Mainstreaming | Partnerships | Equal Opportunities | Innovation | Empowerment | Transnational Co-operation

Empowerment

The idea of empowerment is that those who have little or no influence, such as excluded people, are able to develop informed opinions, to take initiative, make independent choices and influence change. It also means that those with influence actively change their attitudes and rules and change the way decisions are made through involving excluded people. The aim of funding DPs based on the principle of empowerment is to encourage excluded people to take more responsibility and get more control over their lives. At the same time, Equal aims to change systems and rules to enable excluded people and groups to get fully involved in the labour market and in society.

In terms of the Equal programme, empowerment means that those suffering from discrimination in the labour market can take part in developing activities and in decision making at all levels. Under Equal the idea of empowerment is closely linked with innovation as the programme aims to link strategies for employment with strategies for social inclusion, a challenging task that requires new thinking and approaches.

The involvement of target groups in DP programmes is of central importance for Equal projects. Beneficiaries re involved in the DP activity from the very beginning taking part in developing the work programme and contributing to evaluating its outcomes.
 
Empowerment is also central to partnership working approach .

Examples of Good Practice in "Empowerment" from 2nd Round DPs include   

 Last update: 05.02.08

Work was undertaken by the Strathclyde University to ensure that an innovative part-time degree model would be in place for the next session of the CALS course, piloted within Equal. This will ensure that CALS beneficiaries have the opportunity to progress to a BA degree in European Studies and the language of their CALS programme, by undertaking two further years of part-time study.

(COOL DP – Theme E)

Last update: 25.01.08

One beneficiary within the Txt2Learn pilot project has been invited to attend the ESF Gender Mainstreaming Community of Practice peer review “Gender Mainstreaming -  A tool for Change” in Florence (Italy) and participate in the workshops on the importance and value of Gender Mainstreaming Policies and Products in SME’s. In particular, the beneficiary has been invited to highlight the Txt2Learn community of practice model and its uses. (Genderwise Scotland DP)

Target groups leaving in remote locations of the H&I have been enabled to access learning programmes previously not available to and/or reachable by them. Individuals involved have gained both educational and life skills. (Hi Hopes in the Highlands and Islands DP)

 Last update: 30.10.07

Target groups leaving in remote locations of the H&I, thanks to the pilots developed by the Hi Hopes in the Highlands and Islands DP have been enabled to access learning programmes previously not available to and/or reachable by them. Individuals involved have gained both educational and life skills. (Hi Hopes in the Highlands and Islands DP)

9 Beneficiaries of the “Integration through Enterprise” pilot have started trading. Two of them won awards at the Black & Minority Ethnic Achievement Awards in Glasgow May 07; respectively an Award for New Citizen Innovative Business of the Year and for an Award for New Citizen Most Successful Business of the Year. (Icons DP)

Beneficiaries of the Screen Future pilot have taken part in external events including a media festival and a Channel 4 producer's workshop session. (Icons DP)

 Last update: 13/08/07

Consolidation days were held at the Forth Valley College to allow beneficiaries to feedback on the EDIT course. Their feedback will be used to update the existing course. (COOL DP)

Last update: 26.06.07

2 Beneficiaries from the pilot led by Royston Youth Action, who are now volunteering in the project, were invited to present at the Re: Focus Mainstreaming Conference held in the Glasgow City Chambers. The audience was impressed by their confidence and ability of talking in public (Re: Focus DP)

The over 100 beneficiaries who have accessed support from the PSYBT pilot project were involved in the beneficiary survey. (Equal Enterprise Scotland DP)

Through various exercises completed during workshops within their programme, beneficiaries of the STRIVE project piloted by the Lennox Partnership are encouraged to develop points of view, make informed choices and change their attitudes in order to improve their employability skills. (Equal Employability DP)

Beneficiaries involved in the project piloted by Ayr College are now able to monitor and track their own progress in an easy and accessible way through the Soft Skills Assessment Tool developed by the College. (Equal Employability DP)

Learndirect Scotland is liaising with the evaluators in relation to data collection from beneficiaries in order to determine how these can be used to access/quantify beneficiary empowerment. (COOL DP)

The Trainee Social Enterprise Managers (TSEM Pilot project led by Clackmannanshire Council) are being encouraged to identify their own additional training needs. This approach encourages them to recognise which needs are not being addressed by the course and how to meet their requirements. It also ensures greater engagement wit the trainer. (Equal Enterprise Scotland DP)

