annual report 2015 - city of salford · cv’s, job search) esol 210 welfare benefits advice 989...

Annual Report

Annual Report 2015

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Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2

1 Foreword

2 Introduction 3 ESOL 4 Salford Prison Project 5 Welfare benefits 6 Employment Law 7 Closing the Gap 8 Big Life Wellbeing Project 9 Press and publication and funding 10 Centre staff and volunteers 11 Funding and other issues 12 Conclusion

ANNUAL REPORT 2015

INDEX

Salford Prison Project

Welfare benefits and sanctions

Employment Law

Closing the Gap & Salford Credit Union

Big Life Wellbeing Project

Press and publication and funding

Centre staff and volunteers

Funding and other issues

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1.0 Foreword Please can I welcome comrades to our 2015 Annual General Meeting. Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre is not aligned to any political party. We are there to support people in the community we serve regardless of who is in power. However, it would be inaccurate not to reflect on the fact that the election of a Conservative government in May of this year and its commitment to ongoing austerity will continue to create massive challenges for us. The passage of the Welfare Bill will necessitate that we re-double our efforts in supporting those unfairly denied welfare by the state. Plans to increase privatisation will create obstacles for our Prison Project and cuts in Further Education will no doubt impact on the community learning that we deliver. In addition, our employment law support will need to continue to react to the difficulties faced by workers who cannot afford (or no longer have the legal right to tribunals) and the debt advice services we offer will no doubt be stretched by continued austerity and low wages. We will however – I am confident – continue to overcome these challenges in the same way we always have – through unflinching dedication to the people we support and by reaching out to the community to strengthen that support. In the last year we have expanded the management committee to more greatly reflect the community around us and have brought in new services to strengthen our participation with that community. I am incredibly proud of the work done by our staff and volunteers. The circumstances they are now doing it in make me even prouder. They are testament to ideas that we hope are starting to become fashionable again; the ideas of solidarity, comradeship and equality. I know I reflect the views of the wider management committee when I say thank you for what you do. Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre will endure throughout 2015 and beyond whatever challenges we face. Of that I have no doubt.

Steve North Chair

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2.0 Introduction The Sunday Times magazine celebrates the record number of billionaires; 117 in the UK alone. That’s more per head than any other leading economy. In Salford, the working class have experienced another year of cuts in jobs and services thanks to the austerity policies of the Conservative government. The task of our Centre is to provide the maximum protection to the vulnerable people living in and around the City of Salford. This is a very difficult task when the level of social security payments fails to keep pace with the cost of living and many of our clients have had their meagre state benefits stopped completely due to the benefit sanctions. In addition, zero hour contracts are becoming the norm in Salford and across the UK. The Centre needs to be judged by our ability to defend, represent and protect the unemployed, underemployed and vulnerable people across the City of Salford. Virtually every person who attends the Centre has a problem; exploitation, unfair dismissal, debt, in need of benefits advice and representation, benefit sanctions, newly released from prison and needing help, needing basic education, advice and information about credit unions, in need of wellbeing, disability advice, industrial injury advice and food parcels. We provide of all of these emergency and essential services. The Centre also has a preventative feature; research and leaflets that stop unemployed and disabled people losing their state benefits. The leaflet that the Centre produced to protect clients from benefits sanctions in 2014 was updated and amended once Universal Credit was introduced in Salford. This was produced by our benefits staff with the assistance of PCS activists in the DWP and included a step-by-step guide on how to challenge benefit sanctions. This leaflet has now been copied and reproduced across the length and breadth of the UK in the interest of unemployed people. Countless people are now safer thanks to the Salford UCRC leaflet. In fact, all of the work carried out in our Centre protects and makes the lives of the people of Salford safer and with a better quality of life. Salford Unemployed & Community Resource Centre is now an official Living Wage Employer. The individual members of our team and their specialist responsibilities are: John Howard Debt counselling & advice Abdo Al-Malahi Employment Law Barbara Bentham Welfare benefit advice & representation Keah Whittaker Wellbeing Coach Stu Green & Lee Wakeham Salford Prison Project Officers Kester Dean Benefit sanction appeals & research Stefan Cholewka Education & training The co-ordination, supervision and administration is provided by Centre Manager Alec McFadden and Administration team Jane Preece & Hayley Hinchy, helping to advise, protect and represent the vulnerable people of Salford. This year our service has been supplemented by the development of ESOL with a team of specialist English teachers including Aleksandra Kruk, Ellada Titan and Emma Cooper.

