Provider and location : Gloucestershire. Gloucester First  

Who will benefit?

This describes outcomes need to describe the client group example The aim of the scheme is to provide focussed support to help those who are most excluded from the employment market into work.  Participants must have been in receipt of Incapacity Benefit (or Income Support on the grounds of Incapacity) for at least two years.

During Delivery Phase 2007/08 - 2009/10

265 Participants supported into sustainable employment.

Anticipate that at least 800 beneficiaries will need to be engaged in the programme in order to achieve this.

Sustainable Employment is defined as paid work of at least 16 hours per week for at least 13 weeks.

Outcomes to be delivered:

2007/08 : 55 participants into sustainable employment

2008/09 : 100 participants into sustainable employment

2009/10 : 110 participants into sustainable employment

Key features.
The initiative is managed by Gloucestershire First, the county's business-led economic partnership, and is a collaboration between Gloucester City Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company, the Learning and Skills Council, JobCentre Plus, Gloucestershire PCT and the South West Regional Development Agency

The collaboration - the first of its kind in the South West - has been developed to make sure that local people have the best chance of benefiting from anticipated growth in the job market, stimulated by Gloucester's regeneration.

Gloucester Works is part of an investment plan worth £6 million which has been developed to improve workforce skills and the employability of those who work or live in Gloucester. The plan includes major contributions from the Learning and Skills Council, via its European Social Fund (ESF) programme and the South West Regional Development Agency, as well as other partners in the project.

Gloucestershire has a  wide range of provision that is enabling them to tackle local concerns to support more people with mental health issues to gain and sustain work. The full range of these can be viewed if you click here.

Gloucester's approach to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies and the Social Inclusion Strategy for Glos, are both on the welcome page of 2gether`s website. They both support the whole system to promote better mental health for everyone in our communities. This includes talking the stigma and discrimination that we know exist and the Time to Change Campaign designed to help us reduce this at a local level. The Social inclusion strategy demonstrates their use of this by sharing stories from their Time to Change campaign.

This programme is part of a joined up plan across agencies in Gloucestershire s to tackle local issues. It forms part of the economic strategy for Gloucester

http://www.glosfirst.co.uk/docs/Final%20Integrated%20Economic%20Strategy%20RDG.pdf

A Back to work co-coordinator is funded by Glos First. Their remit is to support people in receipt of Incapacity Benefit into sustainable work, focussing on Priority participants are those people currently engaged with health professionals in Gloucestershire and particularly those diagnosed with or receiving treatment/support for mental ill health.

How they are being delivered.

The project will establish an effective network of services that will enable health professionals to access information and support for those people who aspire to and are able to enter the workforce.