The Glasgow Works programme at CEDA has a joint value of around £638,000 and currently employs 6 core staff. It is likely that this level of staffing will increase by 2 as a result of the delivery of a new project to replace Community Motivators which is currently under development. The programme in the forthcoming year will provide 38 places and priority of access will be given to Castlemilk residents. Further details relating to the delivery and developments of each project are set out below.

Services 2005-2006

Childcare Works

The city-wide Childcare Works programme is now managed by CEiS rather than SEG. This not only introduced a number of changes, none more significant than the resignation of the Manager to take up a post with CEiS managing the city-wide programme, but also presents a range of challenges. Importantly, and on a more positive note these changes will also present new development opportunities in the medium to longer term. This will include working with CEiS in order to assist in the development of a new independent social economy organisation that will facilitate the future delivery of childcare works programme.

Meanwhile, and despite the pressures and constraints placed on the programme during the transition period, including for example reduction in numbers from 22 to 14 place programme and a ban on recruitment, Childcare Works at CEDA has performed well. Efforts in the forthcoming year will centre on overcoming the knock on effect of these constraints and re-establishing the scale of the programme.

The project is operating as a 14 place programme currently employing 10 people who are all local residents. A further 4 people will be recruited in May to bring the project up to the contracted level for the year. Participants will receive support in SVQ 2 ‘Early Years’ and ‘Playwork’ and the project staff will continue to identify and capitalise on new opportunities for local residents. This will include, for example, continuing efforts to attract men into childcare.

Careers in Housing (CiH)

The programme is designed to promote employment opportunities among the medium to long-term unemployed in the housing sector and continues to perform well. Emphasis is placed on assisting, though not solely, people in receipt of benefits other than job seekers allowance and a further eighteen people were recruited in January. All but three of this group is in the ‘non JSA’ category.

Along with New Deal, Training for Work and SEG ‘Route 1’ funding the project receives support from Objective 3. These resources have been are secured until December 05 and discussions are taking place with Communities Scotland and GHA to maintain their commitment for a further year beyond that point. The project staff work closely with The (Gorbals) Initiative and Drumchapel Opportunities to ensure a broad range of participation and this will be extended to include work with housing organisations in the North-East of the city.

Partnership Working

All Glasgow Works projects continue to work in partnership with Scottish Enterprise Glasgow However; each programme has working relationships with a further range of specific and appropriate organisations. For example, childcare works has working relationships with voluntary childcare providers, private training providers and CEiS while the Careers in Housing works closely with local housing associations. The CiH project also works closely with GHA, as funder and placement provider, SHARE as trainer and housing advisor and other LDC’s as sources of recruitment. Further partnerships with organisations such as EVH and Positive Action on Housing are being developed to establish employment opportunities and the provision of access to possible recruits from excluded groups.

Developments

The main challenge in the forthcoming year for the projects will focus on maintaining resources for delivery within the context of an economic development environment that does not appear to look favourably on ILM programmes. The project team is working with a range of organisations (Communities Scotland, GHA, and SEG) to ensure their objectives regeneration/social justice objectives can be met and increase the likelihood of the provision of match resources for European funding while this remains available. The project teams will also investigate measures to reduce costs without compromising the quality of service.

Careers in Housing staff are currently developing a small pilot programme with GHA designed to provide access to employment in housing maintenance. This will proceed in late May, employ 2 additional supervisory staff and provide access for 12 people. The project will run, initially for 1 year and continuation beyond that point will rest on the results of an independent evaluation carried out on behalf of GHA.