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The number of clients supported, advised and represented by the Centre in the past 12 months is as follows: Closing the Gap 4,901 (Inc. education and training plus CV’s, job search) ESOL 210 Welfare benefits advice 989 Initial advice 426 Employment law 107 Debt advise 53 Wellbeing 92 Prison Project 49 PIP & DLA 57 Made aware of Credit Union 1800 Total 8,684 This is the latest Annual Report for the Salford Unemployed & Community Resource Centre.

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3.0 ESOL 3.1 Almost every year the Centre faces a new challenge or introduced a new service to deal with newly identified needs of the community. Clearly last year was Benefit Sanctions. In the past 8 months we identified a growing community of Eastern Europeans, the vast majority of which were employed but very few spoke or understood English. 3.2 The Salford Third Sector Consortium (of which I have recently been elected Company Secretary) were awarded a training and teaching contract of over £360,000 from Salford City College, with Skilkit, a small translating and ESOL provider. The Centre won an ESOL and employability contract. 3.3 We targeted mainly the Polish community in Eccles and across Salford. A special recruitment leaflet was provided; one side Polish, the other side English and distributed into Polish shops and restaurants plus pubs, libraries, job centres and the community. 3.4 In three days, 100 people contacted the two phone numbers on the leaflet and on Tuesday 23rd April 2015, 136 Eastern European people registered for our ESOL courses, mainly Polish, Bulgarians, Latvians, Romanians and Italians. Five Centre staff; Alec, Abdo, Barbara, Jane and Daniel our student, alongside Alex and Ellada from Skillkit smoothly completed the registration of 206 students for 18 classes which ran up to the end of July, which included a three week extension. 3.5 This working partnership with Skillkit was initially a success. However, with so many students over a very intensive 9 weeks, we did encounter a paperwork nightmare and the last three weeks of July became a major problem and the college had to put back the deadline for us to complete the paperwork which included Leaner Journals and tutor reports. 3.6 A course review was held on Monday 27th July and new course guidelines and new responsibilities were introduced, particularly for the tutors. 3.7 The Salford Third Sector Consortium has been awarded a new contract for a further 12 months and the Centre has successfully bid and been awarded the first 5 month term contract which operates from August to mid December 2015. This covers the following:

• Two financial literacy courses • One job search and CV building course • Three ESOL courses • Three English courses • Three maths courses

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• Plus Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) courses 3.8 The new courses will introduce a guide to the rights of all eastern European students, but in their own language, Polish, Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Lithuanian. These simple basic rights booklets have been produced free by the TUC to encourage migrant workers to join the appropriate unions whilst making their rights simple to understand. The booklets will be provided and explained in the information advice and guidance courses. 3.9 The June Management Committee endorsed three recommendations which now need slight modification, as a result of our experience with course paper work and the recommendation is that Hayley’s hours increase by 6 hours per week for the 11 months period on this new contract from August to June 2016

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4.0 Salford Prison Project 4.1 The Salford Prison Project is now in the last year of its 4 year funding contract of the Big Lottery Reaching Communities fund. The project has already passed all of its targets and a further 4 year continuation funding has been submitted and we expect to receive an invitation from the Big Lottery in the next two weeks to prepare for the final Stage 2 application. The present project is funded up to April 2016. As this report is being finalised, the Big Lottery have invited us into the final application round. 4.2 The work is now spread across three prisons; HMP Manchester, HMP Thorn Cross and HMP Risley. These are new developments and in particular Risley which has accepted a written working agreement following a meeting between the two main Governors and Alec McFadden & Lee Wakeham. 4.3 The aims of the project have been improved and slightly modified, in line with both our 7 years’ experience and the excellent evaluation of the project carried out in September 2014 by Yanna Papadodimitraki from the University of Edinburgh. These included:

• Systematic recording and monitoring of information • Improve website • More counselling opportunities for service users • Peer mentoring support & guidance to be introduced to maintain engagement

of service users with project • Transport expenses introduced • Clearer communication

4.4 However, the key components of the project remain strongly in place including:

• The provision of immediate accommodation & assistance offered in securing permanent accommodation to the service user's needs

• Advice and legal support regarding benefits and debt in collaboration with partner organisations

• Mentoring, especially on practical aspects of abstaining from crime and psychological support

• Trustful environment and rapport built by the Salford Prison Project Officers 4.5 The unexpected number of service users finding employment is a positive and an unexpected outcome.

