The purpose of the evaluation report is to inform interested parties of the extent to which vocational service providers have aligned their service with the Pathways to Inclusion strategy, and the extent to which the objectives of the Pathways to Inclusion strategy have been achieved.
Purpose
Baseline and interim evaluations were carried ut during 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. This report summarises the final findings rom the evaluation of the Pathways to Inclusion Strategy.
Key Results
Since the Pathways to Inclusion Strategy was implemented in 2001, MSD administrative data indicate that:
- the total number of people participating in vocational services has increased
- there has been a shift away from segregated work environments (previously referred to as sheltered workshops) and an increase in the number of participants in community participation and employment services
- the proportion of service users off-benefit at participation start date has increased steadily
- the numbers of service users moving off benefit or declaring earnings has increased in the 12-24 months after their start date, indicating long-term effectiveness of services.
Since baseline SAMS data was collected in 2004, many measures show substantial improvements:
- the number of services with plans in place to ensure they are aligned with the Pathways to Inclusion Strategy has increased
- the proportion of services which have acceptable individual development plans in place has increased
- more programmes are ensuring that most or all of their services are based on individual service user’s goals
- the proportion of time staff spend working one-to-one with service users has increased and there has been a substantial drop in the number of services where little to no time is spent working one-to-one
- the proportion of time service users spend in integrated settings has increased
- wages and conditions have improved for individuals placed in open employment as well as those in segregated work environments.
Others measures require further effort, either showing little change or a slight worsening:
- there has been a slight increase in the degree to which activities are individualised, integrated and enable people to develop personal networks
- there has been no noticeable change in the extent to which service users feel they are active partners in the service
- there has been a small improvement in the incidence and quality of partnerships between providers and service users
- there has been a decline in the cultural sensitivity of providers, the involvement of local iwi in services and in the proportion of staff who have attended a Treaty of Waitangi training course.