Annual Report 2023- 2024 NIU Northerrt'lrda%d-Union of Supported Employment ## **Annual Report** - Policy and Influencing - Raising Awareness - Partnerships - NIUSE’s Projects - Membership - Networking - Accounts 2023 2024 - NIUSE Board Members ## Policy and Influencing Once again, the focus for 2023/2024 was **Policy and Influencing** . NIUSE Policy Group lobbied tirelessly on the Future Funding of disability employment services:- - Members worked collaboratively - Monthly meetings - Producing a Policy Paper and Manifesto - Meeting with MPs/EMPs and department official - “ - • **No one left behind Conference” Stormont** - Working in partnership with NICVA and C03 ## Policy and Influencing - ESF Programme ended on 31 March 2023 - UKSPF applications Announced on 31 March 2023 - The impact on Disability Employment Services was immense. Even though many of the disability employment services continued to receive funding under UKSPF, there were a number of serious concerns:- - UKSPF Budget was substantiality less than ESF Budget - UKSPF Programme focus was on employability outcomes and not social and inclusion which had been an integral part of the ESF Programme - UKSPF Programme Beneficiaries were people who were economically inactive. - Funding was not ring fenced for disabled people as previously under ESF Programme NIUSE members who received funding had to adapt very quickly to a new funder as well as working in consortiums which for some was a new way of working. Members did rise to the challenge and delivered straight away under the new funding, UKSPF managed by Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. ## Policy and Influencing NIUSE continued to work with **Government Departments (Communities, Economy, Finance etc)** to promote employment opportunities for disabled people focusing on policies and strategies and programme design including- . - Responding to the Department’s Equality Impact Assessments on their budgets. To to highlight the continued need for implementing the Disability Strategies and Disability and Employment Strategy. - NIUSE continued to monitor the development of the local Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) which were set up in all council areas to tackle unemployment, economic inactivity and skills shortages. NIUSE identified duplication of interventions across UKSPF and LMP’s. ## Policy and Influencing - NIUSE continued to work with NICVA and CO3 and an _Economic Inactivity Group_ was established to prepare for future programmes as the UKSPF is only for two year (2023 to 2025) programme and discussions need to start regarding the future funding. - NIUSE was involved in other areas of policy work including input into the Disability Employment Strategy, Disability and Work Strategic Forum, NICS Disability Working Group and Autism Forum (Department for Health). - - NIUSE also responded to consultation (i.e. Department for Communities, Review of Programmes and Department for the Economy, Review of Disability Support Services) and inputted into disability employment research _“Third sector Organisations delivering Employment Support in NI: Funding for Commissioning after Brexit”_ De Montford University. ## Raising Awareness Making it Work Campaign in conjunction with Equality Commission for NI continued this year:- - Conference – _Positive Action and Social Value_ 3 Dec 2023 in partnership with ECNI, Belfast City Council & NIUSE. Over120 delegates attended. - _Reasonable Adjustments and Positive Action for the IT and Financial Services,_ 30 January 2024 held in conjunction with AllState and Equality Commission for NI. ## Raising Awareness - **Making it Work** – Video (Tim Hortons and Triangle Progression to Employment) - _**“Inclusive Employment and Social Value – How does it work? Roundtable discussion”,**_ held in conjunction with Social Enterprise NI, 12 March 2024. Over 70 delegates attended the event from contractors and social enterprises. - Disability Awareness Training with Apex Housing and local further and higher education colleges NIUSE will continue to raise awareness of best practice in employing people with disabilities and will work in partnership with other stakeholders. ## Partnerships - **Disability Employment Network (DEN)** - **Equality Commission NI** NIUE Northern'lr&thd Unlon ol Stjpporled Employment Membership actlon mental AdaptNI Q CAN Enhoncin9 LIvoS... Creollrfj Chon90 Cedar Disability i Action health Opportunity Choice Indusion Cthmposs Rd%r¢ocy N•twOth￿￿￿￿ include YOUTH NOW opp)rtunity employment support me LIBERTY CONSORTIUM The volce of leomlng disoblllty SuppDrtin9 p•opKT Vlith birri•rs tp•fflplw•nt Ind l•Brnirq Orchardville RNIB RN North•m Ir•lind Step.ping"' storieso,b". TRIANGLE Northern Ireland SPEC AL STERNE bulldlni homes provldlni support u••llry pwlbllld•s # European Union of Supported Employment - EUSE Projects – SEQF and Business Engagement Odyssey Project (ERASMUS +) - Attended World Association Conference in Vancouver ( June 2023) # **Financial Report** ## **NIUSE Accounts 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024** **Kieran Molloy McGroarty McCaffery & Company Ltd Treasurer Accountants and Tax Consultants** # Financial Report 2023/2024 ||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total funds 2024**|**Total funds**
**2023**| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Total Incoming**
**Resources**|£33,081|£17,984|£51,065|£31,319| |||||| |**Total**
**Resources**
**Expended**|£51,174|£12,991|£64,165|£38,278| |||||| |**Total Funds**
**carried forward**|£19,165|£2,729|£21,894|**£34,994**| ## Financial Report 2023/2024 ## NIUSE Balance Sheet 31 March 2024 ||**2024**|**2023**| |---|---|---| |**Net Assets**|£19,574|£32,265| |||| |**Funds**||| |**Restricted Income Funds**|£2,7299|£2,729| |**Unrestricted Income Funds**|£19,165|£32,265| |**Total Funds**|**£21,894**|**£34,994**| ## Re-appointment of Accountants McGroarty McCaffery & Company Ltd Accountants and Tax Consultants – were re-appointed as NIUSE Accountants NIUSE Accounts are available by contacting info@niuse.org.uk ## Norman Sterritt NIUSE Chairperson Report The last period has been challenging for our members and for NIUSE. Members have faced funding uncertainty, redundancies, closure of services and loosing experienced and expert staff and the impact all of this is having serve users. Our members have risen to the challenges and have worked together with our partners and allies. Members delivered a new programme, UKSPF and meet their targets of moving people into employment. Going forward we need to ensure that NIUSE members are not in the same position again. There is a need for strategic direction and hopefully the Disability and Work Strategy will focus on those furthest from the labour market and improve the employment gap for disabled people. The Supported Employment is one of the solutions and needs to be recognised as it is in other countries and now with the SE Quality Framework development in the England and Wales – surely the time is right. Norman thanked NIUSE members, Board members and staff for their hard work over the past year and looks forward to a new year ahead. - Norman Sterritt - (Chairperson) - Kieran Molloy - - - • Karen Smith - - • Lydia Lynas - - • Liam Burns - Paddy Mooney - - - • Tony O’Reilly # **NIUSE Board Members – 2023/2024** Triangle Housing Association Cedar Foundation (Treasurer) Disability Action Orchardville Mencap Include Youth (Resigned March 2024) NWF of Disabled People ## For further information on and to contact NIUSE: Edyth Dunlop M| 07736524121 E| edythdunlop@niuse.org.uk Catriona McElhinney T| 02871377709 E| info@niuse.org.uk