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Overview of local need and gaps in activity in the Walsall priority wards. Scott Degville Principal Regeneration Officer Economic Regeneration. NESP Wards. 6 in Walsall Blakenall Darlaston South Birchills Leamore St Matthews Palfrey Pleck. Blakenall.
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Overview of local need and gaps in activity in the Walsall priority wards Scott Degville Principal Regeneration Officer Economic Regeneration
NESP Wards • 6 in Walsall • Blakenall • Darlaston South • Birchills Leamore • St Matthews • Palfrey • Pleck
Blakenall • Highest claimant rate of all of the City Strategy priority wards (33% of working age population) • Highest ward level of worklessness in Walsall • 25% of the ward is covered by New Deal for Communities • Predominantly people from white ethnic background (93.4% population), mainly residential area • Key issues are: • 3rd generation of claimants - lack of expectation, reluctant to travel and desire to work • High levels of benefit claimants - lone parents, incapacity benefit • Educational Attainment - high NEET numbers, low or no qualifications (54% working age with no qualifications - only 5.4% have level 4 NVQ or higher- lowest in City Strategy Wards) • Teenage pregnancy rates highest in Borough • Some good existing interventions: • Work on the Horizon One Stop Shop • NEET projects • Walsall Housing Group Construction Skills Centre
Darlaston South • Ward level of worklessness at 26.6% of population • 88.4% white population, 8.6% Asian, highest proportion of those of retirement age at 18.2 % of population • Key issues are: • 3rd generation of claimants - lack of expectation and desire to work, • Benefits claims - lone parents, incapacity benefit claimants, largest increase in total number of claimants (225 increase between 11/02 and 11/06), higher % of JSA and higher number of DWP claimants than the rest of Walsall • Educational Attainment – NEET, low or no qualifications (50% working age with no qualifications), need for ESOL provision • low self-employment rate (4% compared with Walsall 6% and England 8%) • Some good existing interventions: • New Darlaston One Stop Shop • Darlaston Surestart • new redevelopment in Moxley area
Birchills Leamore • Ward level of worklessness at 26.8% of population • 16.9% Asian ethnic background - higher than many Walsall Wards • Key issues are: • 3rd generation of claimants - lack of expectation and desire to work • Benefit claims - lone parents, incapacity benefit claimants, high JSA rate • Educational Attainment - NEET, low or no qualifications (nearly 54% of working age with no qualifications, only 6% NVQ level 4+), need for ESOL provision • Some good existing interventions: • work with NEETs • Provision of Community Bus link to businesses on Green Lane
St Matthews • Ward level of worklessness at 31.3% (second highest in Walsall) • Highest working age population in Walsall with 21.3% Asian • Key issues are: • 3rd generation of claimants - lack of expectation and desire to work • Benefit Claims - lone parents, incapacity benefit claimants, JSA claimant rate double Walsall rate • Educational Attainment – high NEET numbers, low or no qualifications, need for ESOL provision • Some good existing interventions: • Retail Academy – linking local people to new ASDA jobs
Palfrey • Ward level of worklessness at 24.1% • Palfrey has lowest number of claimants of Walsall’s priority wards but is rising • Higher proportion of under 30s at 49% than other wards, high proportion of Asian residents - 42.3% • Key issues are: • 3rd generation of claimants - lack of expectation and desire to work • Benefit Claims - incapacity benefit claimants • Educational Attainment – high NEET numbers, low or no qualifications high, need for ESOL provision • Some good existing interventions: • Retail Academy – linking local people to new ASDA jobs
Pleck • Ward level of worklessness at 27.9% • Pleck has 59.6% working age population • High proportion of Asian residents - 34.2% • Significant pockets of industrial activity • Key issues are: • 3rd generation of claimants - lack of expectation and desire to work • Benefit Claims - incapacity benefit claimants • Educational Attainment – high NEET numbers, low or no qualifications high, need for ESOL provision • Some good existing interventions: • Retail Academy – linking local people to new ASDA jobs
Summary • Local Management Group set up to monitor and deliver against Worklessness targets including City Strategy targets • Link to Local Neighbourhood Partnerships (LNP’s) but not managing process • Significant gaps to address but some good areas of best practice in individual wards and across the Borough