Focus Work

Background information

Over the three-year “Focus Work” project organised by the Department of Social Affairs of the City of Biel (2022–2024), recipients of social assistance developed career and social perspectives in groups together with other participants. The aim was, among other things, to have a positive effect on their chances of becoming less dependent on social assistance in future.

The study therefore examined first of all how the programme worked and can be developed further (process evaluation) and, secondly, how the new group intervention will enable the social and professional circumstances of recipients of social assistance to be improved (outcome evaluation).

Procedure

Within the framework of the process evaluation, the way in which the programme functioned was examined using various sources such as monitoring of the group programme and interviews with participants, group leaders and project managers. The data obtained was evaluated with reference to the achievement of objectives. On this basis, recommendations were formulated for the further development of group intervention. The findings were supplemented by a survey of staff from the Social Service as well as the Service for Professional Integration.

The effect of the intervention (outcome evaluation) was assessed in a randomised controlled trial. All study participants received individual assistance for four to six weeks and, based on a random allocation, some also received support according to the “Focus Work” group approach. The study participants were interviewed at the start and finish of the intervention concerning their vitality, their sense of control, their career prospects and their social support. In addition, employment and social assistance status was ascertained over the months before, during and up to 24 months after intervention using administrative data from the Social Service.

Weighted regression analyses were used to test the extent to which changes in dependent variables could be traced back to group membership. In addition, a follow-up survey of the participants was conducted after the programme had been completed in order to find out more about how they benefited personally.

Results

The process evaluation from May to December 2022 showed that the programme worked very well in general. This was apparent, for example, in the innovative design and implementation of the group settings, the high level of engagement and competence of coaches, as well as successful cooperation within the programme. In addition, three action areas emerged as being key to achieving objectives:

1. Improved cooperation between Focus Work and upstream or downstream operators (Social Service, Specialist Service for Integration into Employment);
2. Review of the quantity framework with regard to the number of participants;
3. Further development of the programme with the involvement of coaches and staff from the Social Service and the Service for Professional Integration.

Programme impacts

The evaluation of results from March 2022 to February 2024 showed, first of all, that group intervention increased the vitality of recipients of social assistance. Thanks to “Focus Work”, participants felt more energised. In addition, intervention led to an increase in career prospects and social support. This meant that participants were able to make progress towards their career goals and felt less alone as a result of the strains of unemployment. An improvement in the sense of control was also noted. This meant that participants felt less powerless within their lives after the intervention, although this improvement was not significantly stronger than it was in the control group, which received only individual advice.

A supplementary analysis also provided major indications that, thanks to “Focus Work”, programme participants continued to identify strongly with work and, in contrast with the control group, improved their job-seeking know-how and applied for more jobs. In addition, it became clear that the effects of “Focus Work” were comparable or greater for short-term recipients across all income levels than they are for people who had already been receiving social assistance for twelve months or longer.

Programme impact factors

Changes in the target dimensions are dependent on the programme’s impact factors. For example, it was apparent that the more recipients of social assistance engaged with the group, the more positive the group climate was and the better the quality of group management was assessed as being, and the more their career prospects improved.

Effects on labour market integration

The targeted effects in the area of labour market integration were achieved. Thanks to “Focus Work”, recipients of social assistance were more likely to take up employment on the primary or secondary labour market, and also obtained a higher increase in income than those in the control group. However, the net need for financial assistance in the control group declined according to a similar trajectory, which could be due to selection effects (more people no longer receiving social assistance on grounds not related to the taking up of gainful employment within the control group).

The results should be interpreted as indicating that the randomisation of the two groups was not achieved in key respects. The differences arose after random allocation involving the selective registration in the programme of recipients of social assistance. For example, before “Focus Work” twice as many people were employed in the control group as in the intervention group.

The impact therefore had to be assessed with the assistance of statistical weighting. The findings concerning the impact of the intervention on income from gainful employment and the net need for financial assistance are therefore uncertain. These effects should accordingly be observed and examined over a longer period of time.

Other factors influencing labour market integration

A supplementary analysis of the factors influencing labour market integration shows that good physical health, career prospects and a proactive approach to applications go hand in hand with significant and considerably improved opportunities for integration into employment after the programme. For the time being, labour integration measures under “Focus Work” result primarily in an increased level of employment, as those involved are still at the start under the phased model of labour market integration (competence building).

Cost-benefit ratio

Compared to the provision of exclusively individual assistance, it was established that “Focus Work” was associated with both higher costs as well as higher benefits per person per month, with the increased benefits outweighing the higher costs. However, the cost-benefit ratio should be observed over a longer period of time, as the results could potentially be due to random effects.

Further findings

The number of expected participants was lower than original expectations. A supplementary analysis looked at why participation in “Focus Work” was not possible for many recipients of social assistance. In addition to a lack of availability (e.g. due to work or care obligations), the most common reasons were health problems, language difficulties and lack of motivation to participate.

Outlook

It can be inferred from this study that the newly developed group intervention “Focus Work” largely achieved its objectives. It would therefore be appropriate to continue to offer it to recipients of social assistance, if necessary taking into account the following aspects:

1. “Focus Work” could primarily address new recipients of social assistance and could be incorporated into the Social Service as a standard programme. One benefit would be that allocation and follow-up processes could be coordinated, and synergies with the intake process and personal assistance (= individual advice) could be improved;
2. Efficiency should be increased by adopting organisational measures to reduce programme interruptions and non-participation for registered participants. This could be done by clarifying the nature of the programme (voluntary or compulsory) or by adapting and substantiating the allocation criteria.