Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report from the Director of Neighbourhoods and Housing providing the Board with an update on the strategies and actions designed to tackle worklessness across the City.

The Director of Neighbourhoods and Housing submitted a report updating Members on the strategies and actions designed to tackle worklessness across the City.

The Chair welcomed Stephen Boyle, Chief Regeneration Officer and Martin Green, Strategy Manager, Regeneration, both from Neighbourhoods and Housing, to the meeting to present the report and respond to Members’ queries and comments.

In brief summary the following issues were discussed:

·  Discrimination by prospective employers, not only against minority ethnic groups, but that experienced by anyone living in a perceived problem neighbourhood, those suffering from mental health and ex-prisoners.

·  Worklessness statistics and the effect that reducing the number of claimants on Incapacity Benefit had on increasing the number of those listed as unemployed and vice versa.

·  The difficulties of becoming trapped on a particular benefit that might be paid at a higher rate.

·  Breaking the cycle of worklessness, through education, obtaining qualifications and mentoring young people who sometimes had unrealistic aspirations.

·  The huge growth in the number of jobs in the City but little difference to the percentage rate of worklessness in the City.

·  The significance of the small business sector and self employment, both of which in Leeds were below the national and regional average.  The important part that the East and South East Leeds initiative (EASEL) could play in resolving this, by increasing home ownership by supporting affordable housing schemes, by promoting enterprise and by improving transport connectivity in the Lower Aire Valley.

·  Traditionally local people were more likely to be employed by the small business sector which generally tended to recruit through methods which were more favourable to local people than the recruitment practises of large employers.

·  The difficulties experienced in resolving issues of worklessness due to the fact that no one Council department had control of the issues, the number of partners involved and the many different funding streams available.  The importance of the strategic leadership that the Council could give in bringing the partners together to provide a coherent and cohesive response to these issues.

·  The part that the Leeds City Region could play in reducing worklessness in the City.

·  The part that the Narrowing the Gap initiative was playing in helping to  reduce worklessness.

The Chair thanked officers for attending the meeting and responding to Members’ concerns.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report and comments made by the Board be noted.

(b)  That it be recommended that responsibility for tackling worklessness be brought under one body or department within the Council.

(c)  That a further progress report on this matter be brought to the Board in February 2007.

(d)  That reports submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on “Narrowing the Gap” be circulated to all Members of the Scrutiny Board for information.

(Note: Councillor Lobley left the meeting at 12.00 noon during the consideration of this item and Councillor Hollingsworth left the meeting at 12.07pm at the conclusion of this item.)