£125m government scheme to get people back to work kicks off in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire has become the first of nine areas to launch the new scheme
A new government scheme aimed “to tackle inactivity and boost employment” has kicked off in Barnsley.
South Yorkshire has become the first of the nine “inactivity trailblazers” to launch a new programme to get inactive people back to work.
As part of the scheme, the region receives £18m to dedicate a new service to work with employers to hire those with health conditions, and a new “triage” system to make it quicker and easier to connect people to employment, health, and skills support.
This, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), will include “preventing people falling out of work completely due to ill health through an NHS programme, working with people with conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease to diabetes”.
In addition, this could also include volunteering as a stepping stone to paid employment or helping people get the right treatment so they can remain in jobs.
At a meeting at Barnsley’s Digital Media Centre, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall mentioned that she had said last year that in order to tackle economic inactivity, a radically new approach is needed – from the government, the NHS, the mayors, the communities and the citizens.
Now, she was back in Barnsley to say the government is delivering on this promise with £18m investment in the region.
“Work is a good health outcome,” she added.
One of the beneficiaries of the work being done in Barnsley is Cheri Beecroft, 38, who is now a full time employee after more than a decade away from work.
Ms Beecroft told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she had been a full-time mum for 13 years and when she decided to get a job she had to start from scratch – she did not have a college degree or anything equivalent to show so she got in touch with Adult Skills in Barnsley where she completed her Level 2 Math and English.
She then said she had gone on to do the Level 3 Teaching Assistant course but she became ill which required surgery.
Ms Beecroft praised her tutor who was – after the surgery – there for her “almost like a friend”.
Because of her special needs at the time, her assignments were adapted so she could finish the course.
Ms Beecroft said: “They (Adult Skills) helped me to do my qualifications, my tutor helped me mentally and my wellbeing to get back on track and finish my qualification.”
After volunteering a little bit and working part-time, she has been working full-time since last year.
Ms Beecroft highlighted how much help she had received to build her confidence back up.
“It’s the showing you can do something, even if you are struggling,” she added.
Bev Ellis, an engagement and wellbeing manager with adult skills and community learning, told the LDRS that there were so many like Cheri out there in Barnsley who they would like to help get back to work.
Ms Ellis said she manages the wellbeing side of the service where they work with people who had really bad or no experience at school; people who lost confidence or who have never had a job before.
“So over the time that Cheri’s talking about, and especially since the pandemic, we have discovered more and more people in this category are coming through to us,” she added.
Ms Ellis said the service had about 4,500 learners last year and most of them would have had some problems.
She said the focus is on supporting these individuals with their confidence and communication, as well as showing them what changing their mindset and being resilient could lead them.
What is her message to those who are on the lookout for such help but are currently on the fence about asking for help?
Ms Ellis said “just come and try us”.
She added the centre at Wellington House was open for everybody and everyone can go and see what it’s like.
“Have a walk around, there is no obligation. We are not scary, we are not like a school, we know we have much smaller classes, it’s not intimidating, just give it a go,” Ms Ellis said.
Alison McGovern, the Minister of State for Employment, told the LDRS that the government had chosen South Yorkshire to lead the way in this scheme because the region has a unique history and the people here have the answers.
She said the historic changes in the industries in South Yorkshire still have an impact today but through partnerships, community leaders have better knowledge in understanding how to bring health and work support together.
“We knew the answers were in South Yorkshire, we thought let’s just crack on, there seems to be a good answer here, let’s try it,” she said.
Oliver Coppard, the South Yorkshire mayor, added the plan is not just to get people to work but to improve the region’s health service, and the government is a partner in tackling the issue at the neighbourhood level.