
2/4002 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

For those of you who dont know, Working Links was set up in 2000 to deliver the

Governments Employment Zones in some of Britains most disadvantaged communities.

Since then, weve helped more than 63,000 people into sustainable jobs and had a positiv

impact on the lives of many individuals and communities around the country.

Changing Lives.

Creating Futures.

Features

08 Looking to the future: interview with John Hutton MP.

We talk to the Work and Pensions Secretary about his new role.

12 Times, they are a-changing.Weve just made some big changes to our company structure. Read all about it here.

16 Face to face.

We bring together two people in a recent jobseekers success story.

20 The new shareholder on the block.

Lets take a closer look at Mission Australia.

23 Why were pleased to be the UKs first PPVP.

The Government has recently announced new welfare reforms and were ideally placed to

help meet their objectives.

26 An executive decision.

Discover why the Governments share in Working Links is no longer being managed by

Jobcentre Plus.

30 Mixing work and pleasure.

Should you or shouldnt you? WL LIFE investigates the pros and cons of office romance.

34 The truth behind those Aussie stereotypes.

Discover the fact and fiction in our European view of Oz.

Regulars

03 Letter from the editorial team.

04 Upfront.

A round-up of the latest Working Links news.

07 One minute interview.

with Oliver Halley from Mission Australia.32 Partner profile: One Parent Families.

28 Vox pop:The secret of a successful business?

We asked our Self-employment Consultants for their top tips.

18 Id recommend this

We get people to recommend their favourite reading material.

38 And finally

some bits and pieces to round off this issue.

04 26

3432

information


3/40Issue 8 - Spring 2006

Working Lin

Editorial team

Working Links

Writers Ltd

pHDesign

Copywriting

Working Links

Writers Ltd

Design

pHDesign

Art

pHDesign

Photography

pHDesign

Print

ProCo

Working Links

Newton Business Centre,

Thorncliffe Park, Chapeltown,

Sheffield, S35 2PH

www.workinglinks.co.uk

0800 917 9262

A Working Links Production

WL LIFE (V8-04/06)

Issue 8 - Spring 2006

Not for resale

Gday, and welcome to our latest bonza issue of WL LIFE! Why the

rather crude attempt at the Australian dialect you may ask? Well, it all

ties in with our big company news: Working Links has recently taken on

a new shareholder, an Australian charity called Mission Australia.

Theyre one of the largest employment service providers Down Under,

and they now own one third of Working Links.

We tell you all about it in this issue why weve done it, and what it

means for our organisation and the people we work with. Rest assured,

Working Links is still very much focused on helping people back to

work across the UK and with a new shareholder on board, were

confident we can make an even greater contribution to the

Governments welfare to work agenda.

As always, theres lots of other stuff to read too, including an article

about Gail Weston, a 41-year old mum from the West Midlands whos

gone back to work after 20 years; a feature on office romance (should

you or shouldnt you?); and top tips from our self-employment

consultants on how to set up a successful business.

And finally, back on the Australian theme, we take a look at the truth

behind those Aussie stereotypes. Is the whole of Australia really so

laid back it regularly falls off its sunlounger (while being bitten by

poisonous insects and casually wrestling a few crocs)? Turn to page

34 to find out.

Enjoy the issue!

30

issue 8

Printed on 50%

recycled material


4/4004 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

A brand new kind of jobhunting environment

We think traditional office layouts can sometimes be off-putting so were now updating ours to make them more informal and

relaxed. Plymouth is just one of our locations thats already had a

environment makeover with new, open-plan offices which

opened in Mayflower Street in the city last year. As well as a

jobsearch area, jobseekers can now benefit from a caf-style

market place, inhouse training facilities and a constant care

service which supports them once they start work.

Helping to fill the construction skills gap

Heres the dilemma. The construction industry needs more skilled

people. Yet many jobseekers, particularly older ones, dont have

access to construction training and job opportunities. Young

people can get free training through organisations like the LSC,

says Employer Consultant Sarah Triggs, but older people arent

eligible. So in October, we teamed up with construction compan

Wates to run a two-week awareness event in Birmingham,

specifically for older jobseekers. They got to go on site visits, do

their Construction Health & Safety test, and work on things likeinterview techniques, says Sarah. And at the end of it, they eac

got a guaranteed interview with an employer. Four of the

delegates have now been taken on, either by Wates or one of

their sub-contractors.

Your round-up of the latest Working Links new



Working Lin

Off the streets and into work

Its a well-known fact that homeless people find it

particularly hard to get work so weve been

working with Business in the Community to run a

special programme called Ready2Go. After a

two-day work skills preparation course, homeless

jobseekers get to go on a two-week work

placement with a major employer, such as

M&S, Zurich, British Gas or HBoS. They then get

six months ongoing job coaching. The aim is to

reintegrate unemployed homeless people back

into the world of work, says Alex Bradley whos

been running Ready2Go in Wales. Were also

making major employers more aware of the

discrimination homeless people face.

