Scottish Government

PROJECT NAME

Bright Young Futures

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

Summary of Project

The aim of this project is to support a specific group of WfFF clients to feel confident as parents, with a view to allow them to have confidence to be able to find or retain work without damaging their home life and work as a parent.

The focus of the programme is on young parents between the ages of 16-24 and in particular, young single parents or young parents who have been homeless

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring
Support with childcare

TARGET AREA:

Multiple stresses
Young Parents

PROJECT START DATE: November 2005

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01698 332775

PROJECT NAME

Childcare @ Home

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

Childcare@Home provides childcare within clients home environment. The service targets shift workers and other parents who work irregular hours as well as lone parents and parents on a low income.

The funding will allow for 45 families per annum (15 from the WfFF client group) to be supported into, or sustained in, employment or training by diminishing the barriers created by lack of suitable childcare. 9600 hours of childcare will be provided.

KEY THEMES:

Lone Parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Shift workers
Irregular hours workers

TARGET AREA:

Childcare development & provision

PROJECT START DATE: November 2004

PROJECT ADDRESS:

www.opfs.org

opfs3@gn.apc.org

Tel: 01698 261188

PROJECT NAME

Childcare Mentoring Programme and Childcare Subsidy

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The childcare mentoring programme supports WfFF eligible parents to access childcare to enable them to take up employment and or training opportunities. The Childcare Subsidy Scheme is available for the childcare mentors to provide direct financial support for childcare for client groups.

KEY THEMES:

Lone Parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & Alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education
Other, please specify

TARGET AREA:

Guidance & mentoring
Support with childcare
Childcare development & provision

PROJECT START DATE: 1 ^st April 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01236638951

PROJECT NAME

Coatbridge College

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire Council

SUMMARY

Coatbridge College are in the process of a capital build for a new on-campus nursery.

WfFF has ring fenced places in the nursery, specifically for the WfFF client group.

KEY CLIENT GROUPS

Lone parents
Young parents
Parents in education

KEY THEMES

Guidance & mentoring
Support with childcare

DATE PROJECT OPERATIONAL: November 2005 - Discontinue after April 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS

PROJECT NAME

Community Centre Investment & Mobile Crèche

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire Council

SUMMARY

Community Centres within the designated areas were allocated capital funding for various developments to provide a family friendly environment in locations where the Key Workers engage with clients.

In addition, the funding also supports mobile crèche facilities in these designated centres.

KEY CLIENT GROUPS

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Young parents

KEY THEMES

Capital funding

DATE PROJECT OPERATIONAL: November 2004 - Discontinue after April 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS

PROJECT NAME

Crèche Support for Families

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

Community Learning and Development provides creche facilities to allow parents/carers of young children to participate in community based learning programmes including Sure Start Parenting and Adult Literacty provision. Funding from WfFF would allow CLD to increase the existing part time workforce from 34 to 44 creating 10 part-time employment opportunities for people who meet the WfFF criteria.

Creche work is often a positive transition route for disaffected families to return to the labour market due to the informal, flexible and part-time nature of this strand of childcare employment.

In addition to the 10 WfFF clients into employment the creche facilities will allow 60 Working for Families clients to access community based learning opportunities including adult literacy as a first step back into trainig and employment opportunities.

KEY THEMES:

Unemployed
Low income
Lone parents keen to access childcare employment

TARGET AREA:

Regeneration Output Areas

PROJECT START DATE: 1 ^st April 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 0141 304 1820

PROJECT NAME

Debt and Money Advice

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The aim of the project is to provide free, impartial confidential and professional debt counselling and money advice service. The service will maximise income for clients via the benefit and taxation systems, whilst minimising expenditure via community education.

Debt Counsellors will represent clients in their dealings with creditors, solicitors and debt recovery agents, as well as representation and advocacy in court matters.

Two Debt Counsellors will be appointed, who will operate in a peripatetic manner with the Key Workers and the Childcare Mentors.

KEY THEMES:

Money Advice

TARGET AREA:

Lone Parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education

PROJECT START DATE: January 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01698 346810

PROJECT NAME

Development of Childminding Sector

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The Development of Childminding Sector project will assist individuals from the WfFF client group and others who wish to become childminders. The objective will be to increase the number of childminders, particularly in key target areas.

By raising awareness of childminding as a viable employment option as well as a viable childcare option, the numbers of self-employed childminders created will increase. Economic activity would be enhanced by the start up and retention of self employed childminding businesses, whilst at the same time providing quality childcare services to enable people to return to / enter employment or training for work.

The project will add value to the existing activities carried out by the Local Childcare Partnership by providing additional training to increase the number of childminders. Support will be provided prior to, and after, the training delivered by the LCP and SCMA.

