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Provision of services and client usage
Reasons for continued levels of attendance
It gives me tremendous pleasure to proudly present this Annual Report on behalf of all who are involved in very many different ways with the Wokingham Job Support Centre. The previous 12 months have seen the services we provide come under severe strain due to the unprecedented economic climate and the effect that this has had on peoples' jobs. Use of the Centre has roughly doubled in 12 months, with 356 new clients in the first six months of this year, more than double those of the previous year, at 164. Client usage is also up from 592 visits in the first six months of last year to 2,020 visits in the first six months this year.
As I have remarked before, people are our most valuable resource and the team we have provides a vital service to the community at the Wokingham Job Support Centre. With their 'Can Do' approach we have maintained and expanded the service provided to cope with a very much increased demand. They are dedicated professionals providing the very best of advice in helping people find the jobs that they seek or helping them in many other ways. It is a pleasure to be able to work alongside such a professional group of people. We have put all our resources to good use.
The Management Committee has continued with its mission: "To assist the unemployed throughout the Wokingham Borough in their search for employment through practical help, advice and support provided by efficient and cost-effective management".
Our objects, agreed with the Charity Commissioners, are broad enough to include 'persons residing in the Wokingham Borough who are in need of and unable to gain employment' in particular through the supervised provision of services and facilities not otherwise provided by government agencies. In fact with the agreement of our main funding partner the service is now available to residents of the Bracknell Forest area.
16-19 year olds are generally better served by Connexions with whom we have close links. 20 year-olds will be helped by WJSC. We have links with the Wokingham Employment Support Service (WESS) to whom we can direct people who need more specialist services.
We are grateful for continuing financial assistance from Wokingham Borough Council; Earley, Wokingham, Woodley and Bracknell Town Councils; the local parish councils of Arborfield & Newland, Finchampstead, Shinfield, Winnersh, Crowthorne and Wokingham Without. We have successfully introduced an outreach service in Woodley which operates one day per week. We are grateful to Woodley Town Council for the provision of accommodation and the willingness of the staff there to ensure that local people are made aware of the facilities available to them. We are also indebted to other organisations that have helped with funding. These are:- CfBT until July last year and NLDC whose contributions could not have come at a more urgent time.
We now purchase the database Birchin Lane, and other specialist software for the use of our clients directly.
The Management Committee and Trustees wish to thank all funding bodies and donors, including grateful ex-clients, for the invaluable help they provide. I am delighted to report that we have been able to maintain our funds to a suitable level which enables the Centre to upgrade its IT equipment from time to time for the benefit of clients, staff and volunteers.
During the year the Centre has maintained its range of services. Birchin Lane and Internet access continue to be very popular and are used widely by clients. In line with national priorities we are continuing our efforts to meet the needs of clients with qualifications below that of NVQ2.
The needs of clients are changing and the work of our Administrators and Advisers has increased to reflect this, we now need to give more instruction on the basic use of computers and there continue to be clients who speak very little English and need help in other ways.
Our publicity campaign continues by getting our message out around the Borough by poster, leaflets, website and articles in Town and Parish magazines. All of these efforts have continued to help clients who may otherwise have not heard of the services that are offered by the Centre. We shall continue to explore other ways to gain publicity.
Analysis by parish shows the distribution of clients from different localities within Wokingham Borough. The handouts show these in detail and I thank the Administrators for providing this vital information regularly to assist us in measuring our performance. These statistics are broadly in the same proportions each year, with clients from Wokingham Town comprising significantly the highest number.
Our medium term ambition has been to extend our service out into the other main conurbations in Wokingham Borough. A service in Woodley has become a reality operating one day per week.
We have made an expression of interest in forging links with the Children's Centres now beginning to be provided across the Borough. This could be a way of providing further outreach services but before a service such as we have in Woodley is implemented elsewhere we must first attract more volunteer advisers and retain them so that any further expansion will be sustainable.
We have made an expression of interest in forging links with the Children's Centres now beginning to be provided across the Borough. This could be a way of providing further outreach services.
We shall maintain communications with the parish councils throughout the borough to see how they may help us to advertise the services we offer.