Recycling a forest worth of paper

We want to be as green as possible at Working

Links, so weve now introduced a new

environmental policy to help us reduce, re-use,

recycle, recover and dispose. As part of this,

were now recycling all our paper through the

national Shred-it programme. So far weve

recycled 17,875kg worth of the stuff, which

equates to 183 trees definitely the size of a

small forest. Not bad considering we only started

in August. Shred-it saves over seven million trees

a year worldwide and the shredded paper

they collect is made into different recycled

paper products.

co


6/4006 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

New work for women in Wales

Most of us probably think of jobs like gas fitting,

plumbing and electrical work as purely male

professions. Not anymore. Thanks to a new projec

in South Wales, called Ready Set Go, groups of

unemployed women are now learning these trade

and then using their skills to work on social housin

projects. Its a project thats being run with severa

partners including Chwarae Teg an organisationwhich promotes the economic development of

women in South Wales, says Lynne Lundregan,

project manager for Working Links. Our role is to

provide work taster sessions, once the women are

trained, so they can put their skills into practice, fo

example by renovating old council houses. We als

introduce them to potential employers and help w

transport and childcare.

Whats it really like working at Working Links

We wanted to find out, so we recently conducted

employee survey with the help of our trade union

PCS, looking at employee attitudes to their jobs.

Over 20% of our people took part and we had so

very positive results. Generally people said they

found their jobs interesting and enjoyable, and th

they felt they were accomplishing something.

There were areas where we could do more though

the top three issues nationally being job security,

being treated with respect and pay and were

now working closely with the union to respond to

these results.


7/40

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Working Lin


8/4008 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

Obviously the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be familia

to most Working Links readers, but what exactly is being Work andPensions Secretary all about?

Right now the role of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is changin

not just because the world is changing, but because I want to change it.

Im using my role to lead a debate on the evolution of social policy.

John Hutton Q&AIn November last year, John Hutton was appointed

Work and Pensions Secretaryjust in time to find himself at the cen

of nationwide debates on employment, welfare reform and pensions.



Working Lin

The DWP is central in delivering UK social policy,

covering not only the entire Benefits System

(except for Tax Credits), but also employment,

including support and routes into work for those of

working age who are inactive, and one of todayspolitical hot topics: pensions.

As a result of this role, were also leading the

debate on some of the most important issues

facing society today how do we achieve real,

lasting equality of opportunity for everyone; how

can we ensure the health and wellbeing of our

workforce to protect our nations prosperity; how

can we provide a secure future and a comfortable

retirement for our ageing population?

A large part of my role as Work and Pensions

Secretary is to ensure the right conditions exist

for these debates to take place and for the reforms

that arise to be put in place.

With that agenda, we imagine your average day

is pretty full?

Yes it is, but its never dull.

Why did you get into politics in the first place?

I chose politics because I wanted to change

things. Poverty, discrimination and disadvantage

are an affront to everything I believe in.

Working Links has helped more than 60,000

people into work since 2000.

Do you feel initiatives like ours are part of the

future for employment programmes?

Since the introduction of New Deal, the

Government has given its full support,

backed up with funding, to Employment

Zones and the partnership approach

exemplified by Working Links.

In fact, these initiatives and

the partnerships that make

them work, have been so

successful that we are

constantly exploringpossibilities for expansion. In

A new deal for welfare:

Empowering people to work

our consultation paper on

welfare reform, weve put

forward specific proposals

for expanding programmes

designed to help lone

parents, those on incapacitybenefits and older workers

in particular.

The success of existing

schemes such as those

operated by Working Links

in assisting people from

these groups has helped

convince many of the

benefits of a partnership

approach to employment.

So how would you sum up

the UK employment

situation at present?

We have made real progress. Some 2.3 million

more people are now in work than in 1997. The

UKs employment rate, at around 75%, has risen

become the highest of the G8 countries.

But theres still work to be done if we are to exte

the prosperity enjoyed by the majority to everyon

in our society realising our vision of opportunity

for all. Were aiming to reduce the number of

people claiming incapacity benefits by one millio


10/4010 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

Are there any specific areas in UK employment

that the Government is currently looking at?

Under our proposals for welfare reform, weve

identified three key groups that would benefit fro

greater support: those on incapacity benefits, lon

parents and people over 50.

In each case, were proposing packages which

combine the financial support of benefits with

practical assistance tailored to help the individua

find work.

In the case of lone parents, there will be more,

regular work-focused interviews as well as

increased access to programmes such as work

tasters, and personal advice when making the

transition back to employment. We will support t

with financial incentives for lone parents engaginin back to work activities rewarding those who

look to help themselves.

New Deal and other programmes will be extende

to offer greater support to older people seeking

jobs, and we will continue to work with employer

to increase opportunities for flexible working and

gradual retirement.

over the next 10 years; help a further 300,000 lone

parents to find work; and increase the number of

people over 50 who are in work by one million.

Why? Because being in work is good for you: not

just better for the economy, but better for the

individual. Work is the best route out of long-term

poverty, enables greater independence and, in

many cases, can even improve a persons healthand well-being. It can transform the life chances of

individuals, their families and the communities in

which they live.

Everyone has the right to work, and its the

Governments responsibility to ensure they get the

support, opportunity and access to do so.