Beneficiaries involved in the project piloted by Ayr College are now able to monitor and track their own progress in an easy and accessible way through the Soft Skills Assessment Tool developed by the College. (Equal Employability DP)

Beneficiaries of the Dundee College pilot were involved in the design and presentation of promotional images and graphics for the Literacy Group at Community Learning and the Development Partnership Conference. (COOL DP)

Two beneficiaries of Dundee College pilot joined the Equal Team in the transnational meeting in Sweden where they gave a presentation on ‘Empowerment Through the Arts’ (COOL DP)

Information from beneficiaries engaged in the Freedom to Learn Work project piloted by Learndirect Scotland are now collected on activity tracking sheets, as vulnerable beneficiaries have difficulty with full registration form. (COOL DP)

 Last update: 19.04.07

• Service Users within the WIN Project became trainers and are currently training other clients. The pilot will recruit professional trainers to support the Service Users in delivering training activities. (Re: Focus DP)
• The Diversity Audit on line tool developed by ‘Dispelling the Myth’ pilot enables employers to audit their approach towards unemployed people from different target groups. (Re: Focus DP)
• As an outcome of its pilot, SITE produced a toolkit for employers to help them recruit and deal with people with visual impairments. The pack also includes legal aspects and recommendations on how to change the recruitment process to facilitate the access of visual impaired people. The pack is currently being tested by organisations that support this target group. (Re: Focus DP)

                                                                                                                           Last update: 15.02.07

• The entire focus of the Engender project is empowering women to feel confident to raise community issues with policy influencers (Genderwise Scotland DP)
• SITE is a user-led organisation managed through SITE Management Board. This is made up of blind and partially sighted adults who make all decisions relating to the Equal pilot (Re: Focus DP)
• Students who are beneficiaries of the Family Friendly Colleges project are actively involved in identifying their own requirement and needs in relation to FFC (Genderwise Scotland DP)
• Beneficiaries in the GAP project are involved in the development, structure and format of the established network.  In addition, two beneficiaries sit on the Steering Group for this project. (Genderwise Scotland DP)
• Service Users actively involved in the implementation of the WIN Project. Sub-group activity on Stigma in the work place is ongoing. Service users have also supported the Co-ordinator to deliver presentations both at the DP events and to partners from Belfast. SU are also actively involved in the Steering Group and in designing of programmes, in particular the Personal Development Programme which will be rolled out in the South West Area of Glasgow. (Re: Focus DP)
• Young People from NEET group beneficiaries of the Princes Trust pilot in Govanhill were actively involved in the development of the project by encouraging them to identifying, planning and delivering the project activity. Examples include
  • A community reintegration event in Govanhill Glasgow planned and ran by young people utilising new entrepreneurial skills to source the expertise and logistics acquired during the project. 150 people attended the event
  • Two young people presented their project at a workshop held at the Equal in Practice event in Glasgow organised by the Equal Support Unit in September. (Equal Employability DP)

• In response to clients feedback One Plus developed a follow-up Life Skills 2 course which is now being delivered (Re: Focus DP)
• The pilot programme delivered by Glasgow North has been reviewed in contents, structure and delivery method to reflect the clients’ feedback; this also resulted in moving away from training sessions to a single target group in favour of mixed target groups. (Re: Focus DP)
• Service users of the project piloted by Tomorrow’s people are encouraged to amend action plans to meet their personal requirements. Several service users were involved and encouraged at recent evaluation to give their opinions and ideas (Re: Focus DP)
• Each individual beneficiary of the Royston Youth Action pilot has developed a training plan to combine with their community service hours. In addition all clients are able to attend a monthly meeting to feedback suggestions or ideas either about their own programme or about the programme in general (Re: Focus DP)
• The aim of the Text 2 Learn project is to develop an effective and flexible delivery method which meets the requirements of beneficiaries i.e. those on shift patterns that don’t allow them access to traditional courses (Genderwise Scotland DP)
• Thanks to the Peer Travel programme piloted by Enable, beneficiaries with learning disabilities who are unable to travel independently are supported by people who still have learning disabilities but are independent travellers. (Re: Focus DP)
• Service Users from one of the Equal Access DP pilots have been asked to train users of Get On Project – another Equal Access pilot – to undertake evaluative research on Get On project. This model may be rolled out to other service users an ultimately may lead to an innovative approach to evaluation.                   