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4.6 The newly established Breakfast Club is starting to become a success with Brian Knox, one of our longest serving service users taking a major responsibility in running the Club out of the Dock. All food is provided by Fareshare and Morrisons provide the milk for free for the breakfast cereals. All leaflet has been specially produced and has been publicised by the local media. 4.7 The Social Work student, Daniel Nolan, has been excellent and within weeks of starting his student placement was taking responsibilities with service users. Dan’s placement ends of 10th August 2015. 4.8 The New application to the Big Lottery covers:- Our service users will feel more active and worthy with an improved belief that they can be healthy and prosperous without engaging in criminal activity. They will have improved skills to manage their lives better, ranging from managing money to addressing drug or alcohol use. They will have increased confidence and self-worth, more stability and consistency in their lives and strengthened family bonds, being more positive about enjoying their family life. Some service users will also have improved skills to access work, ranging from improved CVs and interviewing to specific, accredited vocational skills. With this they will have a higher chance of employment that we know links to the reduced likelihood of re-offending. Service users will have the opportunity feel they better support each other and get effective support from their peer group and partner agencies 4.9 Ex-servicemen who are also ex-offenders will benefit from a service that recognises and values their experience and skills. They will be able to address the issues resulting from those experiences as well as exploring any other aspect of their lives that affects their physical and mental health. They will be helped towards a more stable situation and, in particular, to have a more active lifestyle. 4.10 The project will lead to a reduction in re-offending rates in the local area, benefiting the families of offenders who will have reduced fear of partners, children and parents being removed from the family unit. This will also benefit the local community who will have less fear of crime and feel safer in their homes and neighborhoods. We will introduce new tracking for our service users through regular contacts with both themselves and their known family and friends, viewing social media as well as visiting areas where we know they may frequent. 4.11 We expect 200 ex-offenders to benefit from the project of which around 15/20% will be ex-servicemen. We expect around 400 family members to also benefit and at least 20 organisations to see direct benefit. A further 30 additional organisations may benefit from our replication report leading to them implementing new projects in other local communities or improving their current practice. 4.12 Outcome 1 Reduction in re-offending rates in the local area - benefiting individuals, families, the prison service and the local community. 200 in four years.

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Outcome 2 200 participants and their families have new skills for life and/or work and increased confidence and self-worth to improve family life and/or employability. Outcome 3 40 Ex-servicemen feel enabled to live a healthier, more stable and more active lifestyle. Outcome 4 200 users feel they better support each other and get effective support from their peer group and 20 partner agencies 5.0 Welfare benefits and sanctions 5.1 The record of positive work of the welfare benefits team includes the following statistics: The number of Tribunal cases was 24 with 16 won and 8 not successful. There were 22 Disability Living Allowance claims completed. There were 35 Personal Independence Claims completed The total amount won for clients from June 2014 to May 2015 was £507,393.17. 5.2 The record of positive work of the welfare benefits officer includes the following statistics: 5.3 SUCRC has challenged 30 benefits sanctions since February 2015 and has not lost a single case. This was during a period when more and more claimants were being forced onto universal credit (UC).

Description

Amount

of cases

PIP (DLA) & Attendance Allowance 65

Housing Benefit 8

ESA 60

WTC/CTC 6

JSA 7

Bedroom Tax 8

Initial advice (others) 476

Clients signposted to specialist Debt Advisor 33

Clients signposted to specialist Tutor 159

Clients signposted to Wellbeing project 8

Clients made aware of benefit sanctions 5000

Referrals to food bank 57

Discretionary fund referrals 43

Total 5930

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One of the main objectives of Universal Credit is to increase the power of DWP officials to sanction claimants. Sanctions can be imposed for between one month and three years. To avoid sanctions, most claimants must prove they have undertaken “all reasonable work-search action”. In Salford we had what appeared to be a blanket policy of Jobcentre Plus to interpret “all reasonable action” as claimants being able to prove 35 hours per week using diary sheets. Progress towards a more reasoned approach to Universal Credit “all reasonable action” 5.4 Example of a Universal Credit sanction overturned using the DWP complaints procedure

• A claimant with severe back pain and limited ability to cope with the regime having attended special school, worked, and been a carer all his life, was sanctioned twice virtually as soon as he claimed Universal Credit. This would have meant a total of 4 months being paid housing costs only with having to claim hardship payments at about two thirds of the already punitive rate (which are recoverable from any payments made after the sanction has expired).

