Welfare & Worklessness Event
4 October 2011
Hosted by
ABOUT THE DAY
The Welfare and Worklessness Event was for Registered Providers (RPs), authorities and
support agencies working with them to look at ways to keep worklessness on the agenda in the
context of the recession, funding cuts and changes to welfare. The aims of the day were to
learn about welfare reform and its impact on social landlords and their tenants, review new data
about financial inclusion issues, and explore opportunities to take practical steps towards
combating worklessness.
Attendees hoped to make links and contacts and learn where there is expertise to access help
for workless people in communities. They wanted to identify ways to work across RPs, sharing
resources, potentially establishing an ongoing forum. Agencies and authorities from Bristol and
Bath attended, providing the opportunity to compare notes and see how initiatives could fit
together. Commissioners were interested in understanding the issues and identifying the needs
of workless people and the gaps in service provision.
BARRIERS
Attendees listed the barriers to addressing worklessness:

Funding – for everything, but particularly support and training. [The will is there and
there is a recognised vested interest]

Cultural change needed in working with tenants – manage all parties’ expectations

Need for a ‘step path’ – to meet different job seekers’ needs, eg, with no experience of
work

Poor communications on opportunities

Lack of understanding about impact of employing workless people
o Myths, fears, negative expectations
o Benefits: Will people be worse off? Will they go into arrears?

High cost of supported housing
o Benefits trap, especially around housing benefit
o Catch 22 – if someone is ready to work, they’re usually ready to move on from
supported housing

Need opportunities to experience work/ the workplace

Sometimes there’s only a one-size-fits-all approach

Changing employment/ unemployment landscape

Solutions may be over the long-term

Employers need to be prepared, eg, assessing skills

Fewer jobs
Welfare & Worklessness Event
4 October 2011
Hosted by
BARRIERS (CONT’D)

Affordable rents – rents are increasing

No contact with, eg, Working Links

Low paid jobs in rural areas
o Transport – cost, access

Child care

Need more creative solutions/ incentives
o Free travel

Welfare system
o Punitive
o Need to be available for work
o Even voluntary work

Resources required for volunteering

Bureaucracy
o CRB checks

Support needed to make employment work

Low (?) priority on worklessness compared to ‘the day job’, eg, housing provision

Individuals confidence
o Undermined by welfare system/ facilities

Too little contact with Job Centre Plus
Welfare & Worklessness Event
4 October 2011
Hosted by
SOLUTIONS, NEXT STEPS, ACTIONS

Signposting to existing opportunities (including Clean Slate)

RPs running open day ‘back to work’ events

Explore ways to use Clean Slate Temp Workers

Quarterly meeting of RPs – rotate hosting

Invie Clean Slate to present on supply chain opportunities

Contact Job Centre Plus
o Develop relationship, chip away ‘hard edges’ (ie, how workless people are
treated)
o Improve understanding

Marketing of progress, opportunities and successes

Resource a central information point/ information sharing
o Eg, principles of CVs that are ‘fit for purpose’

Share B&NES Homelessness Partnership Work & Training resources

Preparatory projects for people further from the employment market (on-site in familiar
locations)
o Create links to support going forward