Working Lin

And were planning a comprehensive overhaul of

incapacity benefits, based on the principles of

ability not incapacity and of tailoring support to the

individual, all built around a new Employment and

Support Allowance and programmes such as

Pathways to Work.

Its not about cutting back benefits or forcing

people to take on jobs that arent appropriate. It is

about promoting every individuals right to work.

We are also proposing a number of ways to

improve workplaces: ensuring better support for

those who develop impairments and health

conditions; encouraging employers to adopt

inclusive attitudes to those seeking to return to

work after claiming benefits; and promoting best

practice in general workplace health, to prevent

people falling out of work in the first place.

What advice would you give to those facing

difficulties in finding a job?

Dont give up. Remember: were here to help you

plan what options you have.

Further information and contact details:

To see the consultation paper, A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work, go to

www.dwp.gov.uk/aboutus/welfarereform

Or you can order a copy from: The Welfare Reform Team, Level 2, The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Stree

London WC2, telephone 020 7712 2521.

Comments can be sent to the Welfare Reform Team at the above address by 21 April 2006, or emailed

to: [email protected] by 21 April 2006.


12/4012 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

Up until a few months ago, WorkingLinks had three shareholders:Manpower, Capgemini and theGovernment. It had been a verysuccessful formula the public andprivate sectors working together to

deliver back to work programmes in amore effective way. And in the last fiveyears, weve shown that as a model, itcan work exceptionally well.

But in November last year, we decidedto make a change, to shake things up abit and add a new shareholder intothe mix. And not just any new

shareholder, a voluntary one and onefrom Australia at that. Why?

Managing Director for Working Links Keith Faulkner

explains it all...

We have ambitious goals for Working Links to

have a larger workforce and a wider presence in

every region of the country and possibly

overseas. To make that a reality, we knew we

couldnt just sit back we needed to make sureour structure was still the right one for us, so

that we could keep growing our business and

better manage any short-term problems.



Working Lin

The new shareholder route

So last year, we commissioned Henley Management College

to conduct an in-depth review into the best future structure of

our organisation. Their advice? To gain investment from a

voluntary sector organisation.

We explored other options as well, such as venture capital,

getting a bank loan and even floating Working Links on the

stock exchange, but after much thought, we decided that a

new shareholder and a voluntary one specifically was the

way to go, explains Keith.

Why Mission Australia?

Our next task was to consider potential organisations who

might want to invest in us, and wed feel comfortable

having on our Board. It had to be an organisation with

similar values to Working Links, preferably with experience

in employment services and of working with disadvantaged

people. Mission Australia fitted the bill perfectly.

We chose Mission Australia for a number of reasons, says

Keith. Firstly, they are a strong and innovative voluntary

organisation and extremely good at what they do. Theyare a market leader in Australia at working with

disadvantaged people they helped more than 55,000

people into jobs in 2004-2005 alone. And the fact they are

voluntary adds an interesting new element to our structure,

and makes us the UKs first ever public/private/voluntary

sector organisation.

Our objectives havent changed and, with a new

shareholder on board, were now one step closer toachieving them.


14/4014 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

The Australian advantage

Of course, we could have gone with another UK shareholder. But we felt Mission Australia

offered the best fit for us and we can learn a lot from our Antipodean cousins. Australia

was the first country to contract out public employment services, and it has been highly

successful there. Indeed, the UK Government has expressed a particular interest

in the Australian model, so the fact we now have strong links with one of

Australias biggest employment service operators should be very good news for us.

This is a unique opportunity for us to share new ideas and innovative approaches

for tackling the problems relating to unemployment and a lack of opportunity,

adds Keith. At the same time, our new shareholder gives us the capacity and

stability we need to strengthen and grow our business, so that we can

extend our back to work services to even more people in need nationally.

This is a very exciting development for us.

So whats in it for us exactly?

We think our new structure offers lots of benefits. With Mission Australias expertise (and

significant cash investment), we can:

build and strengthen our capacity, and ensure our business is secure for the future

deliver services to even more disadvantaged people in the UK, and possibly overseas

become more established in the new markets we want to be involved in, such as crime

reduction, health and education

respond to the changing needs of the UK Government

show our commitment to the future of employment programmes, particularly in light of the

Governments aim to engage the voluntary sector further in delivering public services.

This is a unique opportunity for us to share newideas and innovative approaches for tackling the

problems relating to unemployment



Working Lin

Quick-fire questions

We put Working Links MD, Keith Faulkner, on the spot

and quizzed him further about our new structure, new

shareholder and potential new opportunities.

Whats Mission Australias stake in Working Links

They own a third of our company shares. The Secretar

of State for Work and Pensions owns another third. An

Capgemini and Manpower now jointly own a third.

How much has Mission Australia invested?

1.45 million. Well be using that money to grow our

operations, and extend our services to even more peop

Did you need the money because of financial

difficulties?

Were not in difficulty now, but at the end of 2004, thing

werent going that well for us. We weathered that storm

without exceeding our credit limit, but we certainly don

want to face those kind of problems again. So this

investment will definitely strengthen us financially. But it

also been about giving us the capacity we need to grow

Working Links, which is what we want to do.

