Urban Futures is a leading regeneration agency with a team of experts dedicated to providing integrated management of regeneration programmes and contracts. We offer an extensive range of complementary services, because we recognise that in such a complex and changing world, our response needs to be both flexible and sophisticated.
At Urban Futures we take the time to understand and analyse each of our client's exact requirements. Our team is committed to providing a high-quality service that is tailored to your specific needs and the unique environment in which you operate.
Urban Futures offer the following services...
Outreach & Recruitment
Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG)
Information, advice and guidance (IAG) refers to the assistance provided to help people make the right learning and career choices.
DWP Work Programme
The Work Programme is being introduced as part of the new Coalition Government’s welfare reforms.
In basic terms there will be one single back to work mandatory programme for all unemployed clients
It is planned that the Government will pay for the Work Programme out of future benefit savings, therefore, there will be low rewards for contractors at the beginning of contracts and significant rewards for achieving sustained employment outcomes at 12 months or longer
It is aimed to have the Work Programme in place nationally by Summer 2011.
Skills for Life
You can take a Skills for Life qualification if you:
are over 16 years of age
have left compulsory full-time education
do not have an up-to-date English or maths qualification at level 2 on the National Qualifications Framework (such as a GCSE)
In some cases, schools can also offer Skills for Life qualifications for 14 to 16 year olds.
As well as 'Skills for Life', you may have also heard people talking about 'Basic Skills'. The two terms mean the same thing, and refer to the same qualifications.
Skills for Life Certificates are available in:
adult literacy
adult numeracy
information and communications technology (ICT)
There is also a Skills for Life qualification in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Resources - Start up Donut
We are very pleased to have partnered with the Start Up Donut in order to provide you with in-depth, accessible expert advice on starting and growing your business. In this section you will find relevant topics, case studies and FAQs relating to the various aspects of being a start up.
Partnership Development and Consultation Management
Larger agencies and partnerships are increasingly required to consult broadly on draft strategies, policies or service proposals. There is also a specific and growing need to consult local communities about a range of issues. We have the expertise to successfully design and deliver context-specific consultation processes, and draw together the outcomes of those consultations into useful proposals capable of implementation.
Consultation and Partnership Services:
Partnership development.
Secretariat support.
Group facilitation.
Consultation design and facilitation.
Community and voluntary sector involvement and consultation.
Recent processes we have been responsible for include:
Managing the integrated partnership structure for Single Programme and Objective 2 in the Upper Lee Valley (ULV).
Designing and delivering on behalf of the London Development Agency (LDA) and partners a comprehensive consultation on the emerging ULV regeneration strategy, as well as managing the launch of the Commissioning Framework.
Managing on behalf of the Haringey Strategic Partnership a key sub group, the Haringey Employment Partnership.
Working with Local Action Partnerships - made-up of residents from disadvantaged wards and the Local Economic Partnership (LEP), to decide on priorities for the allocation of Learning & Skills Council (LSC) funds as match funding for training and employment projects in those areas.
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Policy and Strategy Development
Public agencies often need assistance with policy and strategy development initiatives. Urban Futures can provide the expertise and knowledge to help you deliver effective solutions.
Policy and Strategy Services:
Specialist policy support in the fields of employment and skills; business development and competitiveness; early years and childcare; community based regeneration and community economic development; neighbourhood management and economic development.
Research and mapping exercises.
Specialist European knowledge.
Integration of regeneration funding programmes and funding streams.
Advice on turning broad strategy into operational delivery.
Examples of recent work include:
Work on behalf of a London borough to develop an employment strategy through a secondment, funded by the London Development Agency (LDA), from our Employment and Skills specialist team.
Facilitating, on behalf of the LDA and the North London Strategic Alliance the development of the North London Sub Regional Development Framework, the physical implementation plan for the London Plan in North London.
Managing the partnership delivery of the Objective 2 Programme in the Upper Lee Valley (ULV) through a Technical Assistance contract with Government Office for London that covers all aspects of the implementation of over £16 million of European Structural Funds.
Bringing together the priorities of Objective 2 and Single Programme in the ULV to produce a small number of major strategic projects and interventions capable of delivering against public policy objectives.
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Welcome to Excellence / Welcome Host
The Welcome Host Customer Service Training Course helps participants to acquire new customer service and communication skills as well as improving their knowledge of local facilities and services.
You will look at how to:
Improve communication skills
Create a positive impression
Deal effectively with difficult situations
Exceed customer expectations
Build repeat business and word of mouth recommendations
CSCS Mocks & Testing
The CSCS construction Site Certification Scheme aka Health and Safety test is similar to the Driving Test ‘theory test’. It is a multiple choice test where you will be presented with a question and offered four or five possible answers and you will need to choose which answer is correct.
