Transparency data

Commission Telephone Briefing 4 February 2020

Updated 9 November 2021

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mobility-commission-board-meeting-notes/commission-telephone-briefing-4-february-2020

Attendees

Commissioners

Steven Cooper
Sandra Wallace

Apologies

Dame Martina Milburn
Saeed Atcha
Alastair da Costa
Pippa Dunn
Sam Friedman
Harvey Matthewson
Jody Walker
Liz Williams
Jessica Oghenegweke
Farrah Storr
Sammy Wright

1. Welcome

The deputy head of Secretariat led the briefing session and welcomed those on the call. The following points were noted.

2. Department for Opportunities

The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) launched their Department for Opportunitiestoday (Tuesday 4 February) which also included an employers’ toolkit. The Commission is publishing its employers’ toolkit at a launch event on Thursday 6 February. The SMF, one of our key stakeholders, is signed up to the Commission’s microsite directory and will be helping to facilitate the launch event.

3. Employers programme update

  • the employers’ toolkit will launch on Thursday at a London event

  • the event is sold out. Steven Cooper will be conducting interviews and Sandra Wallace will have an op-ed in Personnel Today

  • our microsite will go live with the toolkit and will have an organisational directory to connect employers to helpful organisations

  • regional events are being confirmed with Commissioners – there will be five events in March

  • secretariat is engaging with stakeholders in the Financial Services sector and other sectors to support their efforts

  • a procurement is about to be issued to collect information on our four priority industries: retail, professional and financial services, creative industries and the public sector

4. Corporate update

  • The Commission has had significant levels of activity within Whitehall:

    • secretary of State wants another meeting with Martina and Commissioners

    • there is an offer of regular meetings with the Minister for Children

    • a Lords Debate on social mobility took place on 29 January

    • Martina met with Nusrat Ghani, a Transport Minister this week

  • discussions with Cabinet Office, on the civil service project, raised questions about SMC’s legal personality and the validity of us signing contracts. Secretariat is receiving legal advice but lawyers have yet to provide a date as to when the matter will be resolved. We are unable to commence new projects until this is resolved

  • SMC continue to receive mixed messages from DfE about its 20/21 admin budget. Secretariat has been asked to provide an estimate of headcount that will deliver our work and to also consider how we would cope with a 10% and 20% reduction in our admin budget. We expect to hear about our programme budget later this month and our admin budget in March

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