Hundreds of community sector workers have been put on redundancy notice thanks to a halt in Stormont funding.
Community groups have come together to warn that around 1,000 jobs are at risk as well as more than 18,000 ‘vulnerable people’ supported by the sector.
The Community Sector Peer Group, which represents 22 organisations from across Northern Ireland, is warning that the failure to fully replace European Social Fund (ESF) monies has put 1,000 jobs at risk. And they say that the group’s members have already placed 400 staff ‘on notice of redundancy’.
They add that previously ESF and match funding from Stormont departments provided over £50 million annually for services to help vulnerable people into employment. While the UK Government has allocated just £21 million from its new Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to support employability programmes, Stormont’s departments have made no commitment to replace around £13 million they previously allocated.
With less than two months before current funding arrangements end, the Community Sector Peer Group is urgently requesting Northern Ireland’s departments to continue their funding and for the UKSPF to ‘prioritise employability services’.
Rev Andrew Irvine, Chair of the Community Sector Peer Group and CEO of East Belfast Mission, said: “The lack of commitment from Northern Ireland departments and the shortfall in UKSPF support for employability services means that we are looking at a 60% funding cut. That will be disastrous for the 18,000 vulnerable people we help every year and our 1,700 staff who deliver that support.
“Northern Ireland already has the UK’s worst figures for economic inactivity, but our community-based programmes have a track record of helping people on the margins of society back into employment. It can cost as little as £1,400 to support a young person through one of our programmes. That’s a fraction of the costs which unemployment causes for health, social services and justice budgets. The cost, for instance, of someone who falls into the justice system is around £40,000.
“At a time when public finances are at breaking point it’s incredibly short sighted to be even contemplating cutting, let alone slashing, employability services.”
The Peer Group says an independent evaluation of the services provided by the Northern Ireland Social Fund Programme (2014-2020) found that around 75% of respondents wouldn’t have entered employment or training without the programme’s support.
They say that they have engaged with politicians and civil servants in Westminster and Stormont for over a year and a further meeting with senior Northern Ireland civil servants is scheduled for Monday (February 13). Previously Northern Ireland’s departments for the Economy, Communities, Health and Justice provided funds to support employability services.
Joanne Kinnear, Vice Chair of the Peer Group and CEO of the Ashton Trust, added: “Although time is running out to safeguard services and jobs, support from Stormont would protect hundreds of jobs and thousands of our service users.
“Brexit and the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive has caused huge disruption and put local civil servants in a difficult position not of their making. Every local political party, however, is calling for local departments to make funding available.
“Bearing in mind the Northern Ireland Assembly’s statutory responsibility for employability services, unless our local departments make a meaningful financial contribution, jobs will be lost and services will be cut.”
READ NEXT:
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee told young people getting drug debts cut if they riot
Shankill research project gives voice to district's children and young people
- Shankill Road cafe steps up to help the community as families fear for cost-of-living crisis
- Sadness as North Belfast family centre to close after '40 years of helping parents and children'
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
