US-inspired scheme helping people into work on Teesside [Archived]

We are one of only nine housing associations in the country to be trialling the JobsPlus scheme, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through His Majesty’s Treasury’s Labour Market Evaluation and Pilots Fund and managed by Learning and Work Institute (L&W).

The scheme draws from a US model which aims to help people into work by providing on-site employment services, community support, and financial incentives.

It combines one-to-one support to access jobs and training with financial support for costs such as travel, childcare, work clothing, DBS checks, and IT equipment.

“JobsPlus is an evidence-based model, which can help social housing tenants find work and increase their earnings,” said L&W’s director, Naomi Clayton, during a visit to Stockton to see our scheme in action. “We’re hoping to close the employment support gap so that all residents in a JobsPlus site benefit from the programme.

“L&W has previously called for root and branch reform to widen employment support to everyone who wants to work. It’s exciting to be working with DWP and partners to trial a new approach that could have huge benefits to communities and to our wider economy.”

Iona McArdle, L&W’s Jobs Plus Programme Manager, added: “During this visit we’ve seen Thirteen staff working with partners and engaging the community to understand people’s needs and ambitions and then shape a programme that supports them.

“We’re really pleased to see positive results already with fifteen local residents finding work.”

The JobsPlus pilot is running across 10 sites in England, with each site taking in up to 1,000 households.

We are working with partner agencies to deliver the scheme in the Primrose Hill and Wrensfield areas of Stockton.

Susan Borrow, our care and support manager (contracts), said: “The pilot has got off to a flying start and we were delighted to welcome Naomi and Iona from L&W to meet our staff and partners and show them all the work we’re doing.

“Since launching in July we’ve helped 15 people into work, generating a collective annual income of nearly £350,000. We’re currently working with a further 23 residents with a view to finding them employment too.

“We’re getting great feedback about the personalised nature of the support too.

“Some of the breakthroughs we’ve made have started with the simple act of staff going out and knocking on doors and talking to people. That’s led to conversations about their ambitions and the things that might be preventing them getting work.

“That’s then led to us building relationships and helping people grow confidence and overcome those barriers, whether it be through coaching them for job interviews or supporting them with suitable work clothing.

“We have an excellent track record of delivering employability services and this scheme is enabling us to reach even further into our communities. We’re really encouraged by the early results we’re seeing from the pilot.”

For further details visit www.thirteengroup.co.uk/jobsplus or www.learningandwork.org.uk/jobsplus.