Help for people made redundant / the unemployed

If you are marked for redundancy, have already been made redundant or are unemployed and trying to get back into the workplace, we can help.

A Credit Crunch Action Group has been set up, made up of elected members, council officers and representatives from the housing and voluntary sector. The group meets regularly to look at the implications of the economic situation for Warrington and work with partners to provide help and support for local businesses and residents.

The sectors in Warrington which have suffered most from redundancies have been retail and financial.  As fewer job vacancies become available, it is important that jobseekers are aware of the support available to them.

New support for jobseekers

Since April 2009, Jobcentre Plus has significantly expanded its range of services to newly unemployed people and those reaching six months unemployed.

From the start of unemployment, all customers receive access to the UK's largest database of vacancies, advice on looking for and applying for jobs, and help and advice regarding benefit and tax credit entitlements. For those who need it, training in basic literacy and numeracy is also available.

Redundancy
Redundancy can be a worrying time. This section provides information on what to expect from your employer and what effects redundancy has on making a claim for benefit. It also gives you details about where you can find extra information on redundancy, making a claim for benefit and help finding a new job.

If you have been told you are being made redundant because demand for your work has reduced, the business or your job has moved, or the business has transferred to a new owner, help is at hand. You can find more information including:

• redundancy entitlement statutory rights: a guide for employees
• a ready reckoner calculator to calculate the amount of redundancy pay you are entitled to, and more through the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. There is a strict time limit to make a claim for unfair dismissal or redundancy pay to an employment tribunal, so it is important you find out about this early on.

Checklist when you leave your job

On your last day at work you should receive all the wages you are entitled to, plus payment for any outstanding period of notice that you have not worked. You should also receive:

• accrued holiday pay (payment for holiday owed which has not been taken)
• details of pension arrangements
• income tax form P45
• job references from your employer, to help you find another job
• redundancy pay
• a letter stating the date of redundancy.

Finding your way back to work

Step 1: Do I qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance?

To qualify, you must:

• be looking for work
• able to work 40 hours a week
• be over 18 and under state pension age
• live in England, Wales or Scotland.

To make a claim, call freephone 0800 055 6688 between 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday. You will need to have your National Insurance number, details of your rent or mortgage, past or present employer and details of your income and savings to hand before you call.

Step 2: What can I do to help me find work?

Many employers advertise vacancies online and ask you to apply online. To keep up with the latest vacancies you will need to:

• know how to use the internet
• set up your own email address
• know how to find vacancies and fill in applications online.

Looking for work

• visit JobCentre Plus. This website also offers help on writing your CV, preparing for interviews, help with childcare or travel costs for interviews and specialist services for people with a disability which affects them at work
• speak to an adviser about the latest vacancies on 0845 6060 234
• use the Jobpoints when you're visiting a Jobcentre. A Jobpoint is an easy to use touch screen that offers access to thousands of different jobs and other useful information. You can print out any details you want to keep
• log onto DirectGov if you prefer to search using free text, e.g. I want to be a plumber in Warrington. You can also look for local jobs through Directgov digital television, available on Sky and Virgin Media.

Step 3: What if I want or need to retrain?

Refreshing your skills or learning new ones can increase your chances of finding a new job. Jobcentre Plus can advise you on your training options and, depending on your age and qualifications, you may be entitled to free courses.

Skills for Jobs (Routeways) project
Skills for Jobs (Routeways) is a project which is funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and European Social Fund (ESF). The project is delivered in Warrington by two partners - Warrington Disability Partnership and Warrington Collegiate - and managed by the council.

This project offers flexible, customised support to help individuals develop their skills and improve their chances of gaining employment.

Warrington Disability Partnership has a team of employment advisers who offer a package of support including:

• identifying any skills gaps by using a range of resources
• supporting the individual to develop further skills by signposting to further training
• supporting the individual with their Jobsearch activities, for example CV development, completion of application forms
• job coach – once in employment an individual will have the support of a job coach for up to six months.

