Problem addressed
In Lithuania, the main barriers faced by unemployed people include low education or skills, insufficient work experience, long periods of unemployment, no or limited means of transportation, health problems, addiction, caring for relatives, or dependence on the income coming from relatives leaving abroad (i.e. diaspora income).
These barriers lead to a lack of motivation, as well as low employment opportunities, and result in long-term unemployment. Barriers to employment are largely related to social issues and cannot be dealt with only by employment services. However, there is a lack of coordination between employment and social services to provide the services to enable jobseekers to return to employment.
Innovative solution
The case management model was developed by Lithuania’s Public Employment Service (PES) to help long-term unemployed people to return to the labour market. The project coordinates services and measures provided by municipalities and PES in order to ensure close cooperation between these authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and employers. This cooperation addresses problems among the long-term unemployed using the most appropriate services and resources.
The case management approach has been used, with the same target group, in other EU Member States, such as Belgium, Ireland and Finland, but is a new concept in Lithuania for tackling long-term unemployment.
The case management model targets people over 30 who have been unemployed for more than two years and who receive social support or job search allowance. The case management approach provides services and measures tailored to the specific needs of each unemployed person. It is based on mutual responsibilities, with stakeholders providing quality services to unemployed people who actively participate in the project.
The model includes several new services and measures identified from long-term unemployment project experiences, including self-support groups lasting for up to five months, mentoring for up to one year, workplace learning/work practice for up to three months, and job carving/job crafting.
The model provides unemployed people with a combined solution addressing holistically all of their problems through different employment and social institutions working together.
The Lithuanian PES is leading the project. With responsibility for employment support policy, PES provides labour market services and develops active labour market policy (ALMP) measures for the long-term unemployed. Its target is to reduce the number of jobseekers.
The PES works in cooperation with municipalities, which are responsible for the provision of social services and support. They provide financial support packages and social services to long-term unemployed people. Their target is to reduce the numbers of people dependent on social benefits.
Other organisations (e.g., NGOs) are also involved and play an active role in delivering social services. These organisations work in cooperation with case managers, independent professionals (from PES or municipalities) who coordinate cases, and case teams. Case teams are composed of groups of professionals representing different areas of interest, such as the PES, municipalities, municipalities’ social support team, services providers and others.
Either of the service professionals (municipality or PES specialist) providing primary consultation to an unemployed person can assess their situation and refer them to a case manager. The case manager receives information on a jobseeker and initiates a discussion to determine their needs. They then organise meetings with specialists in established fields, as well as a case team hearing.
The case team develops a comprehensive job-integration plan based on the individual’s profile and decides on their ability to integrate in the labour market. Social issues are resolved before job mediation services begin, ensuring that the jobseeker can focus on their return to the labour market.
After the case team meeting, the case manager develops a tailored plan for the jobseeker and they are responsible for coordinating the services.
Key results and benefits
The PES monitors project activities and indicators. Data is collected in the municipalities on a monthly basis, such as number of jobseekers involved, types of services provided and the numbers integrated into the labour market (employed, in vocational education and training, self-employed).
Project progresses are discussed by the partners quarterly. Any changes introduced reflect the flexibility and adaptability needed to respond to the challenges in practice.
Originally, the project targeted 900 jobseekers. As of 1 March 2022, 801 jobseekers were involved, including 739 long-term unemployed people. The objective of the pilot was 30% of participants to be employed or starting employment at the end of their engagement. In March 2022, 33.1% of participants had returned to the labour market.
The case management approach was developed in six municipalities in the framework of the ESF-funded project. Its success saw another 23 municipalities getting involved in the case management model, who are also implementing employment enhancement programmes funded by the State.
Potential for mainstreaming
The Lithuanian employment law will be revised to include this project - the case management approach for long-term unemployed and jobseekers with complex problems. This will allow for the formalisation of the coordination of active employment and social support measures and social services for jobseekers. It will also foster cooperation between the different employment and social organisations, grant specific mandates to relevant institutions, and develop the model further. A new client services model is also being prepared.
The scope of the case management approach could be expanded to other types of jobseekers with social integration problems, such as... The PES would like to better address barriers to employment faced by persons with disabilities by using the case management approach to provide tailored solutions.
The success of the project lies in the cooperation of stakeholders created by strong planning and communication between the partners. Sharing information facilitated alignment and prevented misunderstandings. The individual approach and the involvement of NGOs to complement the resources of PES are important strengths of the case management model.
Mainstreaming the project will require reflecting on how to swiftly take unemployed people from benefits to employment, and build strong partnerships and engagement.
The project is based on inputs and inspiration from various EU projects and activities. The PES conducted a study on the compatibility of ALMP measures and social support services in integrating unemployed people into the labour market in 2017. The case management approach was introduced following an analysis of other European practices, including those in Finland and Spain.
