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Winter Survival
Campaign Launched
A campain to help reduce
the number of deaths in Liverpool during the winter is being
launched. The Healthy Homes team are launching their 2014
Winter Survival campaign in the Radio Merseyside foyer, Hanover
Street, on Wednesday, 8 October (10.30am to 2.30pm).
This is a drop-in event aimed at elderly residents. Healthy Homes
will be providing information about how to keep warm and safe during
the winter months and will be giving away winter warmth items. There
will also be an opportunity for Liverpool residents to enter a free
prize draw to win £100 off fuel bills.
Councillor Gerard Woodhouse, Mayoral lead for Older People, said;-
"We have seen a reduction in the number of excess winter
deaths in the City over the last 3 years, but the latest figures
show there were still more than 200 during the coldest months.
We need to do all we can to cut this figure even further. The Winter
Survival Campaign will provide a lot of information and advice on
keeping warm and safe in the coming months and I would hope as many
people as possible drop in to the launch event and to future
sessions. And I would also ask that everybody looks out for
their neighbours during any cold weather."
At the launch information will be provided by a number of agencies
including:-
► Public Health - Information about the flu jab and out of hours
services.
► Age Concern – Information about the wide range of their services
which support the well being needs; social, financial and practical; of older people.
► The fire service will explain the importance of having annual gas
safety checks to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning,
► Fuel Poverty - Advice for people who are spending more than 10% of
their income on fuel bills.
► Energy Efficiency – Information about advice and support to improve
energy efficiency in the home.
► Health Watch – Information about access to health services in
Liverpool, giving people the chance to speak about their experience
of these services and what to do if you are not happy with any of
them.
► Community food workers – Information about how to prepare nutritious
meals during the winter.
► Local Solutions – information about services and support for carers.
► Handy Person Service – which helps people live more independently
and securely in their own homes by providing help with household
maintenance, gardening and repairs for Liverpool residents aged
50plus or if you have a disability.
Following the launch the campaign will be taken out into the City
with a number of roadshows and sessions at luncheon clubs and on
Wednesday, 12 November 2014 a winter survival fair will be held at St
George's Hall. |
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Merseyside jobs
fair helps long term unemployed into work
AT least 15 long term Merseyside jobseekers
found employment and dozens more won interviews at a jobs fair
organised by public services provider A4e. Many had been out
of work for months or even years and were all enrolled onto the
Government's Work Programme to help prepare them for a move back
into employment.
A4e, which delivers the Work Programme in Liverpool, Bootle and
Kirkby, invited more than 360 customers from the three locations to
the fair and an incredible 75% of them turned up, showing just how
keen Merseyside jobseekers are to find work.
They were able to apply for more than 200 live vacancies in sectors
including care, catering, retail and construction. They had
been prepared for interview, helped with their CVs and many had been
through training and workshops to get them job ready.
The event, held at A4e's Liverpool office in Union Court on 17 September
2014, was opened by George Howarth MP and attended by 19
employers.
At least 15 people were offered jobs on the spot after impressing in
interviews held at the fair and dozens more were shortlisted or
invited for interviews. One retail chain invited 100 A4e customers
for interview.
The Work Programme is designed to give better and more varied help
to unemployed people than ever before. It does this by tailoring
services to meet the needs of the individual – whether that's
helping them overcome any barriers they have, such as health issues,
debt or housing problems or addressing a skills gap.
Customers are referred to A4e by the Jobcentre, and will have been
claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support
Allowance (ESA) for 3 or 6 months, depending on their circumstances.
A4e also works with employers to encourage them to give long term
unemployed people an opportunity to get off benefits and into
sustainable employment, preparing appropriate customers for specific
roles where possible at no cost to the employer.
Rachel Campbell, business leader for A4e Kirkby, said:- "The
jobs fair was a tremendous success. We have had brilliant feedback
from employers and our customers. Our focus at A4e is to make
sure our customers find the right job, first time.
Our experience has been that jobseekers who are matched with the
right employer, rather than any job, and who have been trained to
meet the specific demands of their new role, end up staying in
employment longer. This is why we've been working closely with
national employers to set up 'routeways' courses in different
sectors, helping our customers understand the requirements of
different job roles and supporting them to develop soft skills. By
doing this, they've gone on to speak confidently about their skills
and experience to employers."
A4e has been working hard to establish an excellent team of
professional staff with a range of specialist skills to support
individuals across the UK. The flexibility given to service
providers by the Work Programme has meant that A4e has been able to
create a number of innovative programmes and specialist training to
support local customers.
A4e is delivering the Work Programme on behalf of the Department for
Work and Pensions (DWP) and Job Centre Plus. The Work Programme is
part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). The ESF in England is
investing in jobs and skills; focusing on people who need support
the most and helping them fulfil their potential. |