• The DWP complaints procedure was used to get both sanctions removed so the claimant didn’t have to attend a tribunal.

• The DWP eventually accepted that “all reasonable action” was not 35 hours per week because it recognised the claimant had “complex needs”. But only after a total of four previous decisions resulted in sanctions either being made or upheld.

5.5 Example of a Universal Credit sanction overturned at Tribunal

• Claimant had full-time learning support since primary school. • Jobcentre Plus sanctioned him for failing to demonstrate 35 hours per

week work-search using diary sheets. • DWP refused to change its decision repeatedly despite Salford UCRC

arguing that the DWP was in breach of the Equality Act. • The Tribunal agreed that “all reasonable action” was not 35 hours and

quashed the sanction. • Despite repeated allegations by Jobcentre Plus that the claimant was

not doing enough to try and find work, he found agency work in a warehouse.

5.6 Another poorly understood fact about Universal Credit that is regularly appearing in DWP letters: Claimants are expected to prove 35 hours per week 52 weeks per year. No holidays are permitted. If you took a holiday you would lose a minimum of one month’s benefit. 5.7 The introduction of Universal Credit appears to have promoted ever harsher conditionality to be implemented for JSA. Case examples include (case status reports in brackets):

• An Iranian refugee had his claim closed down despite learning English four days per week and applying for jobs on the fifth day of the working week each week (2 sanctions overturned).

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• A severely disabled widow had her claim terminated when unclear communication from Jobcentre Plus caused her to miss an appointment. She had a breakdown as a result (ongoing)

• A sick carer had her claim closed down when she failed to attend two appointments in two separate places at the same time (sanction overturned, apology received and derisory £25 compensation so complaint escalated to DWP Operations Director).

• A man in his 50s who went to special school was sanctioned immediately he moved on to JSA following stoppage of his ESA, despite making and recording every conceivable method of finding work (sanction overturned). SUCRC is working with a solicitor to get an injunction and compensation.

• Another man in his fifties had his JSA stopped for not going to an appointment he was never told about (overturned at Tribunal – compensation claim ongoing).

• A 19 year old man who had full time learning support from age 11 was sanctioned 3 times for struggling with diary sheets. His third sanction was imposed immediately after we obtained a written assurance from the Universal Credit Operations Director that safeguarding measures had been put in place! (all three sanctions overturned and adjustments to claimant commitment made).

5.8 Example of amended conditionality regime delivered by SUCRC challenge:

• Claimant attended special school from age 11 due to severe learning difficulty.

• Repeatedly sanctioned for being unable to complete diary sheets and Universal Credit claim closed.

• SUCRC used Equality Act to get Universal Credit reinstated and modified conditionality regime including voluntary work and agreement to work-search sessions at SUCRC.

5.9 MPs and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (PCA) SUCRC has written on behalf of constituents to local members of parliament Barbara Keeley MP and Rebecca Long Bailey MP demanding an investigation by the PCA into the maladministration of benefits sanctions. The current situation is that claimants are routinely set up with requirements that they are unable to meet and then sanctioned, sometimes repeatedly. The DWP’s obligation to treat benefits claimants fairly and as people with rights is routinely broken in the apparent race to sanction as many people as possible. SUCRC believes that an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration should result in the following recommendations: 1. A recommendation for suitable compensation to be paid to claimants for the damage to their health inflicted by the DWP’s maladministration of its sanctions regime. 2. A recommendation to end the current practice of sending misleading notifications to Local Authorities by the DWP.

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3. A recommendation to end the current practice of sanctioning claimants when there is doubt about whether the proposed sanction is correct. 4. A recommendation that the DWP reviews the manner in which it sets claimant commitments to ensure they fully take into account the circumstances of claimants so that they are realistic and achievable, rather than a device for facilitating sanctions. We thereby hope to prevent future damage from benefits sanctions including suicides, malnutrition, breakdowns and general severe damage to health and, a fact frequently overlooked, severe damage to people’s prospects of finding work! 5.10 The new Welfare Charter by the Network or TUC Unemployed Workers Centre’s and PCS Unite Community Branches is of practical use (see below), particularly the proposed introduction of a claimant’s ombudsman. This charter came of the National TUC Unemployed Workers Centre Conference which took place on 27 February at Congress House. John, Babs and Alec attended. Alec is now on the National TUC Unemployed Workers Centre consultative committee that produced this welfare charter. This will be launched at a special fringe meeting that Alec will chair at TUC Congress with Steve Turner and Helen Flannigan PCS.

