Social Groups

Sutherland
 

Working For Families Outline
contains a commitment to provide childcare support in areas of high unemployment in order to help those in work, training or education. In September 2002 a new �20m package of funding was announced, it will be made available as �10m each year in 2004/5 and 2005/6 to help disadvantaged people in deprived areas into work, by ensuring that availability of childcare is not a barrier.

Margaret Curran, Minister for Communities, announced on the 9th December 2003 the allocations for the Working for Families fund and the local authorities selected to implement the initiatives. The Minister stressed the purpose of the fund was to develop services to help people in disadvantaged areas who find childcare a barrier to employment or training. The initiatives would be supported by the fund for two years in the first instance. The fund is intended to advance the Social Justice objectives of the Scottish Executive to improve employment and employability outcomes for parents in disadvantaged communities.

Allocation of the Fund:
Funds were allocated to Local Authorities with the highest levels of parents in need of support towards employment. The resources are being distributed to authorities where there are more than 3000 children of claimants of income-based Jobseekers Allowance and Income Support (JSA/IS) and children in these circumstances form more than 20% of the under 16 population. Resources are banded according to the numbers of children in the circumstances set out above.

The fund has been extended to cover the two highest ranking rural authorities in recognition of the particular and often unique barriers faced by those returning to work in rural areas. Rurality is defined as areas where more than 40% of the population live in settlements of less than 3,000 people.