What role will Mission Australia play in Working

Links?

Like our other shareholders, theyll sit on our Board and

work with us to improve our strategy and the delivery oour services.

Will it mean international opportunities?

Potentially. Well be looking into all the different options

building on our current services. We already have

international expertise in advising foreign governments

their employment programmes, most recently in

Singapore and China. We may well take advantage of

further international opportunities.

Have your long-term business plans changed now

Not at all. Our vision is still to be an organisation with a

workforce of at least 2000, making an even greater

contribution to the welfare to work agenda. We also

intend to become more established in new markets suc

as crime reduction, corporate and social responsibility,

and economic regeneration. Our objectives havent

changed and, with a new shareholder on board, wer

now one step closer to achieving them.


16/4016 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

The background

Sams top five tips for impressing employers at interviews

1. Be enthusiastic! Some jobseekers give you the impression they really dont care about the job at all.

2. Find out about the company. If you take time to discover what they do, its a real plus.

3. Dont worry about experience. Its more important that youre ready to learn.

4. Age isnt an issue its your attitude and wanting the job that counts with me.

5. Try to look presentable you dont necessarily need smart clothes, but do show youve made an effort.

Gail hadnt worked for more than 20 years as shed been bringing up her son and lookingafter her terminally ill mother. Sam was looking for reliable and enthusiastic staff for

Connects growing business of distributing electrical, household and finished goods.

Working Links brought Gail and Sam together and solved the issues that could have

prevented this success story from happening.

We bring together two people in a recent jobseekers

success story Gail Weston, a 41 year-old mum from the

West Midlands, and her new boss Sam White, Deputy

Distribution Manager of Connect Distribution.



Working Lin

I had to go out to work after my mother died,

but at my age and with virtually no

experience of work, I didnt think

anyone would look at me. The

Jobcentre put me onto WorkingLinks. I wanted a part-time job

so I could ease into work

gradually and they looked at all

the options. There was this

vacancy at Connect for a

warehouse operative packing

electrical goods, and my

consultant Caroline Singh

persuaded me I could go

for it.

I was really worried it would involve

computers, and Id never even

been to an interview before. But

Caroline was great. We did a

Connect awareness session and

she took me through a practice

interview. They even gave me money tobuy new shoes for the interview.

At the interview my stomach was doing

somersaults, but Sam and the Connect people

really made me feel at ease. I couldnt believe it

when they offered me the job.

Ive now finished my three months probation and

everyone says my confidences gone from zero to

ten. Im doing overtime, and if theres thechance to do full-time Id like to go for it.

The best thing about Working Links is

theyre such a friendly bunch. Theyll make

you a cup of tea, have a chat and ask

what they can do to help. They even got

me a bus pass at the beginning so I

could get to work.

Gail came across really well at

interview. She was keen and like

the 20 plus other people

weve had from Working

Links, she knewsomething about our

company, which I

thinks important.

Her age wasnt an

issue. Weve got lots of

middle-aged staff here,

and if they want the job Ill

give them a chance. Iknow Gail was worried

about computers, but

there isnt that much

involved. With a little

bit of training, everyone

picks it up really fast.

We use many recruitment

sources like the Jobcentre

and word of mouth, but

what I really like about Working

Links is that everythings done for you.

They get the person to you, sort out all the

schedules and organise the CVs. When I

need people, all I do is call my Working

Links contact Sarah, tell her how

many people I want to interview and

shell do all the organising. And I can

be confident about who she sends.

In the past Ive had part-timers

turning up for full-time posts, and

people who are clearly unsuited.

Working Links do their

homework, so I get the right

people, who fit

the job.

Gail: Sam:


18/40

My favourite book has to be

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.

All of her books capture the

darkest, shady sides of Victorian

London. Just when you think

youve sussed the story, sheturns the plot upside down with

mysterious and unpredictable

twists and turns.

Sarah Buxton-Adams,

Employer Consultant,

Birmingham

My recommendation would be

The Journey of Man: A Genetic

Odyssey. Its by Spencer Wells,

a specialist in population

genetics and evolution, who

travelled the world to decipherthe genetic codes of people,

from the Sahara Desert to

Siberia. The book looks at

how the DNA of humans can

help us to work out where

our ancestors lived and what

they were like. Its a subject I

find fascinating.

Sarah Triggs, Employer

Consultant, Birmingham

I really enjoyed The Time

Traveller's Wife by Audrey

Niffenegger, which chronicles

the story of Henry and Clare.

Henry has a rare genetic

condition which means he catravel in time within his own lif

He meets himself as a boy, a

teenager and an adult, and

when he meets Clare at the a

of six, he has come from their

joint future, so he already kno

shell be his wife one day. It

takes a few pages to get the

hang of the constant changes

age and the lack of chronologbut its well worth persevering

demonstrates beautifully that

there is no stopping fate, we

have our destiny mapped out

for us, and even knowing wha

that fate is doesnt give us the

power to change it.

