Equal DP9

The DP aims to design and  pilot a frontline referral and guidance system, including tailor made psychometric testing, with the DS&FA, our target groups, and other agencies, in the Midlands Region. This will enable a number of mainstream agencies to address skills and structural deficits which work against the interests of a number of target groups. These deficits in the area of employment guidance and counselling services combined with a lack of effective referrals frequently compounds the previous discriminatory practices which our target groups experienced in the education system. The DP aims to secure cross-sectoral working so as to develop new ways to retain or reinsert our target groups within education/training systems and to underpin their progression to employment.  The DP will support the participation of the target groups in its work and decision making processes to ensure that its work is sensitive to their needs and facilitates/builds target group agility in a complex and changing employment environment.

The main results will include the training of identified key personnel in the ‘Target specific’ Psychometric test package  - 200 trained with 4000 tests administered. In addition some 250 clients will be case-conferenced over the period of the programme Some 120 people will be trained in ‘first line’ referral systems including 70 DSFA Staff and an additional 150 people trained in First Line Guidance & Counselling systems. In terms of impacts the main outcomes will be system change in the form of front line referral systems and the use of case conferencing

The main partners in this EQUAL initiative are:

·        -Employment Pact Midlands (Lead Partner )

·        -Dept. of Social & Family Affairs.

·        -National Counselling Institute of Ireland.

Total funding for this project is €1.25m.

EQUAL COMMUNITY INITIATIVE MONITORING COMMITTEE:

The Director continues to represent the Regional Authorities on the national Monitoring Committee.