(a) Few opportunities elsewhere for people to have access to skilled advisers able to offer free advice and guidance on finding jobs
Wokingham Borough has previously been regarded as an area with low levels of unemployment but this has increased significantly throughout 2008/09. Many clients become repeat clients.
(b) Availability of the Birchin Lane database
This very valuable, popular and well-used database of regional job vacancies is downloaded daily. The cost of this is now paid for out of WJSC funds.
(c) Access to the Internet
As well as access to the Birchin Lane database of jobs, the Internet is a valuable resource which can be accessed and used by several people simultaneously using the networked computers at the Centre.
(d) Help for specific categories of clients
For certain categories of job seekers there are fewer job opportunities. These include especially middle-aged and older people who require new skills, also some disabled job seekers. The Centre has proved invaluable for these clients and for many people recommended by Job Centre Plus, Social Services and other local organisations. We have also established links with the Wokingham Economic Forum.
In line with general employment legislation, the Management Committee continues to operate an Equal Opportunities policy. It has reviewed its practices to ensure that all clients are provided with the best possible help and that the Centre is welcoming to all sectors of the population.
The few clients that there are from ethnic minorities reflects the population balance in the area. Disabled unemployed people are able to obtain assistance through the Employment Opportunities Service immediately they are without work, but the Centre welcomes any disabled person and indeed anyone with a special history who finds our service of use.
Quality assurance is assuming greater importance as the Learning and Skills Council seek to ensure that providers of information and advice services achieve the quality that clients are entitled to expect. We have gained the Guidance Council's Matrix Quality Standard. This is a National Quality Standard for organisations giving Information, Advice and Guidance.
As part of the continuous quality improvement required within Matrix we provide clients who are still with us after 3 months a structured interview. The purpose is two-fold: (1) to examine progress and help refocus efforts and, (2) to ask them what features of the service they are finding most valuable and what suggestions they have for improvement. These interviews are valuable for the client and for planning the development of the service. WJSC is a member of the Voluntary Action Wokingham Borough (VAWB).
We have now been in the Cornerstone for over five years. I would like to thank the management of the Cornerstone and our colleagues next door in the Berkshire Counselling Centre for the friendly and helpful way we have worked together.
The Centre relies on its administrative team of three to be the 'face' of the organisation. Their kindly but business-like assistance is valued by clients and volunteers alike. Rebecca Day and Nicola Turton, who joined us part-way through the year, work very closely with advisers and other volunteers. Together, they make the Centre such a welcoming facility. Hang Lac has recently joined us as a part-time admin assistant and she has settled in to the role very well. Our part-time Admin volunteers are highly valued. Devika Luchooman, Linda Stern, Rosalind Gibbs and Vasugi Bradeepan and Mary Spence, who continues to relieve Rebecca, Nicola and Hang when necessary throughout the year. All have undertaken important projects throughout the year.
Our experienced team of advisers continue to give excellent service and we are grateful for the way in which they give so freely of their time and professional skills, even to the extent of covering three sessions instead of two each day. A big 'thank you' to our team of advisers: - Sylvia Betts, Sue Bryant, Dave Cox, Ivy Dowling, Emily Clacy, Carrie Hayward, Doug Irvine, David Lumsden, Dave Morton, Jenny Partridge, Anne Sim, Don Wilde and John Williams. We have been very pleased to welcome Bob Haggitt, Kate Banbrook, Richard Lewis, Tony Levene and Ian Smith as potential advisers who are currently in training.
We are always pleased to hear from anyone interested in becoming an adviser. By simply calling in at the Cornerstone they would be given a warm welcome and then be able to see for themselves what we do and have an opportunity to talk to the adviser on duty.
Michael King maintains our web site so I should like to thank him very much for his work in this area and also to Dave Cox who manages the collection and dissemination of data to provide the statistics. We were very pleased that Anne Sim organised a second post-Christmas party at Prezzo's. It was an excellent opportunity for staff, advisers and committee to meet in a friendly non-work environment.
We now have in place a properly let computer maintenance contract to give us a better degree of assurance so that we shall enjoy business continuity in the future. With ever changing needs of staff and clients there is a need to continually review our ITC strategy. We have introduced into service several of the computers kindly donated by John Albinson last year which has enabled us to provide an additional two workstations plus a second admin computer thus enabling us to release the two lap-top computers for use in Woodley.