Sharon Baker, Self-

employment Consultant,

Birmingham

Read any good books recently? Or what about your

all-time favourite read? We asked six of our

consultants for their recommendations.

Id recommend this book

18 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links


19/40

I'd recommend the 'Greek

Anthology' as edited by Peter

Jay. It's a collection of pithy

poems stretching back from the

7th Century BC to the 6th

Century AD, reaching from

Greeces Golden Age and up to

the Byzantine renaissance. The

poems are epigrams for the

most part, and the early

examples were originally

inscribed on monuments,

graves and the bases of statues

as well as private verses found

on pots and the like. The verses

capture all the variety of life,

many are entertainingly frivolous

and delightfully dirty too.

Tim Wells, Self-employment

Consultant, Tower Hamlets

My favourite book is Wild

Swans by Jung Chang. It tells

the story of three women, living

through the last century in

China. Its beautifully written,

and although its a personal

story, its also a history lesson,

and gives you an insight into

communism and the Chairman

Mao dictatorship. I read it

travelling round Thailand, and

some of the scenery described

in the book looked a lot like the

rice fields and lush vegetation

that was whizzing past my bus

window on the way to Chang

Mai. This book reminds me that

there's a whole wide world out

there, waiting to be discovered.

Georgina Rudden, Consultant,Stockport

My personal favourite is

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald

Dahl. Its about a group of

farmers who hate Mr Fox

because of the chaos he

causes in their chicken sheds

The farmers decide to catch h

but Mr. Fox, being very cunni

hatches plans to outsmart all

them! I like it because I come

from a farm, so I identify with

the story, also because my

Grandad used to read it to m

when I was a little girl! My bet

half is reading the life story of

John Peel which he also high

recommends. Half the book

was written by John and then

after his death, his wife

continued it and finished his

life story.

Sarah Miller, Engagement

Consultant, Bootle


Working Lin


20/4020 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

If you live in Australia, and youve fallen on hard

times, chances are you could be getting help from

Mission Australia. They're a non-denominational

Christian organisation, and one of the country's

leading charities - and for more than 140 years,

theyve been helping Australias mostdisadvantaged individuals and communities out of

crisis and into security.

Our programmes inspire self-confidence and

hope by helping people tap into their own

resources, overcome disadvantage and pursue

more positive, independent lives, says Eric

DIndy, Mission Australias Director of Marketing

and Corporate Affairs.

We run nearly 330 different services across

metropolitan, rural and regional Australia. This

includes services for families in need, initiatives

marginalised young people, accommodation

solutions for homeless people, and programmes

designed to strengthen whole communities.

Theyre one of Australias biggest employment service operators. They helped over

55,900 disadvantaged people into jobs in 2004-2005 alone. And now they own one

third of Working Links. We take a closer look at Mission Australia who they are,what they do, and what they think about being our newest shareholder.



Working Lin

Common ground

Like Working Links, Mission Australia also runs employment and training services for unemployed

people and those seeking to re-enter the workforce and they are extremely successful in this area.

In 2004-2005, they worked with 159,000 unemployed people, placing more than 55,900 into jobs,

helping 1,004 people set up their own businesses, and encouraging more than 7,500 people to

complete vocational training.

Our services were established mainly for disadvantaged jobseekers especially those who have

been continuously unemployed for at least 12 months to assist them in finding sustainable long-

term employment, says Eric. We find the self-esteem our clients gain when employed is a vital part

of our work in helping Australians get back on their feet to lead more fulfilling lives. Our achievements

this year have consolidated our standing as one of Australias leading not-for-profit employmentservice operators.

So why has Mission Australia joined Working Links?

In recent years, they've started looking beyond their own country for opportunities to use their

expertise to help disadvantaged individuals and communities, both in the developed and

developing world.

With its cultural and political links to Australia along with a deregulated employment serviceenvironment Britain offered an appealing market for us to consider extending our operations,

says Eric.

Working Links is one of the UKs most successful organisations at helping people back to long-term

work. They have a similar vision of making a lasting difference in some of the most deprived

communities in the country. We are confident that with our shared experience; this partnership will

help change the landscape of the job market in the UK, giving priority to the nations most

disadvantaged people and communities.


22/40



Working Lin

Why were very pleased to be the UKs first PPVP

(public-private-voluntary partnership that is!)

Youve heard of PPP public-private partnership. But how about

PPVP? Its what Working Links has now become, with a new

shareholder joining our Board, the charity Mission Australia.

It means we are now the first employment programme provider with

public, private and voluntary sector shareholders potentially the firs

organisation in the UK even and we think this unique company

structure puts us in an ideal position to deliver on the Governments

new welfare reforms.

This is certainly borne out in their latest Green Paper A new deal f

welfare: Empowering people to work. In it, they outline their new

proposals for tackling unemployment, and specifically their plans for

helping people on incapacity benefit, lone parents and older people

back to work (we summarise these over the page).

Throughout the Paper, the Government talks about its desire to invo

the private and voluntary sectors further to tackle issues such as soc

exclusion and worklessness.

By giving them greater freedom,they have improved performance independent evaluation shows

they achieve significantly betterjob outcomes.