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Case descriptionNumber of

casesAmount

won

Dismissal inc. constructive dismissal 35 £42,113.50

Unlawful deduction 8 £3,016.50

Redundancy 10 £55,985.45

Discrimination 8 £21,000.00

Breach of contract 7 £7,236.00

6.0 Employment Law 6.1 In the period May 2014 – June 2015, there were a total of 95 cases. 12 cases remain open. On average 20 people a week ring for advice with

calls last around 20 minutes. 6.2 The total amount of money recouped for clients was £163,707.04 with the

highest amount awarded being £24,780.

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6.3 With our representation at work, 8 clients kept their job, one of them received

an enhanced salary, one got a company car and another got travel expenses. 6.4 There were a number of cases dropped; 13 due to the cost of taking the case

to tribunal, 15 because there was no chance of success, 6 cases referred to a Solicitor, 6 cases dropped because of the two year service requirement and 10 cases dropped as the clients failed to continue with instruction; this may be due to Tribunal fees.

6.5 There is a rise in the number of unpaid wages. The number of closed cases

is 8 with 4 cases receiving compensation whilst the remaining 4 clients were out of time and failed to give instruction because of tribunal fees and the uncertainty that they would be able to enforce the Tribunal judgement. There are still 2 cases open.

We notice that employers in these cases are small businesses who refused to

respond to our letters, negotiate through ACAS and in one particular case we were verbally insulted and accused of malpractice. We suspect that the reason for this was due to the employers knowing that the employee will not be in a position to pay Tribunal fees. We suspect that the number of these cases will increase.

6.7 There were 10 redundancy cases. One case was dropped by the client, one

was closed as there was no chance of success as the client refused to accept an alternative job and 8 cases were won. There are currently 9 cases still running at the Employment Tribunal.

6.8 There were 35 dismissal cases of which 17 clients received a financial

settlement. One client was reinstated to their position, and 6 cases dropped due to tribunal fees. There were 6 cases closed due to the low chance of success. The number of these cases have dropped due to the two year rule.

6.9 There were 8 discrimination cases. 4 clients closed their case due to Tribunal

fees, 2 clients dropped their cases due to the low chance of success and 2 clients received a financial settlement.

6.10 There were 4 TUPE cases with the client being offered an alternative suitable

job and 3 transferred.

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6.11 There were 5 Protective Award cases. We were unable to lodge a claim

because we were required to provide a high court permission to lodge the claim. We transferred these cases to a firm of solicitors who have the right of audience to continue with the claim.

6.12 The remaining cases are related to complaints about bullying and variation of

contracts which was dealt with the employers either with our representation or through our support.

6.13 25 joined trade union for future protection. 6.14 10 cases were referred by local trade union branches

6.15 From August a new improved quality employment service will be introduced. One of our former clients has completed legal training up to barrister level, Yunus Bakhsh a former Unison Trade Union Rep and mental health nurse. Yunus was so pleased and exhilarated by the quality of the support he obtained from the Centre (his representation included Britain’s top QC John Hendy, who took his case successfully to the Appeal Court) that he is now assisting Abdo and out team with our employment team.

7.0 Closing the Gap 7.1 The range of assistance offered by the Centre under the umbrella project ‘ Closing the Gap’, i.e. addressing issues of indebtedness and unemployment, include a self-help pack which helps equip people with the skills of household budgeting, setting financial priorities and model letters for engaging with other agencies, ESOL classes for new migrants, guidance on accessing benefits and other entitlements, CV building, IT training as well as access to IT facilities - which is increasingly important in registering for and accessing benefits as well as applying for jobs and getting job-ready. 7.2 The Centre has responded to the volume of individuals seeking these types of assistance will increase as the changes to welfare benefits and the reforms to labour market engagement requirements change with the implementation of the new welfare reform legislation. Further, the context of the current austerity measures and labour market tightening - which is set to continue at least in the medium-term - emphasises the key role of the third sector in assisting the transition and relieving the stress in local

