“It is clear that organisations and women both feel that this Jobcentre team understand their needs and how to make connections – which is such an important part of the Jobcentre Plus role.”

Recognising a Jobcentre Plus office that has demonstrated exceptional commitment in partnering with providers in their area, supportingdisadvantaged and long-term unemployed jobseekers. Kindly sponsored by Setas

ABOUT CANNING TOWN JOBCENTRE PLUS

Canning Town Jobcentre Plus in the London Borough of Newham serves a diverse community and has a large proportion of unemployed women on its books. Many of these women face complex barriers to work and have English as a second language.

To serve their community, the Jobcentre is developing an outreach approach, looking at different ways they can support women.

ABOUT THE AWARD WIN

Belina nominated the Canning Town Jobcentre team, and especially their adviser Sarah Phillips, for outreach work with women in the community. 

They worked very closely with Belina as a provider, recognising that the offer was different to their own support and would add value They provided premises, the opportunity to get information to their advisers, and a direct referral route to lone mothers. The first cohort of Canning Town customers started the Belina Get Ready for Work programme in January 2020. Seven women completed the programme, with one starting work and others moving onto training. Another 20 were signed up just before lockdown.

An event to empower women also ran in March 2020, aimed at providing support tools to address any barriers stopping women moving closer to the labour market. Many had never been in a Jobcentre before or had the chance to meet support organisations face to face. The Jobcentre invited a variety of support services, including domestic violence, addiction issues, childcare and mental health. There were training providers and employment opportunities also available on the day. It was clear that the women left the Jobcentre that day feeling more confident to take the next step forward.

COMMENTS AND QUOTES

“As soon as we were put in contact with Canning Town Jobcentre, we knew that we were working with a team that had a clearly thought through strategy for supporting women to get back to work. It was also evident that their approach was successful in reaching out to women in the whole community and to the organisations required to support them.

“It is clear that organisations and women both feel that this Jobcentre team understand their needs and how to make connections – which is such an important part of the Jobcentre Plus role.”

Liz Sewell, Director, Belina Consulting Ltd, which supports mothers with complex needs to get back to work

WHAT ERSA SAID

Jobcentre Plus is a crucial link in any strong employability chain and plays a pivotal role in providing frontline support to jobseekers, all with different stories to tell and barriers to overcome. A Jobcentre team’s initial enthusiasm for and understanding of a client can make a world of difference in that individual engaging, growing in confidence and achieving a successful outcome. Embracing this outreach approach, tailored to the specific needs of women in Newham, is a terrific example of local partnership working enabling jobseekers that might not otherwise be helped.

LINKS

https://www.jobcentreplusoffices.com/london/canning-town-jobcentre-plus/

https://www.setas.org.uk/

https://ersa.org.uk/media/news/ersa-employability-awards-2020-winners