Authorities leading the way with this important pilot scheme.

We are in the planning stages of the creation of a Learning Café, as a social enterprise, here on our village in Aylesford. The Café will not only serve as a drop in centre for injured service personnel, but will also be a focal point for the village. In addition, the Café will live up to its name by providing employment, placements and training for injured service personnel transitioning to civilian life.

Watch this space as RBLI will be looking for support for the Learning Café with sponsorship, volunteers, trainers and partners.

In addition to all of this, RBLI Employment Solutions continues to deliver high quality services to people on Pathways, Access to Work and other Welfare to Work services. The slight improvement in the weather has allowed us all, RBLI employees and clients, to get out and about that much more and as a consequence secure more employment.

A great start to the New Year.

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.