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communities and identified during the current year the need to provide ESOL courses (as outlined in Section 3: ESOL). 7.3 The number of people reached by the Closing the Gap project in the last 12 months is 4,901, up slightly from last year’s figures which were 4,761. This covers education and training, CV writing, confidence building, job search and development, promotion of Salford Credit Union, peer mentoring, debt management, benefits information, welfare advice and referrals. 7.4 The work with Salford Credit Union has been so positive both in terms of recruiting new members and combating loan sharks. Salford Credit Union is now operating from two offices and from 4 different geographical Salford City Council hubs, thereby reaching a far greater spread of Salford residents. The involvement of Salford City Council against loan Sharks has been so positive and brought in every advice agency. The Centre Manager is now the Company Secretary of Salford Credit Union and both Jack Youd and Alex Halligan are members of the Board. 7.5 The first partner working conference took place and was facilitated by Dr Bob Jefferies Sheffield Hallam University. The new unforeseen outcomes of the first two years included, the effects our clients and suffering from benefit sanctions, and the increase in the number of clients suffering from mental health issues. The establishment of Salford Unite Community Branch is also a new positive. 7.6 The new issues we have started during the third year of Closing the Gap include:-

• To link case studies and practical experiences to research linking to both Sheffield Hallam University and Salford University

• Look to provide food parcels / vouchers for our poverty stricken/ vulnerable clients.

• Try to develop an alternative welfare benefit system linking with PCS, universities, Salford City Council and Salford Unity Community Branch.

• Examine the link between poverty and gambling. • Examine the link between sanctions, poverty and crime. • Link with Salford City Medical Committee to operate a welfare benefit and

debt referral service. • Contact CPAG to consider a Judicial Review case in terms of Human

Rights and Benefit Sanctions. • Continue growth of ESOL for all immigrant communities in Salford.

7.7 A clients self-confidence and social engagement capacity is absolutely key to their ability to access support and to successfully make the transition in to the labour market. A supportive community space led by encouraging and non- judgmental staff enables individuals to make progress in social engagement and social discourse. Vulnerable individuals or those who have more chaotic lifestyles (through alcohol or drug misuse, experience of prison, lack of firm family structures or physical or mental health issues) need more personal investment of time and resources to enable their capacity-building, but this is something which is often missed in the Job Centre Plus environment where pressures of time and aggressive government policy towards unemployed people.

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Similarly, our clients that third sector organisations such as SUCRC, despite resource constraints, have time to listen to client journeys and allow issues or personal challenges to emerge organically and in a trusting and supportive environment. The fact that “they listen with a sympathetic ear” (Margaret) allows individuals to be more open about the challenges they face and for others “it takes time to explain yourself” (Cynthia, ESOL client) which is not enabled in the JCP environment. 7.8 Vulnerable individuals need support in order to progress in their lives but equally need to move at a pace with which they are comfortable to enable them to avoid crises and falling out of what is often a fragile public existence. In that sense, having some control of their journey is key and is something which is less and less available in the mainstream employment services. As Alex pointed out, “by going to the Centre you are giving yourself the opportunity of progressing”. 7.9 A recurring theme in the focus group discussions was the perception of the Centre’s non-judgemental approach to assisting people who found themselves in difficult circumstances. Individuals take a number of paths to finding help at the SURC and arriving can often be a signal that those individuals are ready to take back some control of chaotic lifestyles or to break a cycle of indebtedness. Consequently the need to relieve the immediate stress of debt, inability to negotiate benefit entitlements or to successfully access labour market or education opportunities is to assist with meeting the challenges rather than be perceived as a mechanism for punishing the choices which brought an individual to this point. 7.10 The terrain of benefit entitlements and labour market access can be difficult to negotiate and personal financial management can be particularly challenging. Recognising how to prioritise with a household budget and how and why to avoid pay day loan companies, pawn shops and loan sharks are basic but necessary skills and are thus a self-help toolkit. Third sector organisations like SUCRC are best placed to address basic issues of financial exclusion in communities and the Centre’s Debt self-help packs are a successful model of how to respond to that need. The packs are distributed to the community through doctors’ surgeries, supermarkets or at dedicated sessions aimed at particular sections of the community (e.g. young people or local firm redundancies). The packs have been updated during the four years of the Closing the Gap programme to reflect the changing needs of the client base. 8.0 Salford Wellbeing Project 8.1 Salford Wellbeing Project is now nearly 2 1/2 years old and has become one

of the most successful projects within the Centre. 8.2 The Big Life Group approached the Centre Manager in June 2012 to become

part of a Salford wide community partnership to provide a new unique service to help change and improve the lives of up to 60,000 people in Salford by tackling issue such as obesity, smoking, low mood and alcoholism. A joint bid for £2 ¼ million was successful.