Non Accredited Training (First Aid, Health & Safety at Work)
Programme and Contract Management
We have successfully managed a number of major regeneration programmes on behalf of public sector partners. Our team has extensive expertise in overall programme management.
Programme and Contract Management Services:
Bid writing and resource procurement.
Systems management and programme administration.
Partnership development, support and facilitation.
Strategic and operational development.
Some recent programmes include:
Joining Up Northumberland Park (JUNP) is a seven-year, £15 million Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) programme in Haringey focusing on neighbourhood management and empowerment of local residents in the delivery of local and sustainable services.
West Green SRB in Haringey is a seven-year, £28 million programme overseen by a new Neighbourhood Management Board. This programme focuses on community lifelong learning and is built around key themes of community empowerment, education and lifelong learning, and a linked capital programme to improve infrastructure and the local environment.
Putting New Heart into Grahame Park SRB programme works with a disadvantaged community within the London Borough of Barnet. The flagship project was the development of a new all weather Community Sports facility in the heart of the Grahame Park Estate.
SRB6 Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing is a pan London sector support programme over five years with a value of £12.4 million. It has a particularly diverse partnership structure with a very large private sector involvement and match funding contribution. Outputs and outcomes are delivered through 40 individual projects. London Borough of Enfield acts as accountable body
Successful completion of two major SRB programmes, Haringey Heartlands and Tottenham Futures in April 2004. When Urban Futures took over the management of these projects, they were deemed as "failing" programmes. We successfully transformed these programmes to become two of the top SRB performers in London for the delivery of outputs and impact.
Managing an innovative match funding resource provided by the London North Learning and Skills Council (LSC) from its Local Intervention Development (LID) Fund, to enable locally-based community and voluntary sector providers to deliver European Social Fund (ESF) funded employment and skills projects to some of North London's most disadvantaged communities.
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Design & Development
Urban Futures has a design and development department. Our portfolio is currently under construction. We can offer the production of the following...
Websites
Logos
Business Cards
Flyers
Newsletters
Banners
Online Advertisments
Paper-Based Advertisments
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Finance, Appraisal and Monitoring
We can offer a range of specialist finance, appraisal and monitoring services to support the implementation of regeneration on the ground. Our highly experienced team provides a comprehensive support service for the development and delivery of successful programmes and projects.
Our approach is based on creative problem solving of complex regeneration issues. If our monitoring processes tell us that a project is not performing, then we will work with you to remedy the problem. We believe the purpose of such functions is ultimately to improve the quality of life in economically challenging settings through innovative regeneration.
Finance Appraisal and Monitoring Services:
Appraisal of projects.
Monitoring their subsequent implementation and performance.
Developing and delivering management information and performance management systems and processes.
Originating, checking and managing claims for public funding to the required standards of public agencies.
Examples of our service include:
Providing the monitoring and appraisal functions for the Bridge New Deal for Communities programme in Haringey.
Monitoring and appraisal functions for six major Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Programmes across London.
Monitoring and contract management for London North Learning and Skills Council (LSC) of a number of Early Years Training contracts.
Monitoring for major Objective 2 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) projects in the Upper Lee Valley (ULV).
Claims management for LSC Local Intervention Development (LID) Fund and ERDF and European Social Fund (ESF) projects.
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Project Management
We can offer a range of project management approaches depending upon your requirements, from project development, bid writing and resource procurement and full project delivery, to 'inherited' contract management where we rescue struggling projects.
Project Management Services: Opportunity identification and bid writing. Capacity building and project development. Collaboration between delivery partners. Research and consultancy.
We currently manage on behalf of a number of agencies and partnerships projects that include:
A major business start-up and development project part funded through Objective 2. Several business providers in North London are partners of this programme.
A social enterprise development project on behalf of North London local authorities.
Construction Web, a project that aims to promote opportunities for employment, training and business development in the construction industry in North London. Urban Futures acts as partnership facilitator, policy adviser and employs staff on behalf of partners.
Support for capacity building of community and voluntary-based organisations in the Objective 2 Upper Lee Valley Community Economic Development areas.
Employ Upper Lee Valley (ULV) is an integrated labour market intervention tool that operates across three London boroughs (Haringey, Enfield and Waltham Forest). This initiative has been brought forward as a major regeneration initiative for investment by the London Development Agency (LDA).
Managing on behalf of three local authorities an industrial estates improvement project. Urban Futures acts as accountable body and contract manages the capital programme.
Early Years training contract on behalf of London North Learning & Skills Council (LSC).
Payroll for 3rd Sector
Human Resource Services
Sage Training
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Opportunity identification and bid writing.
Capacity building and project development.
Collaboration between delivery partners.
Research and consultancy.