We are pleased to report that funds are available to keep our computer system (ITC) up-to-date.
The Management Committee now consists of trustees of the Charity, staff, volunteers and representatives from our sponsoring sources and partners. The newly constituted Management Committee met four times in 2008/2009. Any problems needing urgent attention are dealt with directly by the person who has the expertise in a particular sphere in consultation by e-mail, etc with the other officers/trustees. These meetings are more informative and provide an opportunity for concerns and problems to be aired. Utilising the Conference Room at the Cornerstone for Management Committee business meetings has generally been welcomed by all concerned. The trustees met only informally throughout the year with business conducted through the Management Committee.
The Management Committee has worked effectively together as a team and I have enjoyed working with them all. I must especially thank the Officers for their hard work and support. Angus Ross, our Treasurer, who has exercised careful control of our finances and is now to stand down after many years loyal and highly valued service to the Centre; John Porter who has worked extremely hard for the benefit of us all, his expert knowledge of WJSC is second to none. John has now retired as Hon Secretary as he has moved away from the area. John Williams has continued as the Adviser Co-ordinator taking under his wing new volunteers. In addition he has undertaken many other ad-hoc tasks such as spearheading the Woodley Outreach Service and project managing the expansion of the number of workstations at the Cornerstone. Also working with John on the D.I.Y. desk replacement project were Dave Cox, Bob Haggit, Doug Irvine, Rebecca and David Miles (Rebecca's husband) who tested our accident procedures! John has also represented the organisation at a volunteer recruitment event held at the Cornerstone. We welcome Tuti Sistoyowati to the team who will help with fund-raising, a vital role to ensure a diversification of funding sources in future.
Thanks are also due to Ivy Dowling who serves as the staff representative (co-ordinator) at our Management meetings and who is now relinquishing that role. I would also like to thank Doug Irvine who is our vice-chairman and who will guide us through Matrix re-accreditation. With his expert knowledge he keeps in close contact with other associated organisations. We welcome Hazel Matthews to take on the task of Hon Secretary and Gordon McDade who takes over as Treasurer. We also welcome as independent Examiner, Alun Hicks who has replaced Councillor David Lee, and to whom we offer our thanks for the service he has provided in the past.
A special word of thanks is due to Emily Clacy who has provided most of the support and is the mainstay for the Woodley branch.
I would like to thank everyone for the contributions they have made in helping to make this organisation so successful in our communities and supporting the needs of those searching for a job. I should like to thank the various organisations who have nominated people to represent their various organisations on the Management Committee. If I have missed mentioning everyone by name then I apologise but rest assured your contribution is highly valued.
My third year as chairman has passed even quicker than the first two! I have been privileged to be associated with such a professional group of people engaged in making the quality of life more tolerable for those seeking a job or career change. The differing needs and numbers of clients prove that there is still a place for the services it continues to provide. The Management Team is pleased to report that the Centre continues to operate successfully and represents excellent value for money. The Management Committee is firmly committed to enable the Centre to provide services for as long as they are needed and it continues to monitor usage on a quarterly basis. Every effort is made to exercise economy wherever possible.
The changes to the Constitution which came into force at last year's AGM have worked well. We have reduced the number of meetings held during the year by combining the function of the Management Committee and the meetings we have for staff and officers. It has eliminated a lot of duplication of business. There may well be a few more constitutional changes to be made in the near future just to clarify the responsibilities of the trustees as far as finances are concerned, following a letter from the Independent Examiner. These need to be broadened to include all trustees rather than just the Hon Treasurer and to review the procedures for capital expenditure approval. These will be dealt with at an EGM or the next AGM, as necessary, and will be discussed with the Independent Examiner.
In short, everybody is committed in continuing to provide a service second to none and for that I should like to thank everyone involved in WJSC in making it so successful and such a harmonious group.
Iain J Brown, Chairman
7th July 2009
| Chairman | Councillor Iain Brown |
| Vice-Chairman | Doug Irvine |
| Honorary Secretary | Hazel Matthews |
| Honorary Treasurer | Gordon McDade |