Amanda McIntyre Appointed First ERSA Director
17.11.08
ERSA APPOINTS PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM EXPERT AS ITS FIRST DIRECTOR
ERSA (Employment Related Services Association) has appointed Amanda McIntyre as its first Director.
ERSA represents private, public and voluntary sector providers of welfare-to-work services. Its members account for at least 65 per cent of DWP’s contracted-out provision and also run a wide range of other statutory and charitable programmes. Working with employers, ERSA members help the long-term unemployed and others who need support to find jobs, stay in work and develop their skills.
Amanda joins ERSA from Tomorrow’s People, a welfare-to-work charity that supports those facing complex barriers as they seek work. She was Director of Public Affairs at Accord plc and, before that, spent 18 years at the CBI, latterly as Head of Modernising Government. She built up CBI work on public service reform to become a top campaigning priority. She has helped to lead the shift away from adversarial, lowest price government contracting, by advocating partnership to improve the quality and value for money of public services and achieve their underlying social and other objectives.
The creation of a new full-time Director post reflects ERSA’s growth since being established in 2005. It also signals ERSA’s commitment to making the fullest possible contribution to public policy and practice at a crucial time for welfare reform. Amanda will work with the Board and wider membership to build on ERSA’s success to date, broadening its profile and deepening its engagement with Government and other stakeholders.
Amanda McIntyre said:
“I am delighted to join ERSA as we work with Government and other partners to achieve big ambitions for welfare reform. Welfare-to-work services need to be more joined up and determined by the needs of local jobseekers and employers, while contracts need to be based more on the outcomes that such services are intended to achieve. The progress we make will have lessons for the whole of public service delivery.
Fran Parry, Strategic Director Angus Knight UK and Chair of ERSA said:
“The economic downturn makes it more important than ever that Government uses the innovation and personalised approach of the independent sector to help those furthest from the labour market to find work, develop skills and achieve their personal potential. The political commitment to do this is strong, but achieving the best results requires the public, private and voluntary sectors to work together in new ways. Appointing Amanda as our Director demonstrates ERSA’s commitment to rise to this challenge and help lead the debate. She has a strong track record of bringing the sectors together to find the “win-win” and we intend to build upon that.”