<i>‘Most of industry's shutting down up here. . .’</i>: Employability Initiatives to Tackle Worklessness in Areas of Low Labour Market Demand

Joyce, Kerry; Smith, Katherine E.; Sullivan, Cris M.; Bambra, Clare

doi:10.1017/s1474746410000060

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…While recent policies appear to have succeeded in helping some people back into employment in the UK (Gregg, 2008), there is far less evidence that they have been successful in helping people in difficult circumstances, such as those living in areas of low employment (Joyce et al ., 2010) or those with multiple problems and complex needs (Dean, 2003; Millar, 2000). There is very little direct evidence of the impact of welfare benefit conditionality on PDUs in the UK (Singleton and Lynam, 2009).…”

Section: The Increasing Trend Towards the Conditionality Of Welfare Bmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the criticisms of recent efforts to move people off benefits and into work is that interventions tend to focus on supply-side initiatives and have failed to adequately address demand for jobs (Dean, 2003; Joyce et al ., 2010). Singleton and Lynam (2009) argue that this is a particularly important omission for PDUs, noting that a survey of employers found two-thirds (ninety out of 135) ‘would refuse to employ a former heroin or crack-cocaine user, even if they were otherwise suitable for the job’ (Spencer et al ., 2008, cited in Singleton and Lynam, 2009).…”

Section: The Increasing Trend Towards the Conditionality Of Welfare Bmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Benefits and Employment: How Problem Drug Users Experience Welfare and Routes into Work

et al. 2012

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Increasing the conditionality of welfare benefits is a growing trend in many developed countries, particularly in relation to some groups who may be perceived as undeserving of state support. Problem drug users (PDUs) are one such group, and in the UK most PDUs do not work and a high proportion claim benefits. Facilitating the movement of these individuals into employment is a policy aim, because it is believed to improve the circumstances of drug users (and promote future abstinence) and because moving all groups off benefits and into work is a primary purpose of recent welfare reforms. Yet little is known about the interactions of PDUs with the UK benefits system or how recent moves to increase the conditionality of benefits are likely to affect this vulnerable group. This paper begins to address this gap by exploring the perceptions that PDUs and relevant frontline staff have of drug users' interactions with the welfare system and the factors affecting their prospects for employment. The findings suggest some aspects of recent welfare reforms, notably the simplification of benefits, may help PDUs interact with the system. However, the data also reinforce claims that the increased use of sanctions is unlikely to succeed in improving employment rates amongst this group without intensive support and demand-side interventions.

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Section: The Increasing Trend Towards the Conditionality Of Welfare Bmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Increasing Trend Towards the Conditionality Of Welfare Bmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits and Employment: How Problem Drug Users Experience Welfare and Routes into Work

et al. 2012

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“…education, food, housing and health and social care services). However, whilst such a route can work for a small number of individuals, in a context in which there are relatively few well-paid, secure jobs available and many poorly paid, insecure, low quality jobs (Joyce et al, 2010;Shildrick et al, 2012), this is clearly not a route via which population level material inequalities are likely to be addressed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fantasy paradigms of health inequalities: Utopian thinking?

Scott-Samuel

Smith

2015

Soc Theory Health

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This paper argues that, while it can be politically expedient for governments to engage with health inequalities, they cannot, within the confines of neoliberalism, realistically propose actions that evidence suggests will effectively reduce them -such as tackling power inequalities, social status and connections or class inequality. Indeed, a dominant 'policy paradigm' prioritising economic growth restricts the ability of policy actors to imagine alternative, more equitable scenarios. In this context, some policy actors and researchers have devised a parallel fantasy world in which proximal, downstream, easily-tackled exposures are posited as potential solutions to health inequalities. The consequence of this is a widespread public sector culture in which well-meaning policy-makers, practitioners, researchers and members of the public collude in sustaining a 'cargo cult' of health behaviourism. In examining this situation, we draw on accounts and critiques of utopian thinking to help explain: (i) the remarkable persistence of policy proposals to tackle health inequalities via downstream interventions, in spite of the strength of evidence challenging such approaches; and (ii) the limited extent to which more upstream proposals inform policy debates. We argue Ruth Levitas' notion of 'utopia as method' offers an imaginative and potentially useful avenue for future health inequalities research.Abstract word count: 199

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“…Recipients of career guidance often report their confidence has been boosted (e.g. Bimrose, Barnes, & Hughes, 2008; Joyce, Smith, Sullivan, & Bambra, 2010). Hughes and Gration (2009a) review the literature and conclude there is strong evidence that in-depth career guidance promotes confidence in job seeking.…”

Section: Direct Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The well-being outcomes of career guidance

Robertson

2013

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling

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The potential for career guidance to impact on well-being has received insufficient attention in the UK. There are both conceptual and empirical reasons to expect that the impacts may be positive, but a lack of evidence directly testing this proposition. Career guidance has commonalities with therapeutic counselling suggesting analogous effects, and it promotes positive engagement in work and learning, which may be associated with health benefits. There are implications for services in reconciling health and employment objectives. However, the promotion of well-being need not imply quasi-clinical ways of working. A call is made for more research and debate in the career guidance community as to the extent and implications of the potentially important relationship between career guidance and well-being.

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‘Most of industry's shutting down up here. . .’: Employability Initiatives to Tackle Worklessness in Areas of Low Labour Market Demand

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

Benefits and Employment: How Problem Drug Users Experience Welfare and Routes into Work

Benefits and Employment: How Problem Drug Users Experience Welfare and Routes into Work

Fantasy paradigms of health inequalities: Utopian thinking?

The well-being outcomes of career guidance

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