Routes 2 Work – Breaking through the employment barriers

About D&S and Routes 2 Work

Derwent & Solway Housing Association is a member of Harvest Housing Group, working across West Cumbria, one of the most deprived communities in the UK. West Cumbria has been in economic decline for more than 30 years with many households experiencing second and third generation unemployment.

Derwent & Solway’s Routes 2 Work initiative acts to tackle the unemployment problem within the local community. Its clients include people with mental health problems, homeless people, ex-offenders and people with drug and alcohol addictions. Together D&S and Routes 2 Work, with the support of Harvest offer bespoke training packages for individuals as well as helping with the hidden costs of returning to work, among them travel costs, work clothes and toll that may be required.

Since Routes 2 Work opened its doors in 2005, they have helped 2,000 people back into employment, 270 people onto learning support programmes and successfully trained 24 classroom assistants.

Part of the D&S and Routes 2 Work success is down to tackling and overcoming social and economic exclusion by:

- Helping lone parents find work and leave benefit dependency
- Helping disadvantaged residents into employment
- Helping local people secure local jobs
- Helping small businesses train and employee local people.

 

 
Bespoke training packages for the individuals

D&S and Routes 2 Work believe that everyone is an individual with their own barriers to returning to employment. We offer bespoke packages of support, setting achievable aims for the individual wherever possible. Unlike many mainstream programmes, Routes 2 Work works with the individual to ensure that the funding they receive meets their requirements and assists them to overcome their barriers.

Routes 2 Work works with people to develop progression plans, this involves solving issues around benefit entitlements, assistance with childcare costs and debt management advise. Also available as part of the bespoke package on offer we work with the individual to complete application forms successfully, offer training on interview techniques, building confidence in the workplace as well as offering financial assistance in the form of subsidising their first months wages or helping with the cost of purchasing clothing or equipment needed to start work.

An additional part of the bespoke support package that D&S and Routes 2 Work continues to offer its trainees is the involvement of their skilled and dedicated staff team, who support and mentor trainees through the training process, ensuring that the individual reaches their end goals.

 

Case Study – A story of support

Routes 2 Work works with a range of diverse people with very different problems to overcome.

The case study below demonstrates the type of support we offer individuals trying to get back into employment:

Alison* lives in West Cumbria with two young children who for over twenty years has battled drug addiction, unemployment and petty crime.

When Routes 2 Work was introduced to Alison, an initial assessment of her skills was carried out allowing us to identify her areas of strength and any areas that may require further training and support. A detailed training programme was put together to give her the confidence needed to step back into the workplace.

The bespoke package of support included her receiving a six month wage subsidy and transition grant to assist her overcome any initial costs that returning to work may bring.

She was offered a six month temporary employment contract with a local retailer, both close to home and family, enabling Alison to utilise the skills learnt on her training programme with Routes 2 Work.

A permanent position with the same company followed several months’ later, true testimony not only to Routes 2 Work but the hard work and dedication that Alison showed in wanting to return to employment.

Julie Wedgwood Manager, Routes 2 Work says:-

“We believe the secret to the success of Routes 2 Work is to believe that there is something good in everyone, everyone deserves a chance and people cannot be put in boxes. The bespoke package of support and excellent partnership working between everyone involved in supporting Alison meant that we could collectively support her every step of the way into not only a sustainable job but a rewarding career”.