8.3 Keah Whittaker became the Well Being coach based at the Centre full time,

after a 6 months Salford University specialist coaching course. The project

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has been a major success and many of our clients have been referred to Keah particularly from:-

• Employment law clients • Clients with disabilities • Mental health clients • Salford Prison Project

8.4 The total number of clients stands at 92, many have become volunteers and

returned to employment after benefiting from the coaching sessions and some have gone on to find employment.

8.5 The project has created a new quality of life and experience for many of our

long term clients and those within the local community. Most of the work undertaken by the Centre staff obtains income maximization, defend our clients rights and provide representation, debt advice, employment representation and in the case of the prison project deals with all the basic needs of a recently released former offender including benefits, housing, dealing with addiction and prepared them for the world of work. The wellbeing project takes our work to a new dimension.

8.6 Our Well Being Coach works with clients on a one-to-one basis or in a group

and will help them decide what is most important for them to tackle - cutting back on smoking or drinking, changing what they eat, being more active, meeting other people or all of those things.

The clients will decide what changes they need to make and then find out what can make them stick. Being Well Salford helps clients take more control and create solutions for their daily life. The Well Being Coach will help make practical changes and set realistic targets for the client. The coaches are trained in behavior change and will help the clients learn different techniques and tools that they can take away and help keep them motivated.

8.7 The client decides, with their coach, if they would like to meet on a one to one basis, take part in groups and activities or a combination of both. The coaches can also help find the clients find other people, activities and services that can support and motivate them along the way, the clients can see their coaches for up to 12 months but the tools and techniques will stay with them forever, helping them on their way to wellbeing.

8.8 Although the work is done all around Eccles, all interviews take place in the

Centre and this is the choice of the clients who find the Centre the perfect location and easy to access.

The links that the Centre staff have with local and regional trade unions has

been a direct benefit with the Wellbeing project. Meetings have taken place with the National Union of Teachers (NUT), which has taken the project into schools and links with heath service unions have also taken place. The local authority Unison branch hosted a meeting with its elected stewards to hear of the potential work. This will be followed up with a meeting with Unite the union stewards in the future.

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8.9 The Centre Manager is a member of the Wellbeing board and is Chair of the operational committee which deals with all operational matters and has just agreed to move the focus of this work and publicity away from Salford wide to local Eccles level. The Centre receives £5,000 per annum for the supervision of the Wellbeing Coach.

9.0 Press, publication and funding 9.1 The continual production of good quality leaflets has continued across the

year and below is a sample of some of the 40,000 leaflets that have been produced:

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10.0 Centre staff and volunteers 2014/2015

Management Committee members, permanent staff, self-employed workers and volunteers during the year were:

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Management Committee Steven North Chair Councillor Bill Hinds Vice Chair Jack Youd Secretary Gerry Phillips Treasurer Maggie Smith Rachel Hart Allison Taylor Councillor John Ferguson Councillor Howard Balkind

Hanif Belim

Staff Alec McFadden Centre Manager Jane Preece Centre Administrator Hayley Hinchy Centre Administrator John Howard Debt & Closing the Gap Abdul-Karim Al-Malahi Employment Law Barbara Bentham Welfare Benefits Kester Dean Welfare Benefits Keah Whittaker Well Being Coach Lee Wakeham Salford Prison Project Officer Stuart Green Salford Prison Project Officer

Self-employed workers

Stefan Cholewka Tutor & Closing the Gap Ellada Titan ESOL Tutor

Volunteers Ron Howard Dave Duncan Councillor Howard Balkind Jack Youd George Tapp Maggie Smith Emma Cooper Ian Wallace

