Social Research
Local initiatives to help workless people find and keep paid work
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What's the issue?
With concentrations of people disadvantaged in the labour market, disadvantaged areas tend to have high rates of worklessness. But both the kinds of work available and the kinds of people without work vary between areas.
Solutions need to be local, reflecting the kind of jobs people are likely to be able to get, and the individuals living in the area and their individual problems.
Ways forward
The available evidence points to some lessons for policy and practice, particularly within the Government's new Working Neighbourhoods Fund:
- Good assessment of individual needs, including those of long-term sick and disabled people, is essential.
- Those closest to the labour market benefit most from immediate placement. Those who would find it difficult to cope in the workplace immediately benefit from some initial training, but this is much more expensive and delays the start of employment.
- The most successful provision is based on and engaged with the needs of local employers.
- Retention and progression depend on the individual being in the right job, with suitable hours, skills and location.
- Transport issues are often ignored, but are important in people's ability to get and keep jobs.
- Holistic interventions, which address housing, health, childcare and substance use issues as well as labour market needs, are more effective than those which address work in isolation.
- Partnership working is key to delivering a sufficiently wide range of support.
- Many people who could benefit from help need active encouragement to engage with the help and support available.
What are the challenges?
- Skills and organisational infrastructures vary from place to place. In some areas, capacity will need to be developed before effective delivery can take place.
- Partnership working is challenging: it takes time and resources, and may slow down delivery.
- People from black and minority ethnic groups and recent migrants face both the disadvantages of deprived areas and additional barriers. But minority communities are also becoming increasingly diverse in their labour market experience.
- Most workless people would be better-off in work, but are often unaware of the financial support available and are deterred by the complexities and financial risks of the system.
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