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring
Childcare development & provision
Business Start up Advice

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Multiple Stresses
Hard to reach clients
Young Parents

PROJECT START DATE: November 2004

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01236 733559

denise.shepherd@childminding.org

PROJECT NAME

Development of the Out of School Care Sector: Lanarkshire Childcare Services

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The project aims to increase childcare provision and ensure that there are quality, affordable and accessible places for WfFF clients.

Research has found that the supply of childcare places in North Lanarkshire is lacking across all sectors and the existing provision needs to be extended if we are to increase the proportion of parents participating in employment, training or education.

Two childcare places have been ringfenced within Lanarkshire Childcare Services, 1 place at Motherwell, Park Street, and 1 place at Coatbridge Central.

KEY THEMES:

Support with childcare
Childcare development & provision

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education
Support to all WfFF client groups

PROJECT START DATE: 1 ^st July 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS:

PROJECT NAME

Development of the Out of School Care Sector: Utheo Ltd

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The project aims to increase childcare provision and ensure that there are quality, affordable and accessible places for WfFF clients.

Research has found that the supply of childcare places in North Lanarkshire is lacking across all sectors and the existing provision needs to be extended if we are to increase the proportion of parents participating in employment, training or education.

Two childcare places have been ringfenced within Utheo Ltd, based within Orbiston Neighbourhood Centre.

KEY THEMES:

Support with childcare
Childcare development & provision

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education
Support to all WfFF client groups

PROJECT START DATE: 1 ^st April 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS:

PROJECT NAME

Employability Programme

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The Employability Programme employs four Key Workers through a Community Intermediary Organisation. The objective of the project is to engage with clients within local communities from across North Lanarkshire.

The Key Workers meet with the clients on a one-to-one basis and deliver vocational guidance to suit the needs of the client. They will also refer clients to other strands of the WfFF project to assist with individual requirements, such as childcare subsidy scheme and transport.

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent house households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education

PROJECT START DATE: November 2004

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Freephone: 0800 073 0226
Tel: 01698 346838

PROJECT NAME

Employment Links

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

Employment Links is an innovative project linking WfFF clients seeking employment with major employers in the North Lanarkshire are who are currently experiencing recruitment and retention difficulties. The aim of the project links individuals to existing employment opportunities by providing a comprehensive package of support which addresses a series of issues, including employability, transport and skills but crucially to address childcare barriers. At the same point the project works with employers to identify the extent to which improved childcare provision would help solve recruitment difficulties. Thus the programme has a two-pronged approached, dealing with both the challenges and issues from employer perspective as well as from viewpoint of employees and potential employees.

KEY THEMES:

Support with childcare
Childcare development & provision
Working with employers

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Low incomes
Multiple stresses

PROJECT START DATE: November 2004

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01698 346836

PROJECT NAME

Employment Links Extension

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

This project Links with a major employer in North Lanarkshire, Kwik Fit Insurance Services.

Kwik Fit have undertaken a significant capital project for a worked-based nursery, with ring-fenced places being purchased specifically for WfFF clients.

These places will be linked to interview guarantee schemes, as well as the recruitment and retention of WfFF clients.

KEY THEMES:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Multiple stresses

TARGET AREA:

Guidance and mentoring
Support with childcare

PROJECT START DATE: November 2005

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01698 346836

PROJECT NAME

Expansion of Early Years Service

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire Council

SUMMARY

An additional 40 Full Time Equivalent places were established within five local authority nursery classes to allow childcare provision for parents attending courses with the area. One additional Early Years Worker and one Lunchtime Assistant have been employed in each nursery to allow childcare cover to extend from 8.30 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. Places are specifically reserved for parents attending WfFF projects.

KEY CLIENT GROUPS

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues

KEY THEMES

Support with childcare

DATE PROJECT OPERATIONAL: January 2005 - Discontinue after April 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS

PROJECT NAME

Full Employment Area Initiative

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The FEAI project engages with as many people in the neighbourhood of Whinhall in Airdrie , North Lanarkshire through a process of "listening surveys" by door knocking as well as meeting in the street and other venues. The idea is to take the "people first" approach to help deal with a range of issues and gain trust. This process results in a mushroom growth of engagement, often with people who have been divorced with mainstream agencies and activity for many years. As the project becomes increasingly known people refer.

The project aims to ensure the co-operation and day to day involvement of relevant agencies e.g Routes to Work, Job Centre Plus, Local Voluntary Sector Bodies as well as Health, Social Services, Education, Community Groups and the Police.

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Young parents
Parents in education

PROJECT START DATE: August 2004

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01236 771956

PROJECT NAME

Job Shuttle

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The aim of this project is to support travel to and from work, childcare, education and or training.

