Extracts from the report

It was clear from testimonies from clients and partners throughout the Review that the IAG provided by New Era is highly effective at engaging individuals, identifying their particular needs and delivering appropriate individualised support that makes a positive difference to their lives and helps them to achieve the desired outcomes; this is reflected in the performance figures which highlight substantial levels of progression and resolution of issues.

New Era is able to deliver this level of quality in part because of its effective networking and partnership work, which has enabled links to a wide range of local and regional services, enhancing inward and outward referral options and ensuring clients are able to access the most appropriate specialist support when they need it. Such links have also helped to raise the New Era profile beyond East Lancashire and to promote its services to other organisations.

New Era has vastly improved its promotional activity, including in particular an exponential increase in the use of social media, which is taking the service message to a far wider audience and succeeding in recruiting significant numbers of clients who would not otherwise have been aware of the organisation and the services it provides.

The staff team at New Era is clear about respective individual responsibilities, but the Review highlighted considerable levels of ‘crossover’ and role sharing in support of colleagues and delivery deadlines; all staff are fully involved in planning, decision making and contributing to the development of the service, taking ownership of and pride in the New Era ethos of support and inclusivity, and each bringing useful experience that has been drawn upon to enhance services.

The Review highlighted an astute approach to the recruitment and use of volunteers, in which the service benefits from the additional expertise and experience brought by the individuals, such as the update of the New Era website and bringing more control of the site in-house, while providing the volunteers with development and CV enhancement opportunities.