Hertfordshire PASS in the Top 100 Apprentice employers in the UK - reported in the Trustees report for 2011-2012

Hertfordshire PASS Trustees Report

1^st April 2011 – 31^st March 2012
(The following report was written by Nigel Fenner and approved by the PASS Trustees following a number of additions and changes. The report was contained in PASS's Annual Report - available on request.)

Hertfordshire PASS in Top 100 apprentice employers in the UK.

In 2010 when PASS was celebrating its 10th birthday it set itself the ambitious target of appointing 10 further apprentices (to add to the 6 PASS had already appointed to its staff team). By March 2012 it had achieved 9 of the 10, and for this, and other achievements, Hertfordshire PASS was only 1 of 2 charities placed in the Top 100 apprentice employers in the UK for 2011 by City & Guilds, and the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS).

Being innovative

We believe such recognition is linked to the need for PASS to be highly innovative given its small size as an organisation. For example, over 2011/12 we tested 3 exciting and ground breaking hypotheses that went right to the heart of Hertfordshire PASS endeavouring to achieve its aim as 'a user-driven charity using employment, and being an employer of carers / PAs to enable disabled people to live independently'. The 3 hypotheses were:

1. The struggle a young person has in developing their independence, through becoming an employer of their care staff can be used as suitable evidence for an apprenticeship……
2. There are mutual and additional benefits to training and developing apprentices in 'being an employer' at the same time as apprentices in 'being a carer', and
3. There are also mutual and additional benefits to training and developing young disabled people as apprentices in 'being an employer' alongside young disabled people as apprentices preparing for work (as an employee).

In bringing apprentice employers of carers together with apprentice carers, and other apprentices preparing for work, we feel we created a unique 'melting pot' that threw up some fantastic results, matched too by some major challenges.

The 'fantastic results'…..

In working to test hypothesis 1, Hertfordshire PASS started to develop its new apprenticeship in being an employer of PAs in summer 2011, in full consultation with Andrew Bird and Hanna King - 2 existing PASS staff members with experience of employing their own PAs. This led to the appointment of 3 young disabled people as apprentice employers at the end of September, and in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council, and Hertfordshire Care Providers Association, the appointment of 3 apprentice carers, or PAs to work with them.

Political support

Given we felt our new programme had (and still has) the potential to address some significant national challenges such as meeting the government's vision for adult social care, cuts in disability services, a significant growth in demand for PAs and the employers to employ them etc, we invited Stephen McPartland, the MP for Stevenage to visit us, and after 2 visits (including PASS's AGM) he said:

"I was proud to meet some of the new apprentices and learn from Andrew and Hanna the journey they had undertaken in developing this concept. It is an amazing project and I am delighted that they are leading the way with such an innovative apprenticeship scheme. I look forward to working closely with them and keeping Ministers informed of our progress."

Such 'keeping Ministers informed' included PASS's local MP brokering a meeting between PASS's Manager, Nigel Fenner and the Rt Hon John Hayes (Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning) who also expressed plenty of interest in the programme.

Independent evaluation

In addition to getting an independent view from MPs, PASS also secured funding to have the new apprenticeship programme independently evaluated and a report on the first 3 months was published in early March 2012 by Margaret Martin. In summary this concluded that there was certainly some truth in hypothesis 1, and hypothesis 2, although more work was needed to confirm this - and funding was sought (and found) to extend the evaluation for a further 9 months. Margaret Martin also concluded

"the programme has been designed and run by the disabled people themselves, using innovative training models in order to address issues which are important to disabled people and their PAs……which is at the cutting edge of innovation……is entrepreneurial…..and is probably unique".

Generating national interest

In addition to politicians, the apprenticeship programme also attracted the interest of some key individuals / organisations from across the country including Tony Phillips (Realife Trust), Joe Whittaker and Tara Flood (both Alliance for Inclusive Education), and Julie Stansfield (In-Control).

Mixing apprenticeships in being an employer, with other apprenticeships.

As far as testing hypothesis 3 was concerned, it was not possible to do this through the independent evaluation, however it was noticeable that there are benefits in mixing together those who are endeavouring to develop their expertise in being an employer (of PAs) with those who are developing their expertise in being an employee.

Those who were developing their expertise as an employee were doing so as apprentices on placements at Henkel, POhWER, Hertfordshire County Council Adult Care Services, and St Albans City Youth FC.

Fundraising successes.

In addition to all the above fantastic results, PASS was able to largely secure the resources necessary to deliver the above programmes. Credit for this goes to Stuart Sapsford, PASS's fundraiser who having been appointed on 1st April 2011 (on a 6-hour / week contract) proceeded to raise over £150,000 during the financial year. In addition to 'hard cash', PASS was also able to secure a significant number of (second hand) laptops from Henkel, as well as have a number of highly innovative bespoke pieces of accessible equipment made by REMAP, including a page turner and a push bar extension on the rear fire door for wheelchair users.

PASS’s Payroll Service.

Lastly, mention must be made of the invaluable work that goes on 'behind the scenes' supporting the programmes referred to above. For example PASS can boast a Payroll Service (- for disabled people who employ their own care staff) that in addition to being in existence since 2003, works with over 80 disabled people across Hertfordshire. In addition to providing payslips, P45s, and P60s the service also provides telephone support with one very satisfied customer reporting

"the PASS payroll service makes the difference to me with it's personal approach, just being able to leave your details and those of your PA and just sitting back to let someone else work out all the details is so easy and asking a question of a person and not a computer makes the service so easy and accessible to use. If you have ever tried to talk to a computer or ask an automated answering system a question and not getting an answer you'll know what I mean. Or have you sat there on the telephone pressing button one for customer service and button two for another service and then getting put in a queue followed by someone who doesn't know you from the other callers, you will also know what I mean. As they say you get what you pay for and you certainly do with this service from PASS. Without it I would have to reconsider being an employer of a PA and go back to those agencies sending strangers through my door everyday."

