Benefit Busters C4
On the 20th August you will see the first in a series of programmes we made in conjunction with Studio Lambert for C4.
The first programme highlights the reality of being a single mum looking for work. You will meet mums’ who quite openly talk about their fears, their financial situation and how they feel far, far away from the world of work. Hayley is their tutor and she is an inspiration. Working with the women they go on an emotional journey. It is a rollercoaster of a ride sharing their lives. Watch this and perhaps we will hear no more talk of it being an easy ride for lone parents. See just how far these mums are from even believing that they have something to offer to the outside world. Yes the transformation is remarkable but it takes a long, long time and Hayley’s magic plus the support of many, many others in the office and elsewhere.
The second programme is on purpose much more gritty and showing the reality of long term unemployment amongst the hardest to help in Hull. Hull has problems not the least of which is the ’nature’ of a lot of the jobs that are available. Just imagine you are very long term unemployed as are most of your friends and family are too, and you have to take the leap into ‘zero hours contracts’ or ‘agency’ work. Very frightening… but this is the reality of many of the jobs on offer in Hull. People are not comfortable on benefits but at least they know where they stand. A4e in Hull has seen a vast increase of people being sent on the mandatory job search courses. People who are angry, hurt and cross. The people on the course have spent a long time unemployed, the other ways of looking for work have not worked for them. Some join the New Deal under duress that is quite evident. Angry that they have to spend a regulated 30 hours per week doing job search and related activities. (Lets not hide from the issue that some people are angry because the 30 hours interrupts their ‘work on the side’. I think that is also highlighted by the programme.)
You will see that the new routine is too difficult for many, lots of talk of boredom, frustration, questioning why team building and communication skills have to be learnt. The big thing is that the A4e staff never give up trying to help, support and guide. You’ll meet Natalie who never gives up finding work opportunities for people. (I hope you see the unerring passion of the staff, many A4e staff were once long term unemployed and they have felt the feelings. They have personal reasons for being committed to making a difference.)
The Hull programme is gritty .. it features three people who don’t fare so well. (What it does not show is the 1000 plus people who took all the help on offer and did get jobs during the making of the programme) . As I said … I think it is important that it does show the reality of people who are struggling to ‘fit’ in with the support on offer. It is also very current, showing the devastating impact that getting a job… only to lose it bceause of the recession can have on someone who is vulnerable.
I suppose this is where the contrast with Flexible New Deal (FND) will be felt most. FND is the new support programme that starts in October. A4e has been developing and designing the ideas for years with the help of thousands of long term unemployed people as advisors. The FND is FLEXIBLE … at long last – A4e will be able to work with individuals to put together something just for them, no more prescribed and one size fits all classroom based programmes. A4e’s FND is all about each person…. one by one. Every journey back to work will be different.The Government is no longer prescribing the journey and regulating hour they will measure success by looking at whether people find work, and are happy to stay in work for a long time. That makes sense as that is what matters to the people.
As ever – I love to hear your thoughts and ideas
Emma