11.0 Funding and other issues

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11.1 The main funding of the activities has again been the Big Lottery, £200,286 which funds totally the work of both Salford Prison Project and Closing the Gap. Other funders include Booth Charities, Big Life, WEA, Salford City College plus donations from staff at Salford City Council. No funding was received in the financial year from LTSB Foundation, Community Foundation, and Awards for All, all of whom has funded the Centre in previous years. A multitude of other applications were also not successful this was mainly to the cuts the conservative government has made to local authorities, which has made obtaining funding so difficult. 11.2 We continue to search for sources of funding and the Booth Charities first year funding was a big step forward and we hope this will be a permanent source of funding. 11.3 The work with Salford Third Sector Consortium which now has 84 voluntary and community organisations working together and we expect to receive over £30,000 this financial year for new training in ESOL courses. Awards for All will generate £10,000 by January 2016. Funding bids will also be submitted to Lankelly Chase to further support the development work of Salford Prison Project. 11.4 The Centre is now an official Living Wage Employer as are all of our partner organisations and we are proud of the very positive role that Salford City Council have played in the North West to promote the living wage. 11.5 The front of the building has been renovated with new double glazes windows, a new front door and internal electric window shutters, mainly thanks to Salford City Council. Salford City Council owns the premises that Salford Unemployed & Community Resource Centre operates from and there has been a significant investment by the City Council in both refurbishing and security of the premises in 2015. The directors need to record their thanks and recognise this improvement externally, whilst also demonstrating the massive contribution the Centre staff make to the whole community of Salford. This could be an opportunity to invite all local members of parliament to visit the Centre. 11.6 The website has had 877 individual visits since July 2014 and our Facebook and Twitter accounts are becoming more and more active. 11.7 The press and media coverage continues with excellent links with the Manchester Evening News, the Morning Star and all the TV Channels within Media City. We have also done interviews with Russian and the French TV. The vast majority of journalists and Researchers are members of the relevant trade union, the National Union of Journalists. The Manchester Evening News has been very supportive in particular of the international work that the Centre has been involved in, ESOL and the views of the polish students and also the Romanian Credit Union delegation. Given the present crisis in Greece and the effects of austerity we could do some type of comparison and fact finding research. Greece for austerity and poverty with the Romanian Credit Union.

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11.8 Finally a four day People’s March against Austerity is being organised by the TUC Unemployed Centres and Merseyside TUC. The march will start in Hoylake Wirral, the former constituency of Esther McVey who was the former Conservative Minister for Employment and Benefit Sanctions. The march will go through Wirral, Liverpool, Knowsley, Wigan and Salford. Salford TUC are hosting an evening rally and social event on Saturday 3 October 2015 at Smiths Restaurant. The Centre should consider supporting and liaising with the President and Secretary of Salford TUC and march organisers to provide maximum support. The organisers hope to have between 30/40 core marchers and to date the following organisations have already nominated marchers: Halton – One Wirral Advisort Center – One Jarrow NHS march 2014 - Eight Salford unemployed & Community Resource Centre – Four UNITE the Union are supporting the march.

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12.0 Conclusion and Recommendations These are the conclusions and recommendations to the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Salford Unemployed & Community Resource Centre. Recently going through some old correspondence and reports to 2007 AGM the Centre appeared to be facing possible closure only 5 part time staff, John, Babs, Alec plus 2 administrators who left that year. But Salford Unison branch, the NUT and T&GWU launched a fighting fund that raised £13,000 gaining publicity and momentum that stabilised the Centre and lead to a number of high quality work and successful funding bids. In the past few years the Centre has enjoyed the support of a lot of organisations and recently Salford City Council has renovated the outside of the building, we have created and forged new partnerships over the years including:-

• Salford CVS • HMPS Manchester • HMPS Risley • HMPS Thorncross • Greater Manchester Probation • Salford Third Sector Consortium • Salford Credit Union • Migrant Workers • Veterans Council • Salford City Council • Unite • Salford Unison • Salford TUC

The recommendations are:-

• ESOL - to increase the administration hours to 6 hours per week for the duration of the 11 month training contract with Salford Third Sector Consortium.

• Submit funding bids to Lankelly Chase to expand the Salford Prison Project. Big Lottery Crisis Fund for benefits sanctions work - To sustain the welfare benefit team.

• Improve the Centre website.

• Start initial research and development for fact finding research comparison including austerity in Greece and poverty within Romania (Credit Union)

• Endorse the 8 points within Closing the Gap (7.6)

• Seek to continue to develop closer practical working with local Salford TUC and main Unions, particularly on employment legislation issues.

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• Provide full support to the new Welfare Charter and Peoples March against

Austerity.

• Support the four recommendations in 5.9 on welfare and sanctions. Today we have a quality team of employees, self-employed tutors and volunteers, it’s a pleasure working in the Centre with them all. All choose to work at the Centre all choose their tasks and targets. The links with the community and trade unions is excellent an essential to carry out our tasks and complete our role. Thanks to all the staff Management Committee but especially to the two youngest officers, Steve North, Chair and Jack Youd, Company Secretary.

Alec McFadden Centre Manager August 2015

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annual report 2015 - city of salford · cv’s, job search) esol 210 welfare benefits advice 989...

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