Support Services

Another 'behind the scenes' excellent service is PASS's Support Services, which provides reception, office, admin, marketing, and HR support as well as a proposed new 'information service' providing support (in being an employer of PAs) run by disabled people, for disabled people - to complement what PASS's Payroll Service is already providing.

The major challenges

Finding a training provider and suitable apprenticeship

The challenges PASS had in 2011/12 included finding both a training provider and suitable apprenticeship for 'employers of PAs'. Despite approaching 10 further education colleges or commercial training providers, PASS was unable to enrol the 3 employers of their PAs on a suitable apprenticeship. The reasons given include there not being a suitable apprenticeship for the work the employers of PAs were doing, plus the 3 employers of PAs not achieving Functional Skills Level 2, and not working enough hours in the week (15 compared with the 30 hours / week set as the standard). In independently evaluating PASS's efforts to work with such training providers and the apprenticeship framework, Margaret Martin reported that the challenges PASS has encountered

"derive ultimately from trying to fit disabled people into educational models designed for able-bodied people. In terms of Functional Skills the National Apprenticeship Service allows "reasonable adjustments" to be made for disabled people, but there is no obvious guidance on how this can be interpreted by colleges. Their reluctance to take risks in a tight financial climate is understandable. The unique nature of the (being an employer of PAs apprenticeship) programme, designed by the disabled people themselves (not a tried and tested, off-the-shelf model), and using evidence for portfolios from "lived experience", may also appear to be high risk for some providers".

Funding dependent on outcomes

Whilst PASS was largely successful in securing funding for its work, it had problems with 2 of these 'pots' because they were linked to achieving apprenticeship outcomes, which PASS failed to do, for the reasons described above. This meant grants being frozen and reduced after lengthy and difficult negotiations, putting

a lot of pressure on PASS. As Margaret Martin subsequently reported in her independent evaluation, there are tensions "between the requirements to meet particular targets and "milestones" defined in advance by funders, and the reality of barriers" encountered by pioneering organisations like PASS, which "are national issues, and the practical challenges this presents for training providers need to be addressed. More flexible models of outcomes need to be agreed for work of this kind….. which focuses on "lived experience" in quite a unique way".

PASS and the recession - and its deficit.

As with all organisations the current recession has had an impact on PASS. However, whilst the trustees considered the possibility of making staff redundant on 2 occasions over the year, such decisions were averted because of PASS's successful fundraising. PASS also considered taking on a contract with the local authority which whilst it offered funding, would have taken PASS away from its core work. Fortunately, such 'mission drift' ( - a real problem for small charities) was averted because of PASS's fundraising efforts, however a compromise was agreed with the local authority where a PASS staff member was seconded for 6 months onto the programme in question.

Despite PASS's fundraising efforts, it made a deficit of £27,933, compared with a surplus of £32,863 in the previous year. The deficit in 2011/12 includes a £9,374 deficit in the Unrestricted Funds (sometimes referred to as the General Fund) which is a cause for concern, however this was exacerbated by PASS having to settle up the expenses, amounting to £5,777 it had incurred in successfully defending itself in a long running employment tribunal case that ended with PASS being awarded compensation in May 2010. The remainder of the deficit ie £3,597, is the result, we feel of the difficult economic times.

Lack of office and training space.

Whilst PASS had fantastic offices in Welwyn Garden City these were mostly open plan, small and relatively expensive. Through Owen Parry's (Chair of PASS trustees) connections with POhWER, PASS moved in June 2011 into premises in Stevenage over twice as big (including a dedicated training / meeting room), and ¾ of the rent PASS had been paying.

The future

The Trustees agreed a 5 year plan on the 1st April 2011, which Hertfordshire PASS is largely adhering to. This plan focuses on growing PASS's:

WorkABILITY programmes:

- Work Club
- Work experience, and
- Apprenticeships

employerABILITY programmes:

- Further development / piloting of the apprenticeship in 'being an employer of PAs', and
- Payroll and support, and

Support Services including:
- Publishing User-driven 3 ( - the 3rd book PASS has published on the experiences disabled people have in accessing employment, and becoming a more effective employer of PAs).

In addition, PASS is also considering creating a Community Interest Company which would enable it to operate more effectively as a social enterprise.

"It's so fantastic to be a normal person"

- the last word from one of the PASS staff members who serve on the Board of Trustees - as reported at its 21st July 2011 meeting:

"I used to travel to PASS using a taxi but it meant I was paying out more than I was getting in my pay-packet, so I started to use the bus, which has saved me a lot of money…… I realized my disability does not get in the way of me being a normal person… I started at PASS as a Junior Apprentice and then moved on to be the Access to Work Officer; at this time I was still living in a residential home…however 5 or 6 weeks ago I moved into my own flat…and it's the best thing I've done…; there were so many barriers in my residential home that did not allow me to lead a normal life….. Now PASS say I am such an inspiration to them…. Andrew Bird says I'm so determined to get things done…. I love the fact that they let me take risks whereas in my residential home they would not let me do that. Recently (two staff) and (PASS chairman) have discussed the changing of my role to include 'Benefits'….but it's just so fantastic to be a normal person…"