INNER CITY SOLUTIONS

UNDERSTANDING URBAN REGENERATION

CASE STUDY

HALTON DISABILITY AND CARERS EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY

Client
Halton Borough Council
Location
Halton
Project Lead
Mark Gilbertson
markgilbertson@innercitysolutions.co.uk
0161 707 8000

Background

Employment is widely acknowledged as an important means of achieving social inclusion, economic independence, improving health and promoting a better quality of life. Reflecting this, recent welfare and work reforms emphasise the need to fully engage with excluded groups in the labour market.

Proposals set out in recent documents such as ‘Ready for Work: Full Employment in our Generation’ establishes a national target to raise employment rates to 80% by 2010, from its current levels of around 74%. As part of this goal, a number of measures will be introduced from April 2008 that will seek to engage disabled people and people with health conditions in accessing sustainable employment.

Despite a number of interventions through employment and social care programmes over recent years, the numbers of disabled people in Halton progressing into sustainable employment is significantly lower than sub-regional averages.

Simultaneous to the economic case for a drive to get disabled people and their carers into employment, is the modernising agenda underpinned by the four principles of the Valuing People White Paper:

  • Individual rights
  • Independence
  • Choice
  • Inclusion

Role

In December 2007, Inner City Solutions was appointed by Halton Borough Council to develop, in consultation with partners, a three year employment strategy for disabled people and carers across the Borough. Based on the twin pillars of modernisation of social care services in Halton, together with a drive towards full economic inclusion for all working age residents in the Borough, Inner City Solutions developed the strategy through two principle methods:

  • Research and analysis – a desk based research programme that set the strategic and economic context of the strategy and identified key best practice examples
  • Consultation programme – interviews with stakeholders involved in delivery of services, strategic partners, employment support groups and carers; three focus groups attended by social care practitioners local carer groups, employment support agencies and local disabled people and carers

The consultation programme culminated in an action planning event that established Halton’s strategic priorities and accompanying action plan up to 2011.

Delivery

The Halton Disability and Carers Employment Strategy 2008-11 sets out a framework and plan that will promote best practice in providing appropriate employment options for all disabled people and carers in Halton and help them to progress into work or self-employment.

The Strategy, and accompanying Action Plan, contains a number of recommendations for partners in the borough, many of which are currently being implemented.

Services

  • Research & Analysis
  • Focus groups
  • Baseline research
  • Strategy and action planning

Click to return to the Economic Development page.