Team wins national plaudits for tackling unemployment

An organisation that supports thousands of offenders and ex-offenders into training and work has been highly commended at a prestigious national awards ceremony for its efforts to reduce long standing unemployment in Rochdale.

Work Solutions received the commendation at the Regeneration and Renewal Awards for its pioneering projects with offenders. The not-for-profit organisation performed strongly against some of the most well known regeneration agencies in the country in the ‘award for tackling worklessness’ category at the ceremony in London last night (Thursday 18 September).

The offender services team works from Probation Service offices and prisons across Greater Manchester with more than 7,000 offenders every year, including more than 400 offenders helped in Rochdale over the last year.

Work Solutions’ Operations Manager Dave McDonald said: “This is a great result for the offender services team, who have delivered fantastic results working with one of the most challenging client groups.

“If we are serious about helping everyone back into work, then we have to help offenders take those important steps towards employment and away from crime.

“The fact that we’ve helped so many residents into work this year is proof of our results. I am very proud that this work has been recognised on a national level and would like to thank our partners in the Probation Service for working closely with us to develop the offer to offenders over the last three years.

“This will spur the team on to help even more people into work in the future, which is good news for businesses, local communities, service users and their families.”

Judges were told about Work Solutions’ innovative ‘thinking skills for the workplace’ scheme which has supported more than 100 offenders with anger management and communication issues. It is believed to be the first time such a scheme has been delivered outside a prison in the UK.

Another literally groundbreaking project sees offenders from across Greater Manchester employed on a construction enterprise scheme, set up by Work Solutions, which helps them gain valuable skills and work experience. Again, this is thought to be a national first.

It is the second year running that Work Solutions has been highly commended in the Regeneration and Renewal awards. Last year, the organisation was highly commended in the ‘social enterprise of the year’ category for its work with hundreds of unemployed residents.