Through a dynamic analysis of the interplay between structure and agency, this article explores the factors shaping an inclusive approach to labour market activation for clients with multiple barriers to work. While previous studies argue that ‘street level bureaucrats’ (SLBs), such as advisors and job coaches, have minimal agency to shape the services they deliver, the pilot programme that is the focus of this article allowed SLBs greater discretion to support clients, and to use their entrepreneurial skills to build relationships with local employers. However, the unresolved tension between personalisation and swift labour market insertion meant that SLBs often defaulted to engrained employability interventions that prepared clients to compete for low-wage entry level jobs. We argue that the ‘policy closure’ around a work-first model of activation in the UK constrains social innovation among SLBs, and limits the freedoms of citizens to navigate their own transitions into the labour market.

通过对结构和代理之间相互作用的动态分析，本文探讨了为具有多重工作障碍的客户塑造劳动力市场激活包容性方法的因素。虽然之前的研究认为“街头官僚”（SLB），例如顾问和工作教练，在塑造他们提供的服务方面的代理权很小，但作为本文重点的试点计划允许 SLB 有更大的自由裁量权来支持客户，并且利用他们的创业技能与当地雇主建立关系。然而，个性化和快速劳动力市场插入之间未解决的紧张关系意味着 SLB 通常默认采用根深蒂固的就业能力干预措施，让客户准备好竞争低工资的入门级工作。