News 6/4/09

Top Glasgow City Council award for partnership programme

The Pathways innovative project to help unemployed people from the east end of Glasgow has won the  top award in the Glasgow City Council Flourish Awards for Team Excellence.

Glasgow East Communty Health & Care Partnership, (CHCP)’s Pathways to Progression Project won the top place in the category, ‘Building a Prosperous City’ and the overall Leaders Award at a ceremony on 11th March in the City Chambers. 

Young single mums from East End gaining skills through the Pathway project..

The exceptional project ‘Pathways’ supports local unemployed people – in the main, young, single mothers from the East end of Glasgow - to gain the skills and qualifications necessary for sustainable employment beyond entry-level, in partnership with John Wheatley College who provided the teaching and learning for the students, and Glasgow East Regeneration Agency, GERA. The project also builds on the role of the CHCP as a provider of high quality jobs.

..leading to full time employment.

The project recruits local unemployed people from Glasgow East, supports them to obtain a HNC in Health Care at John Wheatley College while working within the CHCP, and provides on going support for individuals who may experience difficulties maintaining training and employment. ‘Pathways’ has led to a full time job for 10 out of the first 12 participants.

Councillor James Coleman, Depute Leader Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow East CHCP said;

"I am delighted that the ‘Pathways to Progression’ Project has been recognised for the innovative work it has been doing to meet the needs of local people.  This project gives the additional support to help participants sustain training and access real employment opportunities in local health and social care services."

Mark Feinmann, Director Glasgow East CHCP, said,

"This project shows how local agencies working together can make a real difference and change people's lives for the better by giving them the opportunity to take part in training and move onto employment within Glasgow East Community Health & Care Partnership. We are now looking forward to further developing the programme ."

Karie Murphy, Project Coordinator, said:

" The Award is an endorsement of the model we've put in place to support people of the East End into employment and is a testament to the character and commitment of the students who have been involved.  Thanks to the vision of Cllr Coleman, Mark Feinmann and Ian Graham who put their faith and support into the programme, we have expanded access to job opportunities for Glasgow's residents."

Practical and theoretical learning provided by John Wheatley College

The teaching and learning provided by John Wheatley College covers all the practical and theoretical aspects of Health Care, giving an introduction to the field.  In addition, the students are supported through their core skills learning of communications, computing and personal development to ensure that they bring the right transferable skills to their work placement. 

The students have been highly motivated and their confidence has grown over the period of the programme.  The level of support they’ve received from the CHCP and College staff has been central to the students’ experience.  Mandy Crawford, one of the students, says,

“The support we’ve received has been fantastic  -  I couldn’t have come this far without it.  We’re all delighted that the hard work involved has been recognised.

Ian Graham, Principal of John Wheatley College, agreed,
"John Wheatley College is delighted that this successful partnership programme has received such recognition and we congratulate everyone involved, staff and students alike.  We can now consider, with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, how best to develop similar initiatives to create access to health service jobs.  This will establish a proactive response for local people to secure sustainable employment during a time of recession."