March 15, 2010: Good news for the women of Barking and Dagenham
For a full report please visit: http://www.guardianpublic.co.uk/cash-barking-dagenham-women-adetunji
With a myriad of social, economic and cultural issues to consider finding work is not easy for women in Barking and Dagenham, which is why a new programme called ‘CASH’ (aka ‘Village’) has been implemented specifically to focus on the individual.
Tackling the low employment rate for women in one of London's most deprived boroughs has meant developing a programme that focuses less on new services and more on reaching out and helping women better navigate the existing system.
The two-year Careers, Advice, Support and Help (Cash) programme in Barking and Dagenham was set up to tackle high levels of unemployment in an area where some families have not worked for generations and more women than men are likely to find themselves out of work and on welfare.
"We went out and talked to these women” says Andrew Lennox from Capgemini, “Some had no prior working experience or no English. Others had plenty of work experience but childcare difficulties. In some cases male partners did not expect women to work and there were these cultural issues.”
Running alongside the borough's local job shops Cash also runs as a community outreach scheme, providing support and guidance through a "spaghetti junction" of existing services. "The programme is about building up people's ability and employability over time," says Terry Regan, the council's group manager for employment and skills.
The Cash team is small - two full-time outreach workers and a part-time team leader, provided by LifeLine, a voluntary sector provider – who motivate participants and provide information and guidance. From there two coaches provide more in-depth help and ongoing support. Through the coaches, the Cash team don't just use their expertise to point women in the right direction but also take an active role in following their progress through the system and they hope to help around 200 women over the two years.
For a full report please visit: http://www.guardianpublic.co.uk/cash-barking-dagenham-women-adetunji With a myriad of social, economic and cultural issues to consider finding work is not easy for women in Barking and Dagenham, which is why a new programme called ‘CASH’ (aka ‘Village’) has been implemented specifically to focus on the individual.
Tackling the low employment rate for women in one of London's most deprived boroughs has meant developing a programme that focuses less on new services and more on reaching out and helping women better navigate the existing system.
The two-year Careers, Advice, Support and Help (Cash) programme in Barking and Dagenham was set up to tackle high levels of unemployment in an area where some families have not worked for generations and more women than men are likely to find themselves out of work and on welfare.
"We went out and talked to these women” says Andrew Lennox from Capgemini, “Some had no prior working experience or no English. Others had plenty of work experience but childcare difficulties. In some cases male partners did not expect women to work and there were these cultural issues.”
Running alongside the borough's local job shops Cash also runs as a community outreach scheme, providing support and guidance through a "spaghetti junction" of existing services. "The programme is about building up people's ability and employability over time," says Terry Regan, the council's group manager for employment and skills.
The Cash team is small - two full-time outreach workers and a part-time team leader, provided by LifeLine, a voluntary sector provider – who motivate participants and provide information and guidance. From there two coaches provide more in-depth help and ongoing support. Through the coaches, the Cash team don't just use their expertise to point women in the right direction but also take an active role in following their progress through the system and they hope to help around 200 women over the two years.
March 01, 2010: Vigor8 NEET young people across London
This project targets young people across 16 London Boroughs who are in danger of not being in education, training or employment (NEET). The programme will focus on the hardest to reach such as teenage parents, BME groups, those in pupil referral units, young offenders, care leavers as well as subsistence users, homeless, disabled, young travellers, young asylum seekers, refugees and those with work-limiting illnesses (including mental health conditions).
Activities will include:
o Assesments designed to reveal needs
o VIP (Vision, Identity and Purpose) mentoring
o Outreach and referrals
o IAG’s
o Personalised action plans
o Employability skills training
o Skills Development
o Employer brokerage
Funded by the LDA and managed by LifeLine, we will also be partnered by Fairbridge and Barking College.
This project targets young people across 16 London Boroughs who are in danger of not being in education, training or employment (NEET). The programme will focus on the hardest to reach such as teenage parents, BME groups, those in pupil referral units, young offenders, care leavers as well as subsistence users, homeless, disabled, young travellers, young asylum seekers, refugees and those with work-limiting illnesses (including mental health conditions).Activities will include:
o Assesments designed to reveal needs
o VIP (Vision, Identity and Purpose) mentoring
o Outreach and referrals
o IAG’s
o Personalised action plans
o Employability skills training
o Skills Development
o Employer brokerage
Funded by the LDA and managed by LifeLine, we will also be partnered by Fairbridge and Barking College.
