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PACE Training for Employment Project Accessing Employment for Women

PACE Training for Employment Project Accessing Employment for Women. Lisa Cuthbert: Director Marie O’Hare: Womens Support Worker Pobal Equality for Women Measure Networking and Support Event. PACE. Voluntary organisation founded in 1969

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PACE Training for Employment Project Accessing Employment for Women

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  1. PACE Training for Employment ProjectAccessing Employment for Women Lisa Cuthbert: Director Marie O’Hare: Womens Support Worker Pobal Equality for Women Measure Networking and Support Event

  2. PACE • Voluntary organisation founded in 1969 • Aims of PACE are to provide safe supported accommodation, training and education for offenders & ex-prisoners, to prevent recidivism and enable the individual to move forward • Works in partnership with the Probation service, FAS, the VEC, Dublin City Council and other agencies

  3. Target Group of Accessing Employment Programme • Women from offending backgrounds or at risk of offending behaviour. A smaller proportion of women are ex-prisoners than of men. • Referrals from probation officers or self referrals. • Most women are self referrals. • Aged 18 years and upwards.

  4. Rationale for the programme • Approximately 25% of PACE clients in the Training for Employment Project are women • Yet in 2009 the women clients required an average of four times the amount of key-working hours used by the men within the project • The support needs are disproportional to the number of women that we work with • Average stay of women trainees is also longer than of male trainees • Welfare trap that the women find themselves in and the challenges to progression are substantial

  5. Accessing Employment for Women Project • Aim: To provide a targeted women-centered support programme, for women from offending backgrounds, and to address the issues which prevent women from engaging in employment in a holistic, multifaceted way including the use of individual and group tailored training, one-to-one support and a peer support mechanism.

  6. Approaches Used in the Project • Structured training modules • One-to-one support • Key-working • Peer support group • External training • External agencies

  7. Innovations • Peer Support-Team building elements • Drama • Family Support • Engagement with Employers- Research and workshops

  8. 1. Peer support • Originally a structured weekly group • Figuring out what it was for • Trying to best meet varied needs of all the group • Jarring personalities • Staff member present • Self-sustaining?

  9. 2. Drama • Fun • Communication skills • Empowering Workshop • Personal Stories and Disclosures • Bonding Experience • Challenges to public performance- confidentiality, embarrassment, fear • PACE Family Open Day performance

  10. 3. Family Support • Family Communications Training – One Family • Family Support Work • Family Support in the Community • Speak Easy Training (men included) - IFPA

  11. 4. Engagement with Employers • Small piece of qualitative research (December 2011) • “Do you have any female employees with offending backgrounds that you are aware of?” • “What challenges do you face in hiring women?” • “What stops you hiring women with offending backgrounds?” • “What would help you employ women with offending backgrounds?” • Workshops designed to be delivered with LES, FAS, other employers (2012)

  12. Barriers to Participation/ Employment • Addiction – past or current • Mental Health Difficulties • History of Domestic Violence • Being a Lone Parent and being a Young Parent • Early School Leaving • Family history of Criminal Behaviour • Family Support Needs • Childcare expenses • Culture of Dependency • Social Welfare “Trap” • Lack of communication skills • Aggressive behaviour

  13. Case Studies • Jennifer • 38 year old • Single Mum • Recovered Addict • Getting on well at PACE but not stimulated • Completed NUIM Cert in Community Studies • Finishing PACE soon • Interested in Community and Addiction work • Seen as a “leader” in the Womens group. • Link in with other specialist organisations • Option to continue at PACE in a voluntary capacity to gain experience • Further training required in long-term Suzi • 21 year old • Single Mum • Living with mother -not a great relationship • Not getting on well at PACE • Lack of concentration • Disciplinary Issues • Very flirty with men on project • Loud – attention seeking • Clashes with other “big personalities” in Womens Group • Needs one to one support to address above • Specialised Training as a “Carrot” • Housing Support

  14. Challenges of the programme • Teething Problems • Avoiding duplication • Families and other external factors that impact on the women • Multifaceted Needs • Level of needs • Timespan of the project • Ability to mainstream in the current economic environment

  15. Lessons Learned • Structured Programmes vs Unstructured Environment • Group Work vs Personal Work • Peer Support vs Supervised Groups • Realistic goals for women

  16. Going forward • Funding • Personal one-to -one support • Peer Support Initiative • Research- first steps

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