Working for Families Transport and Rural Issues Dumfries and Galloway – Dawn Redpath Highland – Kate MacLean

Highland Area is the size of Wales … WFF Highland had offices in Wick, Bonar Bridge, Invergordon, and Broadford in Skye, and 2 Areas of Inverness To improve our coverage, for we expanded into Dunvegan in Skye, Thurso in Caithness, Dingwall in Ross-shire, and added 2 major housing estates in Inverness

Remote Communities The further from centres of service, the more any poverty is ‘behind lace curtains’. Communities seem idyllic, but the barriers to employment are even higher than in urban areas. This is Staffin, Skye.

Distances are vast Inverness to Wick or Skye – 120 miles Services, eg. DSA often centralised Scheduled service poor for shopping, impossible for work Transport costs are high

Quick Facts… Dumfries and Galloway Covers 2,380 square miles with 239 miles of coastline Population of D & G was 147,765 Population density of 60 people per mile Traditionally a low paid economy

Labour Market Information D & G different from rest of Scotland with high reliance on jobs in Tourism, Manufacturing and Agriculture High proportion of self employment as a result of this Recent survey of employer needs suggests an increasing rate of vacancies

So…. Bearing in mind that Working for Families works with parents from vulnerable situations e.g. Lone parents, low income families, parents with other stresses And removes barriers to parents’ progression towards employment What specific challenges might rural areas face?

Barriers? Transport – infrastructure does not exist, creative solutions needed! Access to childcare – inconsistent across the area and expensive due to high unit costs Partnership working can be difficult with fewer organisations to work with and sometimes services just not there!

Barriers? Low skills base Physical Isolation Different types of deprivation for parents Types of job opportunities matching parents’ aspirations No close urban centre in D & G Traditions So what can WfF do?....

Lack of Transport is a Major Barrier Lack of Transport is a Major Barrier  Public transport is intermittent  Cost of petrol/diesel prohibitive  Distances vast : easily 50, sometimes 100 mile round trip to work/training centre  Childcare often only available at distance  Time element affects practicality

What we have done Top-up scheme encourages clients to become childminders Areas selected where no childcare exists Paid for driving lessons* Clients encouraged into HGV and PSV Funded distance learning

Taking the mountain to Mohammed Working with Partner and other Agencies, we delivered courses in far-flung areas :  Family Opportunity Fairs in Skye  Self-Esteem Groups in Wick  NLP delivered widely  Escape Group with Neets parents

Escape Group Young parents Group from (urban) Merkinch, Inverness, taken on outdoor day trips, and eventually completed the Ben Nevis Challenge.

Barriers? Transport – infrastructure does not exist, creative solutions needed! Access to childcare – inconsistent across the area and expensive due to high unit costs Partnership working can be difficult with fewer organisations to work with and sometimes services just not there!

Barriers? Low skills base Physical Isolation Different types of deprivation for parents Types of job opportunities matching parents’ aspirations No close urban centre in D & G Traditions Rural areas become creative!

D & G Achievement Day 2007 “I’ve been with WFF for around 4 months, it's gave me my life back. Thank you to all!”

Achievement Day 2007 “Very informative, gained knowledge on relevant issues regarding my own circumstances if there were more organisations like WFF then poverty might become a thing of the past”