CLG launches new £40 million drive to help long-term jobless back into work » Local Government » 24dash.com

Families who haven’t worked for years will be helped to climb out of poverty and into employment through a new £40 million job and skills drive, Communities Secretary John Denham announced today.

While the number of long-term jobless families in deprived areas has fallen by 13 per cent over the last 10 years, Mr Denham is determined to step up action to support the remaining 70,000 back into work. He wants to see that no-one is left behind especially now when the rest of the country is fighting to recover from the downturn.

Many of the families who have been unemployed for years become entrenched in a culture of worklessness - the Government will give people the right support they need to get a job, but equally will expect them to take up the offer or risk financial sanctions like losing benefits.

Today Mr Denham is extending the Government’s support to communities during the economic downturn; building on a £3bn investment that’s improved the Jobcentre Plus service; the guaranteed a job or training to all long-term unemployed young people; and Backing Young Britain – a rallying call to businesses, charities and government bodies to create more opportunities for young people.

The extra Working Neighbourhood funding announced today will allow 61 councils to do more, including directly stepping in to help the lives of some of the poorest people to get them in shape for work and off long term benefits, providing the support and skills and they need.

One of the most effective ways of reaching out to the long-term unemployed is through social landlords, who already have relationships with their tenants. Mr Denham believes they can become the ‘doorway’ for council-led agency interventions.

Councils could use today’s funding in this way to bring in qualified job counsellors or use trusted people, like social landlords, to convince people they can be better off financially in work. Research has shown that worklessness is an issue for over 80% of the most challenged families, which is why this new investment is being provided to expand on measures already in place.

In Greenwich, for example, the council is working hand-in-hand with the job centre outreach team to bring the social landlord, local business and skills providers together through local job and skills fairs on housing estates.

John Denham said: "We're determined to do more to help these families, they need to know they have not fallen through the net, or been written off.

"Their circumstances are often complex and they feel cut off from the job market. That’s why today I’m announcing £40 million of new funding for councils to make sure these families are getting the helping hand they need from local services so they can start to stand on their own two feet.

"We can reach them through existing links like their social landlord or outreach projects that can reconnect them with skills training and job opportunities.

"In past recessions we saw too much talent and potential get left behind – we are determined to make sure that this will never happen again. Through the New Deal we have effectively tackled youth unemployment, the next stage is to get to grips with the most difficult to reach families. We are continuing to help them by putting additional investment – into the hands of local leaders – and asking them to take immediate action.

"Now more than ever people need to know system is fair and that we are doing everything we can to give every person, even those from entrenched corners, a fair chance to realise their potential in life, pushing against poverty and striving towards aspiration. This will reduce the burden placed on state dependency."

Housing Minister John Healey added: "There is scope for social landlords to do more to support tenants. We know that councils and housing associations tend to be trusted by their tenants and that many already provide advice services and want to do more.

"As part of their service to tenants I want to see more landlords offering the 'better off in work' calculations, which tell people how much better off they'd be in a job and give them more confidence in making the leap from welfare to work.

"This extra funding means local councils and social landlords can do more to help their tenants can back into work."

Mr Denham is clear people need to know that tackling worklessness is the priority now more than ever, that the system is fair and doing everything it can to reduce the burdens on the state.

He wants to see councils put the extra resources government is putting at their disposal to work quickly to help every person in their area to develop skills and get meaningful work – crucial for the most deprived communities.

Over the last decade employment levels have risen and more jobs have been created. Latest statistics show nearly 29 million people were in work in July to September an employment rate of 72.5% and the number of workforce jobs was 30.9 million in June 2009.

According to the ONS there were around 428,000 unfilled vacancies in the three months to October 2009. The New Deal has helped 800,000 young people into work effectively tackling long-term youth unemployment. Almost 80 per cent of 16 to 18 year olds are in education or training - the highest ever.

Government investment has already transformed large parts of the country with SureStart centres, rising school standards, modernised social housing and neighbourhood policing. We are now doing more through the expanded Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) and the Connecting Communities programme to ensure no community is left out in the cold. Councils like Nottingham and Barnsley are already using WNF to double the length of time of a Future Jobs Funds placement to a year.

David Orr, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation said: “We welcome this additional funding source and we would invite local authorities to make use of housing associations' unique ability of working with residents to deliver positive outcomes.

“Housing associations are increasingly recognised as key community anchors. They have the trust of their residents and are always working in partnership to provide meaningful employment and training opportunities.

"Our National Future Jobs Fund Consortia programme with Groundwork UK and over 70 housing associations is on schedule to deliver over 2,300 jobs in six months.”

Councillor Steve Houghton Leader of Barnsley Council and worklessness champion for Government added: "We must to everything we can to ensure that those farthest away from employment and prosperity in our most deprived areas are not left behind.

"I know that those local partnerships receiving WNF are already doing much good work to respond to the needs of their local residents. I also know that many partnerships can and want to do more. This extra resource will enable them to go further to respond to the challenges they face.

"Here in Barnsley we are using WNF funding to extend Future Jobs Fund Placements from six months to 12 months. This additional funding will allow us to offer even more young people and disadvantaged others a chance to improve their future."