24/4024 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

Here are some extracts from the Paper which

was published at the end of January:

Since coming into office in 1997, we have

embarked on a radical series of reforms to our

welfare statethese have made a hugedifference. Britain now has the highest

employment rate of any G8 countrybut there

is more to do

Our economy and society is changing fast.

Our welfare state must help us respond to these

changes to support those unable to support

themselves.to support people in acquiring the

new skills they need for the jobs of the

futureto help UK companies succeed in the

new global economy. We set out here our

proposals for how this could be done

We need to reform not just the policy

framework, but also the delivery of the welfare

state. This is why we invested over 2 billion in

bringing together the Benefits Agency and the

Employment Service to create Jobcentre Plus

At the same time, we have brought in private

and voluntary sector providers. In Employment

Zones, providers are paid, not according to what

they do, but according to what they achieve. By

giving them greater freedom, they have

improved performance independent evaluation

shows they achieve significantly better job

outcomes than Jobcentre Plus does with

comparable clients

In this next stage of reform we will

need to engage private and voluntary

sector providers

There will be an expectationthat local

partners will work together to improve

economic regeneration, through skills,

employment and health. Voluntary and

private sector organisations, with their

distinctive understanding of the social and

economic environment in a local area, will

be key contributors to making a success of

this initiative

Our proposals build on the principles of

the New DealThey will set a new direction

bringing together the public, private and

voluntary sectors in a new mission to

transform some of Britains most

disadvantaged communities.

The fact that we now have public, private and

voluntary sector shareholders makes us

ideally placed to help the Government achieve

its objectives and we are keen to promote

our new PPVP status as the way forward for

back-to-work contracts.

You can read the full Green Paper at

www.dwp.gov.uk/aboutus/welfarereform



Working Lin

The Governments new welfare reforms at a glance

What they want to achieve

The Government currently has three main aims:

To reduce incapacity benefit claimants by one million within a decade

To get 300,000 lone parents back to work

To increase by one million the number of older people (aged over 50) in employment

How they plan to do it

They have announced various new proposals to help them achieve their objectives. The

are some of the main ones:

Incapacity benefit

Incapacity benefit will be replaced by the Employment and Support Allowance by 200

The Pathways to Work initiative will be rolled out nationally. This has already been

piloted successfully, and shows that with the right support, many people on incapacit

benefits can move back into work.

There will be new initiatives to improve workplace health, and improve access to

occupational health support, to minimise the likelihood of people developing health

problems in the first place.

GPs will begin taking active steps to support patients who want to return to work.

Employment advisers are also being piloted in GP surgeries.

Lone parents

A premium will be trialled so that lone parents are better off if they take serious steps

towards preparing for work.

Older people

There will be more back-to-work support for people over 50.

Unemployed people aged 50 to 59 will have to be actively looking for work, and gett

support through the New Deal.

Worklessness

City pilot schemes led by local stakeholder consortiums will form the basis for tacklin

concentrated urban worklessness. These consortia will be obliged to use private /

voluntary sector providers to deliver their employment programmes.


26/4026 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions holds

a one third share in Working Links, explains Deputy

Director for Market Development Karen

Masterson. In the past, DWP appointed

Jobcentre Plus to represent their interest, but

they have now transferred that, as part of the

Governments policy to provide more

professional and more independent

support in its shareholdings.

Youd be forgiven if you havent

heard of the Shareholder Executive.

They are, in fact, the department set

up specifically to manage the

Governments interests in variousorganisations, such as Royal Mail and

Channel 4. As a separate body, made up

of representatives with significant

business experience, they can offer us

greater strategic input and advice.

Our company structure has changed in more ways

than one recently. As well as a new shareholder,the public sector share in Working Links is nowbeing managed by the GovernmentsShareholder Executive.


27/40


28/4028 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

Youve got a great idea

for a new business, but

youre not sure how to

go about it or whether

to take the plunge. What

should be your starting

point? How can you

avoid the pitfalls? Andmost importantly, how

can you increase your

chances of success?

We ask some of our

Self-employment

Consultants for their

pearls of wisdom.

VOXPOP :The secret of asuccessful business?



Working Lin

Your aim in business, quite simply, is to sell a product or service and make aprofit. And you want to do that with minimal effort and risk, in terms of the timeand money you put into it. Ideally you also want to do something you findrewarding. To achieve all of that, you need to know your product, your market,your customers, your competitors and your suppliers. So your starting point hasto be market research and business planning. Pricing is also key. One of thebiggest pitfalls for new businesses is the failure to sell their product at the rightprice, to make enough profit to cover their costs. Overall Id say the mostsuccessful businesses are those that can adapt to the dynamic, ever-changingsituation they operate in.

Peng Ong, Self-employment Consultant, Hackney

You may think its an appealing option, but have you really thought about thepracticalities of working for yourself? Will you be able to get up in the morningwithout a boss to answer to? Will you be able to work from home with your kidsrunning around? Think carefully about whether youll really be able to do it. Also,get some customers or contracts before you sign off benefits or leave your job it could take a few months and youll need something to live on in the meantime.Plan for the worst what would you do if you didnt get any work in, or lots ofwork at once? If you can deal with the worst case scenario, the rest should be

fairly easy. Understand the difference between bread and butter, and jam bythat I mean the steady regular work that pays the bills, versus the more one-offlucrative contracts. Finally, be visible the best advertising is word of mouth, somake the most of customer relationships.