March 01, 2010: CAP ’09: Helping long-term unemployed or low-income parents into sustainable employment
Cap ’09 is a pilot programme which aims to test whether a new model of support can help low-income or long-term unemployed parents get and remain in sustainable employment. The programme is being run out of LifeLine's new Job Shop based in the former training suite at LifeLine House, Dagenham.
Job brokers use a ‘key-worker’ approach to help parents to find employment that is permanent and matches their skill-set. A personalised package of support will help parents to progress including:
o Help with childcare
o Tax credits
o Other funding sources
o Advice and guidance
o Practical support
o Ongoing support for up to 6 months following employment
Funded by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, the pilot is focussed on families with a low-household income in order to address some of the issues of child poverty within the Borough.
Cap ’09 is a pilot programme which aims to test whether a new model of support can help low-income or long-term unemployed parents get and remain in sustainable employment. The programme is being run out of LifeLine's new Job Shop based in the former training suite at LifeLine House, Dagenham. Job brokers use a ‘key-worker’ approach to help parents to find employment that is permanent and matches their skill-set. A personalised package of support will help parents to progress including:
o Help with childcare
o Tax credits
o Other funding sources
o Advice and guidance
o Practical support
o Ongoing support for up to 6 months following employment
Funded by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, the pilot is focussed on families with a low-household income in order to address some of the issues of child poverty within the Borough.
January 27, 2010: LifeLine hosts Employer's Coalition lunch with Shadow Secretary of State Teresa May
Over 70 employers including key businesses Tate & Lyle, Asda and Fords amongst others gathered at the highly successful event in the Ceme Centre in Dagenham on Wednesday 27th January for an opportunity to hear from the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Teresa May. Rob Whiteman, Chief Executive of Barking and Dagenham spoke about the developments and opportunities in the borough, warmly praising the role organisations such as LifeLine play in getting over 2000 people back into work over the past 2 years. Three local employers were presented with awards by the Shadow Secretary before she spoke about the role that employers and other organisations play in getting unemployed people back into work.
Teresa May warmly endorsed LifeLine, making many references to the work of organisations ‘like LifeLine’, speaking about her vision for the future of organisations like ours who were pursuing models of tackling worklessness that are successful.
City Pavilion won the best ‘Employer of the Year’ award, whilst YMCA took the ‘Community Partner of the Year’ award and ‘Business Partner of the Year’ went to Bovis BeOnSite.
Following the main event the Shadow Secretary took the opportunity to spend an additional hour and a half to network with all the businesses represented. She heard directly from local business people about their experience as employers in the locality prior to continuing on a tour of the borough, visiting Job Centres in Barking and Dagenham.
Over 70 employers including key businesses Tate & Lyle, Asda and Fords amongst others gathered at the highly successful event in the Ceme Centre in Dagenham on Wednesday 27th January for an opportunity to hear from the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Teresa May. Rob Whiteman, Chief Executive of Barking and Dagenham spoke about the developments and opportunities in the borough, warmly praising the role organisations such as LifeLine play in getting over 2000 people back into work over the past 2 years. Three local employers were presented with awards by the Shadow Secretary before she spoke about the role that employers and other organisations play in getting unemployed people back into work. Teresa May warmly endorsed LifeLine, making many references to the work of organisations ‘like LifeLine’, speaking about her vision for the future of organisations like ours who were pursuing models of tackling worklessness that are successful.
City Pavilion won the best ‘Employer of the Year’ award, whilst YMCA took the ‘Community Partner of the Year’ award and ‘Business Partner of the Year’ went to Bovis BeOnSite.
Following the main event the Shadow Secretary took the opportunity to spend an additional hour and a half to network with all the businesses represented. She heard directly from local business people about their experience as employers in the locality prior to continuing on a tour of the borough, visiting Job Centres in Barking and Dagenham.
January 11, 2010: LifeLine set to take the future of Sure Start centres forward
LifeLine were highlighted today in a speech by David Cameron announcing Conservative plans for a new generation of Sure Start Centres to focus on the neediest families and involve organisations with a track record of helping parents.
