Devolution woe over jobs scheme

Civic leaders in South Yorkshire have spoken of their disappointment after a £5m project to help long-term unemployed in the county was halted because of uncertainty over devolution.

CIVIC LEADERS in South Yorkshire have spoken of their disappointment after a £5m project to help long-term unemployed in the county was halted by the Government because of uncertainty over devolution.

The ‘Early Integrated Employment Support Pilot’, developed as part of the 2015 Sheffield City Region devolution deal with the Government, included measures such as providing 18 months of one-on-one support for the unemployed to help get them back into work.

It was hailed by the Government as evidence of its work supporting the disadvantaged and long-term jobseekers as recently as this August, as one of six schemes nationwide benefiting from £28m in public funds.

But the future of the scheme was in doubt today after the Sheffield City Region (SCR) Combined Authority, which works on transport and skills schemes on behalf of the county’s four local authorities, revealed it had been ‘paused’.

It comes as Barnsley and Doncaster residents prepare to vote in a community poll on whether they want a region-wide One Yorkshire devolution deal transferring powers from Whitehall, or to stick with the Sheffield City Region scheme agreed in 2015.

A spokeswoman said: “The Sheffield City Region Devolution Deal agreed with Government in 2015 included the development of a £5m Early Intervention Employment Support Pilot.

“We remain committed to delivering this pilot scheme. However, in light of current uncertainty over the devolution of powers and new programmes to the Mayoral Combined Authority, the Department for Work and Pensions have told us that progress of the Early Intervention Employment Support Pilot has been paused.

“On that basis, there will also be a delay in the process for procuring providers to deliver the support.”

South Yorkshire’s ongoing devolution saga began in 2015 when then-Chancellor George Osborne signed an agreement with Sheffield City Region leaders, which includes Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Under the deal a directly elected mayor, due to be elected in May 2018, will be given £900m over 30 years and handed power over transport budgets and strategic planning.

But in August, the leaders of Doncaster and Barnsley signed up to a pan-Yorkshire proposal, initially backed by 17 of the 20 local authorities in Yorkshire.

Sheffield and Rotherham councils have not given their support to the deal and the Govern- ment says it is not prepared to consider any proposal that cuts across the SCR deal.

Doncaster Deputy Mayor Glyn Jones said: “We have worked with local authority partners across Sheffield City Region to design this programme with Government which will support the vulnerable people in our society.

“We are therefore disappointed that Government has taken this decision so close to the launch of the programme and call on them to allow us to deliver the initiative early in the new year.”

Barnsley leader Sir Stephen Houghton urged the Government to reconsider, adding: “The project is all about helping people get back into work. It affects our most vulnerable people.”

A Government spokesman said: “There has been no change in our position and we remain committed to devolution of powers to Sheffield.”