A unique community-led employment programme that takes support directly to residents across 24 streets in Toxteth is celebrating a major milestone after helping its 50th local resident into employment.
JobsPlus is available to around 1,000 households and is a 'no wrong door' with access to free employment, skills and wellbeing support, for residents aged 16 and over, whether they are unemployed, already working or looking to make a change.
The programme is adapted from a model first developed in the United States. The UK pilot operates in ten neighbourhoods across England and combines community-based employment support, resident involvement and practical financial assistance. The UK model was developed by Learning and Work Institute in partnership with Communities that Work.
Delivered locally in Liverpool 8 by Transform Lives Company (TLC) in partnership with Plus Dane Housing, funding comes from the Department for Work and Pensions. Vitally, much of the success comes from the people who live there, who become Local Community Champions bringing deeper knowledge of the area, having neighbour-to-neighbour conversations so that as many people as possible are introduced to the team. Most of the people so far have been missed by statutory and traditional services
Based at the Irene Milson Centre in Kelvin Grove, the team helps residents with CVs, job applications, interview preparation, training and career planning. They also provide support to overcome practical barriers to work, including confidence, wellbeing, travel, language, digital access and the costs associated with starting a new job.
What makes JobsPlus so different is how the team and local Community Champions work as one to bring information and opportunity directly to residents’ doorsteps, speaking with neighbours on the streets where they live and making new connections with people who may not have engaged with traditional services for a long time. After two years, the evidence shows that people who live on the same street as a Champion are more likely to get a job.
Support begins with a cuppa and chat about what matters most to the person at that moment, which may be their wellbeing, confidence, finances or isolation rather than an immediate request for help finding work. Hub-based activities include cooking classes, men’s wellbeing groups, gardening clubs and pottery sessions, and it’s where residents build trusted relationships before they are ready to take their next step. The team uses its connections with local employers to help people discover opportunities and move towards work that is right for them. These connections have already helped residents secure a wide range of opportunities, from roles at this year's Grand National to positions such as Trainee Director at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre, Traffic Management at the University of Liverpool and a variety of roles within the NHS. TLC help residents build their own professional networks, not just submitting endless online applications.
Our 50th outcome was achieved by Curtis, a local man who lived in the JobsPlus catchment area in Toxteth. Curtis’ journey began when Jo knocked on his door, followed by a visit to the hub in Kelvin Grove just an hour later. Due to being a single parent, he wanted work that fitted around family life while allowing him to continue cooking. JobsPlus funded his Level 3 teaching qualification and helped prepare him for an interview, which led to him gaining employment in a family friendly chef role at Tesco. Curtis is now working, studying and building a future around his passion. Reflecting on the support he received, he said “I don’t know where I would be now if Jo hadn’t knocked at my door”
Tracy Fishwick OBE, MD at Transform Lives Company, said: “The real achievement belongs to the residents who have taken a brave step in trusting us, and to those who choose to help others to do the same. Being so hyper-local in our focus amplifies the impact we are seeing. We estimate close to an additional £850,000 per annum in wages is concentred in the 24 streets we're working in. That's staggering and shows what can be done and gives us the confidence to want to grow our impact to more streets which we are now planning"
Ian Reed, CEO at Plus Dane Housing, said: “We are really pleased with the difference JobsPlus is making in L8. Transform Lives Company has built a strong, trusted presence in the neighbourhood which is paying real dividends. This initiative is about much more than jobs, it’s about opportunity, confidence, independence and providing personalised support. Helping 50 people into work shows what can be achieved when support is rooted in the community and shaped around people’s lives.”
Residents in the eligible JobsPlus area can find out more by visiting the hub at 3 Kelvin Grove, L8 3UE, emailing admin@transform-lives.org, or calling 07728 288007
Curtis from Liverpool 8 who has found work with the support of JobsPlus
