Project: ReachOut

ReachOut provides innovative and proactive engagement activity through door-knocking in areas of deprivation across the Super Output Areas of Wirral. The team of twelve Guidance Workers, identify barriers to training and employment and refer participants to both local and mainstream organisations and other relevant projects and organisations. Dependant on the severity of the residents' issues, the team also case-load themselves and help support clients. The project goes on to develop action plans with participants through six Employment Support Workers, progressing clients into employment and overcoming barriers through use of a Discretionary Fund.

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Operational since 2006, the Reachout service developed a door-knocking model to tackle the key route to third  generational unemployment amongst the hard-to-reach client groups. ReachOut engages participants under the aegis of Working Wirral where individuals from key target groups are given doorstep advice on their situation and offered opportunities to progress into work or training.

To effect a positive initial engagement, ReachOut worked with the Merseyside Fire Service and offered free safety checks and the fitting of smoke alarms to local households. This innovative approach provided an opening and a level of trust that could be built on.

Households in the area may be facing a number of barriers to employment, including debt and other financial difficulties. Finding a way through these barriers is a vital part of the process. The ReachOut project is able to signpost and refer individuals to a number of partner organisations in order to work effectively through barriers. They take pride in never over-promising or under-delivering to participants, which results in community trust and an increased likelihood that people will make use of the service. They can support people for 13 weeks and more, and have an excellent 72% retention rate of the 2146 residents they have so far (April 2010) supported back to work.

In many of the neighborhoods targeted, many households experience long-term unemployment with a high incidence of household income under £16,000 p.a.. In addition, many families experience the effects of intergenerational worklessness, meaning the capacity to offer advice and guidance on the doorstep, is an effective way of addressing the situation, even if the route back into work takes.

ReachOut works out of six local bases, including church halls like the one in Woodchurch, and community centres. Its multi-agency approach means that clients can be cross-referred. A gender breakdown shows that there are more men than women at home in the areas where the service operates, and during last year's recession, there were a high number of young people looking for work. Despite these challenges, many individuals have been helped back to work over a two-year period.

The recent economic situation with additional redundancy has had a big impact on unemployment figures in the ReachOut supported communities, however, the team continues to effectively engage with residents in order to support their training aspirations, increase confidence and enable residents to become job ready. The door-knocking aspect continues, and the organisation also delivers local community job clubs to increase its neighbourhood profile and assist local people with a continued service in their community.

Contact details

Lia Robinson, ReachOut Coordinator
Involve Northwest
225 Church Road, Tranmere, Wirral, CH42 0LD
(0151) 641 5781
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