Communities that Work

It was a pleasure to welcome Helen Whately MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to the JobsPlus Centre in Swale in July. A huge thanks to Southern Housing and the Learning and Work Institute for their help in organising the day.   Helen spent time with staff and service users, learning about the vital work being done to support local residents into long-term employment and help them build brighter futures.   In her role as Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Helen plays an important role in scrutinising national employment policy, and we hope that she and her shadow team will continue to support the JobsPlus model as part of wider efforts to help people into sustainable work.   #JobsPlus #Swale #CommunitiesThatWork #SouthernHousing #EmploymentSupport #InclusiveCommunities

We were delighted to help facilitate Liam Conlon MP's recent visit to the local JobsPlus site in his constituency of Beckenham and Penge, in partnership with Clarion Housing Group. Liam met with staff and local participants to hear first hand about the important work under way to help local people move into meaningful and lasting employment. We’re proud to play a role in Penge’s journey toward greater opportunity and inclusion and are thankful for Liam’s support for the programme. #JobsPlus #Penge #CommunitiesThatWork #ClarionHousingGroup #EmploymentOpportunities

We are delighted to launch our new Communications and Public Affairs Network - a dedicated space designed to support and inform housing association communications leads.   This network is an opportunity to strengthen the voice of housing associations and share best practice in proactive, joined-up communications that support our shared mission of connecting housing, employment, and government.   As a member of the network, you will receive: 🔹 Regular political bulletins summarising announcements from Government and key political stakeholders. 🔹 Briefings on relevant ministerial statements, parliamentary debates, written questions and select committee activity. 🔹 Updates on MP visits and meetings with CtW members, including key takeaways and opportunities to engage. 🔹 Notifications about key political events of relevance to the sector.   Please get in touch via email to communitiesthatwork@plmr.co.uk should you be interested in joining!   Further details here: https://lnkd.in/eRcAt7ab

🎯 Targeted Support to Help Young People into Work 🎯 Communities that Work welcomes the recent announcement from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), launching the Youth Guarantee trailblazers. This £45 million landmark programme will support young people furthest from the labour market into employment and training. With thousands of young people set to benefit, this is a timely investment in person-centred, localised support, helping to tackle economic inactivity and unlock potential across communities. Key measures include: 🔹 Targeted employment support for 18–21-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) 🔹 Mental health support and money advice 🔹 Specialist provision through the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model We know from our network of social housing providers that joined-up, locally delivered employment support truly works. This move is a step in the right direction, and we stand ready to partner with government and local actors to ensure its success. 🔗 Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/e2iJ5Vwy #YouthEmployment #EconomicInclusion #CommunitiesThatWork #EmploymentSupport #LocalSolutions #SocialHousing #InclusiveGrowth #PlaceMatters

📍 Where You’re From Still Shapes Where You’re Going 📍 The Sutton Trust report, 'The Opportunity Index: The Geography of Opportunity and Social Mobility', is a powerful reminder of the geographical inequalities in England. Drawing on some of the most detailed constituency and regional-level data to date, the report shows how socio-economic background, educational attainment, and access to opportunity are tightly interwoven. A young person’s future is still too often determined by the postcode they grow up in. Among the recommendations to Government, the Sutton Trust called for: 📌Equalised access to early education 📌Increased maintenance support available for higher education students 📌Removial of barriers to accessing professional jobs, including banning unpaid internships At Communities that Work, we understand that socio-economic background too often negatively impacts access to opportunity. That is why we are committed to supporting social housing residents across the country into long-term, meaningful work. 🔗 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ez9t8kgd. #SocialMobility #OpportunityIndex #EducationPolicy #RegionalInequality #YouthOpportunity #SuttonTrust #LevellingUp #EducationMatters #PlaceAndProspects #CommunitiesThatWork

🌟 Empowering Communities through Employment: Ministerial Insights 🌟 It was a real privilege to hear from Alison McGovern, Minister for Employment, at Communities that Work's annual parliamentary reception last month. Her keynote speech underlined the need to take a holistic approach to employment support, recognising the importance of housing, mental health and community based services. McGovern also expressed her support for crucial programmes like JobsPlus and the newly announced Right to Try Guarantee - initiatives that can make a tangible difference in the lives of people across the country. Communities that Work remain committed to supporting individuals into stable, meaningful employment and hope to continue to collaborate with McGovern and her team to ensure that people across the country maximise their potential. #EmploymentSupport #CommunitiesThatWork #JobsPlus #RightToTry #AlisonMcGovern #MinisterForEmployment #SocialImpact

📚 We were incredibly pleased to see the recent launch of the #GettheNationLearning Campaign from the Learning and Work Institute. The campaign promotes lifelong learning as a critical driver for achieving the Government's ambition of a "skills revolution" and ensuring more people can access quality employment, no matter their background or stage of life. Communities that Work is proud to stand alongside more than 35 other leading organisations in pledging our support. We know from experience that housing providers are uniquely placed to help people develop skills, access training and provide employment guidance, and we are excited to see how this campaign will amplify these efforts across the country. As we look ahead, we are confident that Get the Nation Learning will help to create a more inclusive labour market that works for everyone. #CommunitiesThatWork #GetTheNationLearning #LearningAndWorkInstitute #SkillsRevolution #EmploymentSupport #LifelongLearning

We are delighted to share that our Managing Director, Lynsey Sweeney, has been appointed to the Clarion Futures Board of Directors.   Clarion Housing Group’s charitable foundation, Clarion Futures, focuses on helping people find jobs and training, develop digital skills, manage their money, and improve their local communities. Lynsey’s extensive expertise across social housing and employment support will help to strengthen this mission.   The programme provides people with the tools and support to help overcome challenges and fulfil their potential. In 2023-24, Clarion Futures invested £18m in communities across the country, resulting in: 🔹1,724 people helped into work 🔹More than 6,000 households given money guidance 🔹15,000 young people helped to get a better start in life 🔹£121m in social value   This appointment reflects Communities that Work’s continued commitment to championing better outcomes for individuals and communities, and we are incredibly proud to see Lynsey bring her leadership and insight to a foundation which has already made such a positive impact across the country. #CommunitiesThatWork #ClarionFutures #SocialHousing #EmploymentSupport

It was fantastic to welcome Chris McDonald MP to the JobsPlus Centre in Stockton last week, in partnership with Thirteen Group. Chris had the chance to meet with both staff and service users, learning firsthand about the vital work being done to support local people into meaningful long-term employment. We are proud to be part of Stockton’s journey towards greater opportunity and inclusion, and are grateful for Chris' support of the JobsPlus programme. #JobsPlus #Stockton #CommunitiesThatWork #EmploymentOpportunities

A powerful evening at our Annual Parliamentary Reception On Wednesday evening, Communities that Work was proud to host our Annual Parliamentary Reception in the Terrace Pavilion of the House of Commons. We were honoured to welcome Minister for Employment Alison McGovern as our keynote speaker, alongside Debbie Abrahams MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee and Jennifer Riddell-Carpenter MP. Their reflections on the future of employment, inclusive growth, and the role of social housing in supporting communities were both inspiring and timely. It was a brilliant opportunity to connect with parliamentarians, members, and partners across housing, employment, and skills — all united in our mission to support residents into meaningful, sustainable work. 🙌 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to champion the link between secure housing and long-lasting employment. #SocialHousing #EmploymentSupport #Parliament #ParliamentaryReception #CommunitiesThatWork #InclusiveGrowth #PublicPolicy #WorkAndWelfare #PlaceBasedSupport