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14.
September
2017.
Help shape city’s employment services

Help shape city's employment services

 

Consultation is underway on a new approach to providing employment services in the city.

 

The Council wants people's views on proposals to directly provide and co-ordinate employment services to help people get back to work or to find a better job. Under the new proposal, services will be available across the city to everyone who needs them.

 

There are currently over 40 different schemes that help people back to work in the city, each with difference qualifying criteria and often people lose out because they do not live in the right area, are not the right age or because they do not know about the help available. The Council is seeking to rationalise provision and ensure that people can access the right service for them.

 

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "We have developed a very exciting proposal for a citywide employment service based on people's needs and not restricted by location.

 

"Many people need help to get back to work or to find a better job and we want to make sure this help is available to all who need it.

 

"We know that the current system can be very confusing and some people can't get the services they need because of where they live or just because of their age so we need a more joined-up approach.

 

"With less funding available, it's important we ensure the resources we do have are focussed where they are needed and that we're not duplicating services.

 

"We're keen to know what people think of the proposal, what services they use at the moment and what they would like to see in the future."

 

Following Welsh Government's decision to phase out the Communities First programme and to take a new approach to tackling poverty across Wales, some funding is available to provide employment services and to build resilient communities, however this is funding is much less than before.

 

The new services would be delivered through the Council's network of Community Hubs and from other community buildings.

 

Cllr Thorne added: "We're also very keen tohear about people's experience of Communities First and what gaps they think there will be when it ceases. We also want to know how people would like to get involved with local activities and projects and how they could influence and shape the communities they live in."

 

The consultation is open until October 4 and a series of community engagement sessions will be taking place alongside job club activities in hubs and community buildings.

 

To complete the survey, visit

https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=150426317772

 

 

Results from the consultation will help inform both the employment services proposal and the use of the new funding, which will be considered by Cabinet in November.