Interventions to help mothers on benefits move towards employment often focus exclusively on the mother herself. However, the system of formal and informal social networks and actors around the mother also play an important role. Atria, Utrecht University and TNO jointly developed a chain approach, with the central question: what does an optimal chain approach look like to help mothers on benefits find sustainable and suitable work?
Interventions to help mothers on benefits move towards employment often focus exclusively on the mother herself. However, the system of formal and informal social networks and actors around the mother also play an important role. Atria, Utrecht University and TNO jointly developed a chain approach, with the central question: what does an optimal chain approach look like to help mothers on benefits find sustainable and suitable work?
Chain approach
A chain approach means cooperation: between professionals, within organisations and in processes, with the aim of providing coherent and effective support to a specific target group. A successful chain approach:
involves all necessary partners from different disciplines (multidisciplinary)
is supported by all relevant departments within the organisations (intra-organisational)
jointly shapes and goes through the necessary process steps (process)
A chain approach is most effective when chain partners operate actively within all relevant systems. This allows obstacles to be tackled simultaneously and integrally at all levels.
Current barriers to getting mothers on the road to work
Based on interviews with the mothers themselves, professionals and employers, various and varied barriers have been identified in helping mothers on benefits move into work.
Barriers experienced by mothers
First, it appears that almost all interviewed mothers envision a future with paid work. Key internal barriers include:
their personal situation and family, such as a stable housing or home situation
limited language skills
physical or psychological complaints in themselves or their children
informal care
Many mothers bear full care of their children without social support or a network to fall back on.
External barriers include:
a lack of understanding of their situation by professionals and employers
work that is physically or emotionally unsuitable
excessively high or overburdening expectations from employers
Barriers experienced by professionals
Professionals experience barriers such as:
a lack of knowledge about mothers' challenges
the balance between guidance and independence of mothers
prejudices about mothers and their suitability for certain work
Barriers experienced by employers
Key barriers for employers in providing sustainable employment to mothers on benefits include:
the limited fit between available jobs and the situation and wishes of mothers
high drop-out rates due to childcare problems and reluctance to use formal care services
difficulties in implementing care-friendly policies due to lack of knowledge
In addition, mothers are not always well included in a team or organisation, thus missing out on support and resources.
Gender-sensitive focal points
Focusing the chain approach on mothers on welfare resulted in a number of recommendations for a gender-sensitive approach:
Ensure that those directly involved are aware of their own prejudices and are mindful of the position of mothers
Place responsibility with the social environment and not (only) with the mother
Ensure that stakeholders are aware of the context of mothers
Watch out for internalised prejudices of the mothers themselves
Ensure that those directly involved are aware of multi-problem issues
Look beyond stereotypical professional sectors
Raise awareness of gender sensitivity among all chain partners
Ensure gender sensitivity among employers
Lessons from practice
Parallel to the implementation of the study, a transition arena was set up in the Central Brabant labour market region, together with local partners. Here, the insights from this report were applied and tested. In its development, the following insights emerged:
Effective cooperation requires more than just a roadmap. Working together requires clear communication, expressing mutual expectations, being open to differences, showing empathy and the will to accommodate each other.
Finding the right balance between giving freedom and prescribing solutions to chain partners is crucial. Too much freedom can lead to passivity, while too much direction reduces the sense of ownership.
Employers play a crucial role by providing jobs, but are often difficult to convince of the benefits of a chain approach. It is important to actively involve them and encourage their flexibility to reduce barriers for mothers. The chain should identify obstacles and opportunities among employers and develop solutions together.
Active input from mothers on benefits is essential. Their input is indispensable to understand their wants and needs and ensures that solutions match their experiences.
Handouts
We will develop several handouts to inform employers, municipal officials (client managers), intervention owners and project leaders of chain approaches about the preconditions, success factors and points of attention that emerge in our results.