The new model of Sure Start Centre will deliver dedicated support to disadvantaged and dysfunctional families as part of the Sure Start programme.
They will be similar to Academy schools in that they will be independent institutions which operate outside local government control and are funded directly by central government.
Speaking today in London, David Cameron said he was committed to keeping Sure Start, but he will also seek to improve it by taking it back to its original purpose - namely "early intervention, increasing its focus on those who need its help most and better involving organisations with a proven track record in parenting interventions".
He said we already know what works in terms of parenting interventions, citing research done by the National Academy for Parenting Practitioners and others. "They have identified models with proven success – from family nurse partnerships, an intensive programme for vulnerable first-time parents that ends when the child is two to parenting support groups for parents with learning difficulties."
With this mind, he announced that the Conservatives would "invite independent organisations that have a proven track record in these areas – like LifeLine and 4Children and Homestart and contract them to run children’s centres and reach out to dysfunctional and disadvantaged local families. They will then be paid – at least in part - according to the results they achieve."
LifeLine has a proven track record in succesfully running Children's Centres throughout the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Lambeth. Chief Executive Avril McIntyre said "Our Children’s Centres in Barking & Dagenham include recruitment consultants, the IAG team, outreachers as well as family support workers and centre managers. We want to ensure we don’t ‘box’ people – ‘he’s a dad’, ‘she’s a job seeker’ – but recognise that everyone is an individual, with fears and aspirations. We have a key role to ensure that people don’t get boxed in, but are empowered to look at who they are and what they want for themselves and their family. The menu of services must be seamless, allowing people to access what they need easily so they can move on. We have an exciting opportunity through our work in Barking & Dagenham Children’s Centres and more recently in Lambeth – a real chance to see what really works for people who may not know what it’s like to achieve or feel successful."
LifeLine were highlighted today in a speech by David Cameron announcing Conservative plans for a new generation of Sure Start Centres to focus on the neediest families and involve organisations with a track record of helping parents. The new model of Sure Start Centre will deliver dedicated support to disadvantaged and dysfunctional families as part of the Sure Start programme.
They will be similar to Academy schools in that they will be independent institutions which operate outside local government control and are funded directly by central government.
Speaking today in London, David Cameron said he was committed to keeping Sure Start, but he will also seek to improve it by taking it back to its original purpose - namely "early intervention, increasing its focus on those who need its help most and better involving organisations with a proven track record in parenting interventions".
He said we already know what works in terms of parenting interventions, citing research done by the National Academy for Parenting Practitioners and others. "They have identified models with proven success – from family nurse partnerships, an intensive programme for vulnerable first-time parents that ends when the child is two to parenting support groups for parents with learning difficulties."
With this mind, he announced that the Conservatives would "invite independent organisations that have a proven track record in these areas – like LifeLine and 4Children and Homestart and contract them to run children’s centres and reach out to dysfunctional and disadvantaged local families. They will then be paid – at least in part - according to the results they achieve."
LifeLine has a proven track record in succesfully running Children's Centres throughout the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Lambeth. Chief Executive Avril McIntyre said "Our Children’s Centres in Barking & Dagenham include recruitment consultants, the IAG team, outreachers as well as family support workers and centre managers. We want to ensure we don’t ‘box’ people – ‘he’s a dad’, ‘she’s a job seeker’ – but recognise that everyone is an individual, with fears and aspirations. We have a key role to ensure that people don’t get boxed in, but are empowered to look at who they are and what they want for themselves and their family. The menu of services must be seamless, allowing people to access what they need easily so they can move on. We have an exciting opportunity through our work in Barking & Dagenham Children’s Centres and more recently in Lambeth – a real chance to see what really works for people who may not know what it’s like to achieve or feel successful."
October 19, 2009: Launch of Totally Mums, breastfeeding peer supporters programme
LifeLine’s two year Breastfeeding Peer Supporters programme got off to a great start at the official launch event on Monday October 19th. Parents, children, local midwives, health visitors, La Leche League and members of the council gathered to congratulate the voluntary peer supporters who graduated from the pilot programme. Avril McIntyre welcomed guests, speaking of LifeLine’s observation of visionary leaders of programmes or services who have often started out as volunteers. Pam Caldeira, the Breastfeeding Peer Support Programme Co-ordinator was one such person. Pam commented ‘It’s all about Mums supporting Mums – empowering at a crucial time in their lives’.