Tim Wells, Self-employment Consultant, Tower Hamlets

www.bizhelp24.com is a good place to start. Its the most comprehensivebusiness set up advice site Ive found theres pretty much everything on there,from loan providers to tax, and lots of good marketing tips. When someonecomes to me with an idea, I get them to go away and really think carefully aboutwhats involved, and decide if they still want to take it on. Id say you need to berealistic. If you want to set up a restaurant for example, youre going to need amassive investment upfront and you could be risking a lot. It might be better tostart small, and set up a mobile sandwich van, say, first. Then you can build onthat. And whatever your idea, make sure youre absolutely committed to it.

Sharon Baker, Self-employment Consultant, Birmingham


30/4030 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

Companies trying to ban office romance may as well try and ban Christmas but if youre about

to get entangled with someone at work, its worth following a few guidelines

UK employees work the longest hours of any country in Europe, so its not surprising many of u

are finding romance in the workplace. And, as any psychologist would point out, people in the

same line of work often have similar interests, so were more likely to be attracted to them.

Did you know youre just as likely to meet your future

partner at work as you are in a bar or through friends?

Thats the finding of a recent UK poll of 9,000 workers

anyway. It also revealed that over 60% of those polled

had been involved romantically with a colleague at

some time or another.

What companies think

Believe it or not, many companies now have policies on office romance so make

sure you know what these are. Some discourage it altogether while others sugges

you tell them about it. In the States, some companies even ask employees to sign s

called love contracts to ensure the couple treat each other fairly if things go wrong

A bad move professionally?

Although things havent gone quite that far in the UK, its pretty much an unspoken

rule not to let your love life interfere with your work. In the worst case scenario, you

could end up losing your job and your work friends over an office fling so before

things go too far, its worth asking yourself, is it really worth it?

The beginning of a beautiful friendship

On the flip-side, you dont want to discount relationships with colleagues altogether.

Its hard enough finding a like-minded partner these days and, as you probably

already know each other pretty well, chances are you could be very compatible.



Working Lin

Want to know more?

Take a look at some of these sites:

www.divorce-online.co.uk

www.thesite.org

www.handbag.com

www.monster.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk/onel

So there are pros and cons of getting involved with someone at work. Theres also a right and a wrong way of goinabout it. Here are a few DOs and DONTs to follow:

DO:

Find out your companys policy on relationships between colleagues preferably before you get involved witsomeone.

Tell your boss in confidence about the relationship if you can it may help later if things dont work out.

Think it through carefully. At first, it may seem fantastic seeing each other every day at work but what aboin the long term? And can you handle it if things go wrong?

Be careful what you say to colleagues its a bad idea to gossip about intimate details of your love life withpeople you both have to work with.

Keep your professional and personal life separate its by far the most sensible approach.

DONT:

Snog in the stationery cupboard, lift, or anywhere else at work for that matter.

Send soppy emails to each other all day long using work email these things stay on the system for sometime, and are easily traced.

Start a romance with anyone in senior management if you can help it if things dont work out, it could bevery awkward, and it could lead to accusations of favouritism too.

Let your romance affect your standard of work if you do, you could be gaining a partner, but losing your jo

The DOs and DONTs


32/40

How do we work together?

Who are they?Who are they?

One Parent Families is the leading national charitypromoting the welfare and interests of the UKs 1.8

million lone parents. They do this through research

and campaigning, and they are widely recognised a

the experts on the issues lone parents face. In

addition, the charity runs services for lone parents

through its Lone Parent Helpline 0800 018 5026, a

publishes factsheets and information for people bringing up children on their own. The charity has tripl

in size in the last five years, thanks in part to the generosity of author JK Rowling, their President.

How do we work together?

Through our work to help lone parents into jobs, weve forged several links with One Parent Families:

We jointly run Discovery Weeks and Mentoring programmes in London. These are free five-day

courses and coaching sessions, designed to help lone parents achieve their goals in a way that fits

with their family responsibilities. We have jointly developed a lone parents survival guide, containing all sorts of practical information

from how to manage childcare, to flexible working options. This is now available to all our lone paren

clients nationally.

We have also commissioned One Parent Families to train some of our front line consultants. By doin

so, were able to tap into the charitys expertise, and ensure our back to work programmes for lone

parents are as effective as possible.


Working Links

One Parent Families


33/40

Working Links shares our passion and commitment t

removing the barriers that can hold lone parents back

They treat each client as an individual with a unique se

of issues to work through. One Parent Families

partnership with them provides us with an opportunity

to influence programmes that can help lone parents

move into work.

Chris Hills, Innovations and Partnerships Director,

One Parent Families.

What they say about u


Working Lin

For more information about One Parent Families, visit

www.oneparentfamilies.org.uk

or call 0207 428 5400.

