Key information
Executive summary
• A Social Integration Innovation Fund to promote social integration among Londoners from diverse backgrounds.
• A Workforce Integration Network to improve access to employment for groups that are significantly under-represented in London’s workforce.
• A Social Integration Design Lab and Data Standard for London to embed common principles of social integration across London’s public services.
• A range of pilot programmes to test new ways of delivering ESOL.
Expenditure on these programmes will, if approved, total £420,000 in 2017/18, noting this relates to three of the four programmes. The Design Lab and Data Standard work does not have spending implications for this year: it will rely on the time of existing officers only.
Decision
• The Social Integration Innovation Fund – £260,000;
• Workforce Integration Network – £60,000;
• ESOL Plus – £100,000.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
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- Operational partnerships with boroughs to collect data on social integration;
- A Design Lab to embed common principles of social integration into the design of local public services; and
- Cross-GLA work to ensure that social integration is part of every aspect of the Mayor’s work.
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- Working with and incentivising more organisations to offer ESOL, diversifying supply and involving schools, businesses and community groups in delivery. £15,000 will fund a ‘proof of concept’ ESOL pilot with one high-profile employer in a key sector employing high numbers of migrants with low-level English skills, to use as a business case and share the learning with other employers in that sector.
- Addressing gaps for particular groups as identified by GLA research - including learners with low literacy, caring responsibilities, and disabilities - that create barriers to accessing ESOL provision. A budget of £85,000 will fund pilots that meet identified gaps in ESOL provision and promote social integration outcomes. This funding will pilot and evaluate opportunities with existing providers, organisations or community groups establishing a model that better meets the needs of those with poor literacy or little experience of formal education, and testing intergenerational ESOL.
- Testing new models of voluntary support to boost access to informal provision and gain wider community benefits. This could include engaging Teach First ambassadors as English language mentors and working with Team London to develop intergenerational ESOL provision.
[1] Office for National Statistics, 2017
Social Integration Innovation Fund
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- A series of innovations which support the social integration of families and their wider communities are developed and embedded in London;
- Evidence from these innovations is collated so that a wider network of providers and organisations can learn from the best evidence-based approaches to social integration;
- The establishment of social integration initiatives in family services and support networks across London that lead to:
- More diverse and mixed social networks for families;
- Improved social mobility and wellbeing outcomes for children;
- Less parental isolation;
- More connected communities.
- Outputs from the programme in 2017/18 will include up to five workshops, ten local projects and an evaluation report documenting learnings from the programme.
Workforce Integration Network
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- Greater awareness among employers of the barriers facing specific groups of Londoners (young black men in particular) and the benefits to them employing a diverse workforce.
- Better understanding within the GLA of the challenges and opportunities for workforce integration of under-represented groups.
- Improved employment participation and integration outcomes for under-represented groups.
- Outputs from this work in 2017/18 will include two events and a research report.
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- A shared definition of social integration, raising awareness of what the Mayor’s vision for London is.
- An audit of existing data collection on social integration: for example, understanding which councils already use a residents’ survey or hold service data that could contribute to social integration measures.
- A common data collection approach for shared social integration measures.
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- Better quality data on social integration.
- Improved consistency of data collection across London boroughs.
- Boroughs and other statutory partners are engaged in the Mayor’s social integration work and their work is championed.
- More local services are designed to improve social integration.
- Consistency in the approach to embedding social integration within the GLA.
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- Increased numbers of employers offering ESOL to staff.
- Increased participation in providing informal ESOL from organisations and community groups, including schools, and teaching communities.
- Increased community-led activity offering informal English language support.
- Improved English language proficiency for Londoners.
Risk register
Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
Consultations
The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:
6.1. The decisions requested of the Mayor (in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code) concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
b) consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
c) consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2 In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it) section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
6.3 Officers have indicated in section 2 that the significant proportion of the proposed expenditure in relation to the four social integration programmes will amount to the provision of grant funding not payment for works, supplies or services. Officers must ensure that:
6.3.1 the funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities duty and in manner which affords value for money in accordance with the Contracts and Funding Code; and
6.3.2 appropriate funding agreements are put in place between and executed by the GLA and the recipient of the funding before any commitment to fund is made.
6.4 All other services or supplies required must be procured by Transport for London Procurement (who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted) in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must liaise with Transport for London Procurement in this regard and ensure that appropriate contracts are put in place between and executed by the GLA and the successful bidders before the commencement of any such services or provision of supplies.
Signed decision document
MD2192 Social Integration Programmes 2017-18