CSW Group is delighted that Yep! has been shortlisted for the “Social Mobility Quality Improvement Initiative of the Year” within this year’s Quality Professionals Awards. The awards will be announced at a ceremony in Leeds on 26 Jun 2024

The awards honour outstanding contributions made by quality improvement practitioners and leaders in further education and employability.  It celebrates individuals and teams whose unwavering commitment to quality and compliance has made a significant impact.

Nominees:

• Yep! CSW Group, Cornwall
• Back to Work and Confidence – Successful Mums Academy, London
• The Clubhouse – FEDCAP Employment, Burnley & Staines
• Kirkley Hall SEND – Northumberland College
• ESOL – Hull College

CSW Group notes the honour in being shortlisted and outlines the work that Yep! partners conduct, not only on the frontline of support in the delivery of quality support for young people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, but also in the professionalism shown in the production of evidence that supports essential compliance with funding requirements.

The Yep! project, which began in January this year, has already demonstrated significant positive impact in Cornwall through the support provided.  Over 450 young people who are economically inactive, unemployed, NEET or at risk of NEET towards their goals are already engaged on the programme.

Yep! supports young people aged 16 – 24.  It has a specific focus on 16–18-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) or are at risk of NEET, have special educational needs (SEN), or are in other vulnerable groups and have become disadvantaged or marginalised within society.  This important project to Cornwall, was launched in January 2024 and will run until 31 March 2025.  It is managed by CSW Group on behalf of Cornwall Council.

Chris Saxby, CSW Group’s Managing Director said, “This unique, integrated, and collaborative project exploits the very best of locally available support across the county, and builds confidence, resilience, and competence within less privileged young people in Cornwall as they seek to determine their way in the world after secondary education.  We’re proud on behalf of all those involved in the delivery of this project to be shortlisted for this national award.”

This is a staged project preceded by triaging, against specific agreed guidelines. It enables NEET young people to join the project at a stage that best suits their need according to their judged distance from the labour market.  The greater the need/distance the more intensive the support made available.

Referrals can be made with the young person’s consent on the referral form at Yep! – CSW Group Ltd.

Yep! is part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  Cornwall Council has been nominated by the government as the Lead Authority for the fund regionally and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025.  The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.  For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperityfund-prospectus.