What they say about us


34/40

THE TRUTH BEHIND THOSE AUSSIESTEREOTYPES...

G'DAY MATE! LET'S CRACK OPEN ACOUPLE OF TINNIES, THROW A STEAKON THE BARBIE, AND HAVE A LOOK ATSOME AUSSIE STEREOTYPES. IS THEWHOLE OF AUSTRALIA SO LAID BACK

IT REGULARLY FALLS OFF ITSSUNLOUNGER (WHILE BEING BITTENBY POISONOUS INSECTS ANDCASUALLY WRESTLING A FEW CROCS)?

PROBABLY NOT TO WELCOME MISSION AUSTRALIA

ONTO OUR BOARD, WE LOOK AT THE FACT AND FICTI

Working Links

1. 2.




Laid back layabouts

You'll hear the phrase 'no worries' everywhere you

go in Australia, and its a refreshing change to our

more uptight British approach to life. But laid-back

certainly doesn't mean lazy. Australians work an

average of 1,800 hours a year, significantly more

than most Europeans (at 1,350 hours). Aussies

may relax with a barbie (and who can blame them

in that climate), but their ingrained work ethic is

reflected in language like 'hard yakka', and

'bludger' someone who wants a free ride.

Australians are hard workers for a good reason:

survival once depended on it. Only 200 years

ago, the first white settlers found unforgiving

soils and unreliable rivers, and people battled th

land to eke out a living. Today's ease of life and

a growing economic presence has only come

with modern irrigation and the technology for a

comfortable city infrastructure.

>

N OUR EUROPEAN VIEW OF OZ.

Working Lin

4.

1. A sheila

2. A barbie3. A croc

4. Uluru

5. Roo crossing

6. A rogue

7. Rip tides8. Amber nectar

9. A gum tree


36/4036 :Spring 2006 - Issue 8

Working Links

Rough around the edges

The Crocodile Dundee tough guy and beer-swilling rancher are a part of Australian culture but if

they exist, it's only in the 'outback', the thousands of miles of rainforest, scrub and desert which

stretch across Australia's interior and North. Half the area of the continent contains only 0.3% of the

population. The most densely populated 1% contains 84% of the population, and 70% of

Australians are in the cities, living an urban, cosmopolitan life. Australians read more newspapers

than any other nation, 80% of them work in service industries, and a surf around the cities'

websites rather than beaches reveals cultural venues and festivals galore.

>

Everything's poisonous

Yep. Australia has six of the top ten deadliest snakes in the

world, including the Taipan whose bite can contain enough

venom to kill 100 people. Theyve got the Funnelweb spider,

whose fangs can pierce clothing and kill a man in two hours.

Even the delightful male platypus has a poisonous spine that

can kill a dog. Many plants will cause a rash if touched, and

the country has over 1,000 species of plant which are toxic.

Plant poisoning of livestock costs Australia $100 million each

year. The seas are no better, with delights including the Box

Jellyfish, whose sting can stop cardio-respiratory function in

three minutes, and kills more people than sharks and crocs.

Do, nevertheless, try to avoid the Great White, and the Salt

Water Crocodile.

>

6.

7.

*This afternoon, everyone's having fun in their swimming

costumes eating a pub meal with an original roguish individual!


37/40


38/40

issue 8


Working Links

We bust some employment jargon, stagger you with a statistic, quote

someone famous, and prcis one of our programmes.

Jargon-busted

Welfare to work:

a phrase frequently

used in employment

programme circles, as

in Working Links runs

welfare to workprogrammes and we

contribute to the

welfare to work

agenda. Welfare to

work actually means

the journey we help

someone take to move

from being unemployed

(and dependant on

welfare benefits) into

long-term (paid)

employment. So now

you know.

Staggering statistic

In the last financial year (2004-2005), Working Links generated an

income of47,963,219. In the same period, we spent almost a third

of that amount (14,984,012) on helping jobseekers back to work.



Working Lin

osaidit?

wer:DavidBrent,TheOffice

What is it?

A pilot project were running with Jobcentre Plus, to helpeople aged 50 or over, access Jobcentre services, pluvolunteering, training and employment opportunities.

Where do we run it?

Cardiff.

Whats special about it?

Its the only project that brings together a range of AgePositive organisations and employers through events ac

the city and the Vale of Glamorgan.What do we do exactly?

We organise the events, liaise with local employers, andhelp older jobseekers access the services on offer. Weralso raising awareness with an ongoing marketingcampaign, via the radio, press, targeted leaflet drops ancommunity sessions. Weve even hired eco-friendly

Ad-Bikes that provide a free taxi service around the cen

How successful has it been?

In the two years its been running, the project has engagover 200 eligible people and raised the awareness ofthousands more.

What do people say about it?

This event is a great example of how organisations canwork together and help employers realise that the invaluskills and experience of older workers are going to wast

In a nutshell Focus 50

[Gareth Matthews, Working Links director for Wales andthe West of England, talking about our event at theMillennium stadium in April 2005]

Who said it?

Theres no i in team, but if you look hard enough theres a me.[see the bottom of the page for the answer]


40/40

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