£3.4m funding boost for life-changing Households into Work programme

A programme that has delivered life-changing support to help thousands of long-term unemployed people as they try to find work has secured £3.4m funding to enable its work to continue for another two years.

Households into Work was launched in 2018 by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram as a pilot project to support long-term unemployed people who have difficulty finding and sustaining employment.

Since Households into Work started, more than 2,200 people have been supported, many of whom have either never worked or been long-term unemployed, with more than 250 successfully finding work.

20% of those on the programme have never worked before, while nearly 40% have been unemployed for more than three years. Over the course of 12 months, participants work on a one-to-one basis with a dedicated employment advocate who helps them to prepare for and find employment.

Steve Rotheram Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:

“I’ve always said that the big advantage of devolution is that it allows us to do things differently and Households Into Work is a perfect example of that.

“We treat people as human beings, offering them the guidance, support and coaching they need to find a job and stay in it. It couldn’t be more different from the sanctions first approach we see from national government.

“And that compassionate approach is really bearing fruit. With every single person we’re able to help through Households Into Work, we’re not only helping to change their lives, but the lives of so many others around them too.

“I am so proud of everyone who has taken part in the programme and really delighted that we’re putting the funding in place to help it continue.”

Fahd Al Mashehari registered with Households into Work programme in November 2020 and was supported by his Employment Advocate Heather. He said:

“I had recently moved to the UK to start a new life and look for a job. Heather offered me and my wife many services in order to improve our skills in finding jobs including English language classes for Tamheel, my wife. She has helped me to get proper internet access and improve my IT skills by referring me for another programme scheme called Pathways to Work which gave me a laptop and an office package (table and chair). She also helped me in obtaining my UK driving license which I believe was one of the biggest work obstacles for me. Finally I got a part time job as legal assistant in a solicitor office.”

Cllr Wendy Simon, Portfolio Holder for Education, Employment and Skills at the Combined Authority and Acting Mayor of Liverpool, said:

“Each of the local authority areas in the city region works in partnership with Households into Work to deliver the programme which is making such a difference to so many people’s lives. I’m delighted they will now be able to continue their good work and I look forward to seeing more people overcome their own issues to move into work or closer to being ready to work.”

Since Households into Work started, more than 2,200 people have been supported, many of whom have either never worked or been out of work for three years or more. That support continued when lockdown measures were first introduced in March 2020, and between March 2020 and December 2020 Households into Work supported over 700 people.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority approved £1.4m from its Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) before Christmas, and a further £1.995 million in ESF funding from the Department for Work and Pensions has now been approved.  This funding will support the second phase of the programme through to December 2022.

The programme has a team of 25 based in each of the six Liverpool City Region local authority areas.  They work on an outreach basis with long-term unemployed people who are dealing with a range of issues, including financial crises, mental health problems, the risk of eviction or homelessness, domestic abuse, social isolation or chronic health issues.

Other members of the household are also encouraged to join the programme so that the issues can be addressed collectively as well as individually.

For more information on the Households into Work programme or to find out how you can be referred go to: https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/households-into-work/