Kickstart scheme
Case reference FOI2022/00167
Published 3 March 2022
Request
I understand that Herefordshire Council has served as a 'Gateway' for the DWP's Kickstart scheme. Regarding the council's role as a Gateway, I require the following information from 1st January 2021 to the date of receipt of this FOI (8 Feb). 1. How many and which businesses or companies have successfully applied to the Kickstart scheme through the council's Gateway? (please provide a full list) 2. How many Kickstart job placements have been created within each of these businesses? 3. How has Herefordshire Council vetted companies before approving them for the Kickstart scheme? (please provide detailed description of vetting procedures) 4. How has Herefordshire Council applied ongoing checks on the employability support provided to Kickstarters by the businesses it approves for the Kickstart scheme? 5. The DWP provides Gateways with £1860 per Kickstarter employed by one of the Gateway's constituent businesses. For each job placement secured by a Kickstarter, please provide a breakdown of how this money has been distributed to the businesses employing these Kickstarters. With regard to the £360 provided for admin costs, please provide information as to how this money has been used to meet these admin costs. 6. Amongst the businesses Herefordshire Council serves as a Gateway for, how many complaints have been made, or issues flagged to the council (e.g underpayment, poor experience in the workplace etc) by either Kickstarters or Kickstart employers? 7. What has been the nature of these issues in each instance, and how has the council acted to resolve these issues in its capacity as a Gateway? I would like to receive the information electronically, with documents in PDF formats and datasets in Excel.
Response
1. How many and which businesses or companies have successfully applied to the Kickstart scheme through the council's Gateway? (please provide a full list)
48 businesses have successfully to deliver Kickstart through Herefordshire Council as a gateway. The following two Herefordshire Council cabinet member governance decisions were undertaken to accept and implement the scheme. The published decisions include the businesses that were successful.
https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=7618
https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=7902
2. How many Kickstart job placements have been created within each of these businesses?
196 placements created, again the numbers are identified against each business in the above governance decisions.
3. How has Herefordshire Council vetted companies before approving them for the Kickstart scheme? (please provide detailed description of vetting procedures)
DWP vetted each of the applicants centrally before approving their placements.
4. How has Herefordshire Council applied ongoing checks on the employability support provided to Kickstarters by the businesses it approves for the Kickstart scheme?
The Herefordshire Council scheme is being implemented by Hoople Ltd. Hoople employs a Kickstart coordinator who supports Kickstarters and employers to monitor support provided.
5. The DWP provides Gateways with £1860 per Kickstarter employed by one of the Gateway's constituent businesses. For each job placement secured by a Kickstarter, please provide a breakdown of how this money has been distributed to the businesses employing these Kickstarters.ith regard to the £360 provided for admin costs, please provide information as to how this money has been used to meet these admin costs.
Grant funds to employers (which are £1500) are used to provide wrap around support and this is defined in the employer agreement with each employer. We follow DWP guidelines, funds are administered timely to employers and monitored by our Kickstart coordinator to ensure funds are used following DWP guidance. The admin fee money covers the employment of key staff to administer the funds to employers, work with DWP to ensure funds are released and to ensure we monitor the spend.
6. Amongst the businesses Herefordshire Council serves as a Gateway for, how many complaints have been made, or issues flagged to the council (e.g underpayment, poor experience in the workplace etc) by either Kickstarters or Kickstart employers?
None
7. What has been the nature of these issues in each instance, and how has the council acted to resolve these issues in its capacity as a Gateway?
N/A
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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