Project: Sefton@Work: Reaching out when times are hard

Sefton@Work offers a number of initiatives to help workless Sefton residents access training and employment opportunities in changing economic times for the area. The service is focused on the individual and meeting their particular needs, regardless of circumstances. During the downturn, the project has successfully maintained contact with participants furthest from labour market at the same time as dealing with those recently made redundant – requiring flexibility and a mixture of approaches





Project feature

The Sefton area has experienced high levels of worklessness in the past, and this has been exacerbated by the economic downturn, with companies like Littlewoods making large numbers of people redundant. There have been issues around recent redundancies in the area, not only adding to the workload but also rendering the longer-term workless further from the job market than before. Issues around the service meeting the needs of professionals who have recently been made redundant, adding to the pressure on the adviser team, have been addressed by working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus. Their arrangements with specialist professional job agencies have allowed the Sefton@Work advisers to concentrate on those requiring longer and more intensive support on the road to employment. Similarly, in the current climate, the project no longer deals with those who are currently in work, but is able to refer them to the Opportunities Shop, a partner organisation which runs a service to support this client group.

Sefton@Work has two centres, one in Bootle and another in Netherton which has expanded recently to take over the ground floor ‘shop front’ premises. Geographically the area stretches from Southport up to Liverpool, and the project also offers outreach support in a number of locations, using premises such as libraries and community centres, and working with other groups such as registered social landlords. The outreach programme is essential in an area like this, where the hardest to reach might find it difficult to leave their own locality to look for work or access training. A worker is based in Southport to work specifically with the migrant community and provide a focused approach. Both IAG and more intensive jobsearch courses are on offer, both within the centres and on an outreach basis. This project also offers programmes to address motivation and personal barriers, which are seen as an important aspect of the job seeking package. (for more information, see Sefton@Work web site). The project covers a wide area from Southport to the borders of Liverpool itself.




Contact details

Judith Robinson, Sefton@Work Manager
Sefton Council
286-288 Stanley Road Bootle, Liverpool, L20 3ER
(0151) 934 2610




Key project message

A crucial element in the project’s method has been outreach into a deprived and economically seriously challenged community. Making contact with people some distance from the labour market has meant engagement outside formal offices and away from offputting ‘officialdom’, whilst outreach has also been a valuable way to reach people experiencing redundancy and with little experience of how to cope with sudden job loss. Although these groups differ in many ways, the project’s experience and flexibility has enabled it to adapt to changing needs, and its ability to develop new referral relationships quickly in order to help deal with its sudden growth in demand from professionals has been very important.




Project impact

Dealing with both long-term unemployed and those newly made redundant, the project is meeting targets at a time of increased pressure on the service. Whilst the job situation in the town has undergone quite significant changes over the past year, Sefton@Work is continuing to meet the needs of participants and provide a flexible service which prepares people for work in a changing labour market. Through partnership with Jobcentre Plus, those in need of more specific professional guidance have been helped through referral to specialist agencies.

Sefton@Work downloadables




Key data

  • Region: North West
  • Sub-regions: Merseyside
  • Objective: Competitiveness and employment
  • Priority area: 1: Extending employment opportunities
  • Themes:
    • Not applicable
  • Co-financer: Skills Funding Agency
  • Lead partner: Sefton Council
  • Partner organisations: Sefton Council, A4E, Opportunities Shop, Sencia, Skills Funding Agency, Jobcentre Plus, Working Links Ltd
  • Key sectors:
    • Hospitality and leisure
    • Care
  • Activities:
    • Integrating disadvantaged people into employment
    • Improving equal access to employment
  • Key target groups:
    • Unemployed
  • Funding: Not available
  • Start date: 01/07/2008
  • End date: 31/3/2011
  • Project web site: http://www.seftonatwork.net