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                                                                                                                                                                               Last update: 11.01.07

• Service Users of different projects piloted by Equal Access DP partners have been involved in the planning and delivering of the Service Users Event held in Stirling in November 2006 where also transnational partners attended.
• Alongside receiving tools for a better understanding of the rules of the business start-up, the beneficiaries of the Integration through Business Project also receive recommendations on services which will improve their language skills and suggestions of the better ways to enhance their financial credibility. (Icons DP)
• The TAG project piloted within the Hi Hopes in the H&I DP has been established through demand from TAG beneficiaries. The project Committee includes 60% of the client groups who therefore steer the format and the structure.
•  The development of the ‘Men Into Care’ project led by Moray College include discussing issues with men that prevent them from entering these sectors.  Materials that will address these barriers are being produced. (Hi Hopes in the Highlands and Islands DP)
• The beneficiaries in the Highland Council pilot project are children with complex needs who are in transition from school to employment/education.  The beneficiaries provide regular feedback which determines future activity in the project.  This includes collecting frustrations as well as good practice

Last update: 11.01.07

• The TAG project piloted within the Hi Hopes in the H&I DP has been established through demand from TAG beneficiaries.  The project Committee includes 60% of the client groups who therefore steer the format and the structure.
• The development of the ‘Men Into Care’ project led by Moray College include discussing issues with men that prevent them from entering these sectors.  Materials that will address these barriers are being produced. (Hi Hopes in the Highlands and Islands DP)
• Highland Council
• The beneficiaries in the Highland Council pilot project are children with complex needs who are in transition from school to employment/education.  The beneficiaries provide regular feedback which determines future activity in the project.  This includes collecting frustrations as well as good practice

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• The Scottish Chamber of Commerce, as partner of the Equal Enterprise Scotland DP, held a series of focus groups to take forward further involvement of SMEs in the Policy Process; consultation on transport policy was used as a platform for this.
• The 3rd year students of Creative Arts at Forth Valley College, partner in the COOL DP, set a project to develop individual innovative ideas for marketing the EDIT Project. This gave the students an awareness of EDIT and its inherent ethos. This project successfully resulted in the development of a unique marketing/advertising hook, namely a Morphing/Topical/Address Book.
• The new beneficiaries recruited for the Princess Trust Pilot are inducted by clients who have completed the same course. Individual progress is evaluated and reviewed using the peer-mentoring model. (Equal employability DP)
• Some beneficiaries of Dundee College within the COOL DP will attend and present at the next transnational trip to Sweden and are now receiving the needed support and preparation by the College staff.
• Over 50 young entrepreneurs, beneficiaries in the Equal Enterprise Scotland DP, had the opportunity to network with similarly aged peers and to make contact and establish relationships wit owners of established businesses.
• Beneficiaries of the pilot led by NHC within the Equal Employability DP are effectively involved in the building up of the class.
• Young people, beneficiaries of Ayr College pilot within the Equal Employability DP, participated in building the set for the performance where they all played a role.
• The feedback of beneficiaries attending the 2 consolidation days for the initial courses organised by the Forth Valley College was used by tutors to revise the EDIT course material and to reassess the delivery patterns. (COOL DP)
• A series of focus group with students at the Adam Smith College is underway following on from the report on developing good practice and recommendations for changes within the College (Genderwise Scotland DP)
• In order to allow greater scope of opportunity for attendance, future courses within Forth Valley College will be run over 10 weeks and 5 weeks. (COOL DP)
• The University of Strathclyde developed an online support for CALS classes within University's WebCT/Blackboard VLE with induction session on the VLE delivered to all trainees. (COOL DP)
• The Tutors of Forth Valley College are developing half and full day awareness courses to be delivered to a number of beneficiaries who are unable to attend the full EDIT course. (COOL DP)
• 86 beneficiaries out of the 88 who benefited from the pre-employment service developed by Cumbernauld College as partner of the Equal employability DP have now moved into work.
• Over 50% of the beneficiaries who attended the STRIVE programme led by The Lennox Partnership have now moved to employment. Clients will continue to be supported for 2 years after they left the programme. (Equal employability DP)
• An art marketing beneficiary has now achieved his first commission in photography, following the training delivered by the Theatre Workshop Edinburgh as part of the COOL DP activities.
• The first level of training course delivered within the Txt2Learn, a Genderwise Scotland DP project, has been completed by all recruited 23 women. 17 have bee awarded 20 CATS points and 6 awarded the certifications of attendance