Homeshoring

Having experience of working in rural as well as urban areas, in November 2007 we were commissioned by Nottingham City Council to undertake an evaluation of a pilot project situated in deprived ward in Nottingham. Homeshoring aims to provide suitable employment to those who were previously economically inactive and perceiving barriers to employment by being essentially homebound. It focuses on people that wish to (re) join the labour market, such as over-50s, women returners, those currently on incapacity benefit, single mothers and members of ethnic minorities. The project aims to provide them with appropriate skills and technology that will enable them to work from home or in a call-centre situated within their own community.

The evaluation looks at current best practices and how the experiences from the pilot project can be used to create a stable forward strategy and delivery proposal for the Homeshoring initiative in other wards in Nottingham city. The delivery proposal unites delivery options with identified funding streams from existing economic inclusion/community regeneration funds such as European Structural Funds, Single Pot, NRF and Job Centre Plus provision. The creation of sustainable linkages with relevant local, regional and national initiatives is also being reviewed.