Funded by Barking and Dagenham NHS and delivered by LifeLine, the supporters will be available to help parents in Queens and King George’s Hospitals as well as offering a support group at Valence children’s centre and by appointment at children’s centres throughout the borough.
Frances Frost, one of the graduating peer supporters speaking at the event observed on the birth of her third child ‘there was very little support for Mums on hospital wards. I could see that the staff at the hospital were very stretched, and so I started to help other Mums on the ward. Having done the excellent La Leche League training I’m looking forward to going into hospital as a peer supporter’.
Key speaker Dr Justin Varney, Assistant Director of Health Improvement, Barking and Dagenham PCT spoke from the heart as he described his days of walking on the wards cradling babies for tired Mums and hard working nurses. He observed his own sister’s stress and fear saying ‘what’s really sad is that most of my sister’s friends were not able to breastfeed. The great thing about this course is having people who can walk the path with you’. Dr Varney endorsed LifeLine’s progress saying ‘This is a huge success, a huge credit to LifeLine and a huge credit to the peer supporters for completing the training. This is one of the programmes that does actually save lives – to have someone come alongside you at the difficult points to reassure are the times that make a difference not only as an individual, but to the community.’
Christine Pryor, Head of Integrated Family Services at LBBD spoke about her own passion for the benefits of breastfeeding saying ‘breastfeeding not only has health and parental bonding benefits, but also is practical, economic and environmental. Mothers need support and practical advise, especially in the early stages when exhaustion sets in. The best person to support is another Mum who’s passionate about breastfeeding.’
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Contact details
For more information, photography of the event or parent success stories, please contact:
Elspeth Paisley, Communications Manager
LifeLine House, Neville Road, Dagenham Essex RM8 3QS
T: 020 8597 2900 F: 020 8597 1990 M: 07500 842 901
LifeLine’s two year Breastfeeding Peer Supporters programme got off to a great start at the official launch event on Monday October 19th. Parents, children, local midwives, health visitors, La Leche League and members of the council gathered to congratulate the voluntary peer supporters who graduated from the pilot programme. Avril McIntyre welcomed guests, speaking of LifeLine’s observation of visionary leaders of programmes or services who have often started out as volunteers. Pam Caldeira, the Breastfeeding Peer Support Programme Co-ordinator was one such person. Pam commented ‘It’s all about Mums supporting Mums – empowering at a crucial time in their lives’. Funded by Barking and Dagenham NHS and delivered by LifeLine, the supporters will be available to help parents in Queens and King George’s Hospitals as well as offering a support group at Valence children’s centre and by appointment at children’s centres throughout the borough.
Frances Frost, one of the graduating peer supporters speaking at the event observed on the birth of her third child ‘there was very little support for Mums on hospital wards. I could see that the staff at the hospital were very stretched, and so I started to help other Mums on the ward. Having done the excellent La Leche League training I’m looking forward to going into hospital as a peer supporter’.
Key speaker Dr Justin Varney, Assistant Director of Health Improvement, Barking and Dagenham PCT spoke from the heart as he described his days of walking on the wards cradling babies for tired Mums and hard working nurses. He observed his own sister’s stress and fear saying ‘what’s really sad is that most of my sister’s friends were not able to breastfeed. The great thing about this course is having people who can walk the path with you’. Dr Varney endorsed LifeLine’s progress saying ‘This is a huge success, a huge credit to LifeLine and a huge credit to the peer supporters for completing the training. This is one of the programmes that does actually save lives – to have someone come alongside you at the difficult points to reassure are the times that make a difference not only as an individual, but to the community.’
Christine Pryor, Head of Integrated Family Services at LBBD spoke about her own passion for the benefits of breastfeeding saying ‘breastfeeding not only has health and parental bonding benefits, but also is practical, economic and environmental. Mothers need support and practical advise, especially in the early stages when exhaustion sets in. The best person to support is another Mum who’s passionate about breastfeeding.’
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Contact details
For more information, photography of the event or parent success stories, please contact:
Elspeth Paisley, Communications Manager
LifeLine House, Neville Road, Dagenham Essex RM8 3QS
T: 020 8597 2900 F: 020 8597 1990 M: 07500 842 901