£5m for new jobs scheme

Cash will help disabled people get into work

A £5 million contract has been awarded for a scheme to help around 2000 Forth Valley people with disabilities and health conditions back into work.

A bid by councils, NHS and charities secured the contract to deliver employment support starting in April, 2018, as part of the Scottish Government’s £96m ‘Fair Start’ programme.

The programme will help with personalised support for individuals for between 12-18 months pre-employment and a further 12 months of inwork assistance.

Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire councils, plus NHS Forth Valley and third sector organisations have been awarded the contract, the only local authority-led bid to be successful in the tendering process across Scotland.

Critics have complained that non-local authority bodies who have won contracts in other regions of Scotland are likely to be sub-contracting to companies which have previously been accused of unfair practices in forcing disabled people back to work having been awarded contracts by the Westminster Government.

Dr Graham Foster, NHS Forth Valley’s director of public health and planning, said: “This is a key priority of our health improvement strategy as helping someone to secure a job is one of the best things you can do to improve a person’s overall health and wellbeing.”

Convener of Stirling Council’s finance committee Margaret Brisley, said the news would provide significant benefits to some of Stirling’s most vulnerable citizens.

She added: “This investment will help us deliver high quality employment support to unemployed people, including those with complex issues who want to work and need help to enter or remain in the labour market.

“This collaboration will enable us to align the Fair Start Scotland programme with the current delivery of Stirling Council’s employability and learning programmes, that will help deliver an even better service for our residents.”

Clackmannanshire Council Leader Les Sharp said: “The council has been committed for some years to supporting residents with employment through its Clackmannanshire Works service and this is an opportunity to strengthen that commitment and build on our regional links.”

Stirling Council’s opposition Tory finance and economy spokesperson Councillor Neil Benny said: “This is an important piece of funding that will allow this council to maintain its focus on helping people get back into work and will keep supporting them to ensure they can keep their job. These funding applications take a long time to achieve so I am delighted to see the effort has paid off and there is now the capacity to expand the excellent work already being carried out.”

Work is now being carried out to prepare the programme and to look for eligible individuals. All eligible job seekers will be invited to information sessions in the run up to April 2018.

This is an important piece of funding