Together for Children

Case study from the NE Child Poverty Coalition: Northumberland is one of the pilot Local Authorities working with the DCSF to develop the DCATCH project.

Case study from the NE Child Poverty Coalition: Work Focussed Services in children’s centres pilot aims to test how children’s centres can offer a more effective vehicle to engage parents to move them closer to employment.

Children’s centres' staff work alongside Jobcentre Plus staff to ensure enhanced links with adult learning services, CAB, Halton People into Jobs and increasing awareness of children centres services supporting the whole family.

Case study from the NE Child Poverty Coalition: A universal volunteers process was developed and implemented recognising the importance of volunteers in service provision

Case study from the NE Child Poverty Coalition: a jointly funded venture between Tyne Metropolitan College and North
Tyneside Council saw the introduction of two Training and Support Co-ordinator posts to
work in the children’s centres.

Outreach Jobcentre Plus advice at Centre Place Family Centre, Southend on Sea. The customer was recently lost job and had not yet made a claim to benefits. It has been some time since he has had to apply for work and feels a bit
“out of the loop”.

Outreach Jobcentre Plus advice at Centre Place Family Centre, Southend on Sea. Customer was claiming Job Seekers Allowance. He was very much deflated and losing his
job had dented his confidence considerably.

Outreach Jobcentre Plus advice at Centre Place Family Centre, Southend on Sea. Customer was a Lone Parent with three children. She was curious if it was worth her returning to work as a Nurse.

Case study from the NE Child Poverty Coalition: A partnership between Action for Children and Newcastle City Council’s Families Information Service where Information and Resource Worker role developed into a one stop shop for information in relation to a variety of employment / financial benefits advice.

Case study from the NE Child Poverty Coalition: Two Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) staff work across the whole of the LA providing individual guidance sessions in relation to training and employment

To assist families and individuals into employment, and to help those in employment to improve their employability and long-term career prospects.The project links in with Every Child Matters by helping Sure Start Bierley Holmewood & Tyersal (BHT) parents and the parents of Carrwood Primary School, along with families in the wider community, to become more financially secure which will ultimately increase their standard of living, benefiting their children in very tangible ways.

To provide employment and training information / advice to the families in the Children’s Centres, enabling parents to make informed choices.

Canterbury Nursery School and Centre for Children and Families. To move parents into work therefore reducing childcare poverty in families and enabling parents to come off benefits into employment. To link into the Children’s Centres to build up internal relationships and reach parents who do not necessarily use Job Centre Plus services. Concentration on lone parents / Partners of unemployed and low income families.

To help parents wishing to seek employment find and retain employment by providing practical training and qualifications, personal advice and support.

Outreach Jobcentre Plus advice at Centre Place Family Centre, Southend on Sea. The customer was keen to return to work but felt he was lacking support from the Jobcentre. He has
a criminal past and has found this a big barrier and lacks qualifications and experience.

Outreach Jobcentre Plus advice at Centre Place Family Centre, Southend on Sea.Customer is a Lone Parent with a young daughter. She had previously been in employment but
was laid off. She had childcare problems as her mum was returning to work. She was quite down and had begun to lose her confidence.

Outreach Jobcentre Plus advice at Centre Place Family Centre, Southend on Sea. The customer was a Lone Parent with one young son and employed full time. When she arrived in the UK she was supported by her mother and then found work, applying for Child Benefit and Child and Working Tax
Credits which had not materialised.

Outreach Jobcentre Plus advice at Centre Place Family Centre, Southend on Sea. The customer and partner had made claims for Tax Credits which had not been processed and this was causing
hardship, difficulty in paying rent and obtaining childcare.

To demonstrate the success of a joined up approach to service delivery, inter – agency working and the benefits derived from ongoing support.