Warrington Collegiate offer a specific Skills for Jobs (Routeways) rolling training programme. Included in the training is an introduction to a number of courses, for example IT, customer service, first aid and food hygiene. Also included is support on interview techniques, mock interviews and employability skills.

Sector-specific training may also be available. As part of the project, Warrington Collegiate has delivered sector-specific training programmes which have been developed in conjunction with local employers.

Recently, a two week pre–recruitment training course was delivered in conjunction with Golden Gates Housing. As a result of accessing the training, a number of individuals gained employment with Golden Gates Housing.

To be eligible for the project individuals must:

• live in Warrington
• be aged 19 and over
• have a skills gap which may be preventing them from gaining employment
• unemployed  and claiming work related benefits.

For further information about the project and eligibility criteria, contact Warrington Disability Partnership on 240064 and ask for the employment team.

LSC Redundancy Response project

The council is working in partnership with Warrington Collegiate and A4E on a local redundancy response initiative that has been awarded funding from the LSC. The project will initially run until July 2010, and will provide support to:

• individuals who are under notice of redundancy and their employer organisations
• individuals who are newly redundant
• individuals who are unemployed but would be ready for employment after receiving the package of skills development support.

Support, tailored to the needs of the individual, will include some or all of:

• individual learning plans
• training to improve job search, job application and in-work skills
• information, advice and guidance and learner support
• training to update skills needed for a specific employment sector
• pre-employment training to provide skills to enter a different occupation or sector.

Contact Debbie Warren on 494392 or Hayley Saunders on 639903 to find out more.

Support for long-term (six months+) unemployed people

Warrington Collegiate also run a project which offers intensive skills support for people facing significant skills barriers that prevent them from entering employment. After six months of unemployment, the barriers faced by people who have been unable to get a job are likely to be more significant and they will require more sustained help to either upskill or reskill in order to improve their chances of gaining employment.

Training delivered will therefore prepare people for real employment opportunities, through both current vacancies and future job opportunities and will include:

• programmes that are flexible and responsive to individual needs, e.g. different start dates, part-time and full-time options
• training that reflects current and forecast local job opportunities and gives the opportunity for people to refresh skills in an occupation, or begin the work of retraining for a new occupation
• support to help people get a job and units towards an accredited and approved qualification at Level 2 or Level 3 or in exceptional circumstances an adult basic skills qualification at any level.

This training package is available to people aged 19 or over who have been unemployed and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for six months or longer.  Contact Debbie Warren on 494392.

Warrington Employability Fund

This fund offers grants to people who are not working and want to do something to improve their employability. If you live within Warrington and are aged 18 and over, in receipt of benefits, not in paid employment and want to return to work, you could be eligible to apply.

Grants average £300 per person. Applications are assessed by a grants panel on a monthly basis. Requests for funding must have a clear link to employment and current vacancies available. 

To find out more about the type of support that may be available to you, contact Michelle Harrison on 442379, Andrea Warren on 442372 or email: mharrison@warrington.gov.uk.

Advisory and support services:

The Careers Advice Service
Provides free information and advice on learning and work.  Call their confidential helpline on freephone 0800 100 900 between 8am-10pm, seven days a week. 

Nextstep
Face-to-face services give information and advice on learning, training and getting qualifications: 

In our Hands helpline

If you don’t know where to start with your skills, call freephone 080 011 30 30 or visit

Access to the internet
If you don't have access to the internet at home, visit an internet cafe, public library, or your local college or community centre. For your nearest UK online centre call freephone 0800 77 1234.

If you have a health problem or disability
Jobcentre Plus personal advisers help you if you are disabled, have a health problem or are a carer and you are looking for work through us. They can provide details of suitable vacancies and explain more about the range of programmes available to help you.   
 

Debt problems
If you are experiencing problems with debt, one of our advisers will be able to tell you about organisations which can help (for example, Citizens Advice Bureau). Or contact National Debtline on 0800 731 7973.

Help with childcare or other caring responsibilities
If you need help finding childcare, one of our advisers can help. If you have other caring responsibilities, our disability employment advisers may be able to help. For more information visit Jobcentre Plus.

Last updated 13/05/2010 18:00:36

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