The initiative provides its service by using both existing travel infrastructure and by directly providing transport services, importantly Jobshuttle does not replicate any existing routes and is working with SPT on travel planning, utilising the JESS public travel system which provides information on routes, bus times and stops/timetables

KEY THEMES:

Transport

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Multiple stresses
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education

PROJECT START DATE: October 2004

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01236 702020

PROJECT NAME

Kirkshaws Tiny Tots Playgroup

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The Kirkshaws Tiny Tots Playgroup provides childcare facilities in the Kirkshaws Neighbourhood Centre. The extension of the childcare provision allows WfFF clients to access community based learning and training opportunities as a first step towards employability.

The project provides 16 morning and afternoon places, with access to an additional 30 training places. Training places are linked with local FE colleges.

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring
Support with childcare
Childcare development & provision
Access training

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education
Support to all WfF client groups

PROJECT START DATE: November 2005

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01236 426200

PROJECT NAME

Out of School Care Project

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire Council

SUMMARY

The project has involved ring-fencing 40 out of school care places across 5 North Lanarkshire out of school care providers, for access by Working for Families Fund clients.

The project aims to increase childcare provision and ensure that there are quality, affordable and accessible places for WfFF clients.

Research has found that the supply of childcare places in North Lanarkshire is lacking across all sectors and that existing provision needs to be extended if we are to increase the proportion of parents participating in employment, training or education.

The five OSC providers are spread across North Lanarkshire and serve a large number of North Lanarkshire's schools.

KEY CLIENT GROUPS

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents
Parents in education
support to all WfFF client groups

KEY THEMES

Support with childcare
Childcare development & provision

DATE PROJECT OPERATIONAL: January 2005 - Discontinue after April 2006

PROJECT ADDRESS

PROJECT NAME

Partners in Play

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The Partners in Play Employability Project addresses barriers to carers with disabled children to entering and sustaining employment, education or training. The project is delivered in two parts and addresses barriers to carers with disabled childcare to entering and sustaining education or training.

The project identifies and works with parents/carers to develop creative local approaches to address their additional needs and costs of returning to work. This includes looking for personal barriers, e.g confidence building, pre-access courses and vocational guidance and signposting to existing local agencies.

The second part of the project involves delivering and designing with and for parents the childcare that meets their individual needs to enable them to maintain all year employment and training opportunities. This provision will be used to maintain employment to the client group and to build confidence in childcare provision. The project also develops staff to provide childminding and sitter services - linked to the existing service and North Lanarkshire to develop their capacity for childcare provision.

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring
Support with childcare
Childcare development & provision
Other, please specify: access to training

TARGET AREA:

Limited contact clients
Parents of childcare with a disability

PROJECT START DATE: November 2005

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01698 230130

Partnersinplay@hotmail.com

PROJECT NAME

Positive Options for Parents

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

The aim of the programme is to help parents take the first step to a more positive future for themselves and their families.

Through the nine-week Personal Development Programme participants will get the opportunity to work on - confidence building; assertiveness; raising self-esteem; developing communication skills; setting goals; recognising and building on strengths and addressing barriers.

As part of the course participants are assessed for the Institute of Leadership and Management, Positive Leadership Award.

During the last two weeks of the course participants will get the opportunity to find out more about the world of work or further training through visits to employers, training establishments and work tasters.

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring
Working with employers
Personal development and guidance

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low income
Drug & alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients
Limited contact clients
Young parents

PROJECT START DATE: November 2004

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01236 616567
Fax: 01236 616272

PROJECT NAME

Social Economy in the Childcare Sector

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

In the childcare sector there are a wide range of organisations that currently survive on a very precarious mix of public sector funding support but which have the capacity to be developed into community businesses.

This project will provide support to local out-of-school-care and other childcare projects, which have the capacity to develop into social economy organisations. The aim of the project is to help strengthen the sustainability of projects, which provide a valuable local childcare service in some of the most deprived areas of North Lanarkshire and help these projects to ultimately expand their provision.

The project will also seek to create 5 new childcare businesses through start-up assistance and establish a Childminding Social Enterprise.

KEY THEMES:

Childcare development & provision
Working with employers

TARGET AREA:

Childcare Social Enterprise

PROJECT START DATE: April 2005

PROJECT ADDRESS:

PROJECT NAME

Womens Placement Programme

LOCAL AUTHORITY

North Lanarkshire

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

WPP aims to deliver four intensive client focused work experience programmes for 96 women returners in disadvantage communities in North Lanarkshire who meet the WfFF criteria.

The client group will have spent time away from the labour market due to family commitments and care responsibilities.

Most of the participants will experience low levels of self-esteem, a lack of confidence, feelings of isolation and will have lost their networking capacity and support mechanisms, having spent some time away from a working and learning environment.

The Womens Placement Programme addresses these issues.

KEY THEMES:

Guidance & mentoring
Support with childcare
Working with employers

TARGET AREA:

Lone parents
Parents in two-parent households
Low incomes
Drug 7 alcohol issues
Multiple stresses
Hard to reach clients

PROJECT START DATE: November 2005

PROJECT ADDRESS:

Tel: 01236 616567