Ceri Dunstan's from Shelter Cymru's presentation for Chwarae Teg's conference on Welfare-reform "What Would Mrs Pankhurst Do?"

1. Shelter Cymru
The Work It Out Project

2. Established in March 2010 to
get early advice to people
threatened with redundancy or
reduced hours

3. Low pay
Under-
employment
Part-time hours
Changes to
benefits and tax
credits
Rising cost of
living

4. People in employment
Wrongly think they are not entitled to free advice
Less likely to be connected to existing support networks
Problems with practicalities of accessing advice service
during working hours

5. Unique approach
• Taking advice to people in the workplace
• Building access to advice into health and
well-being strategies

6. Funding
• Through the Welsh Government
Homelessness Grant until April 2013
• Now a new three-year partnership with
Grwp Gwalia

7. Working relationships
so far…
Six local
authorities
Range of
public and
private
sector
employers
Seven
unions

8. • Staff intranets
• Union websites
Advice online
• Display – posters etc
• Leaflets included in payslips
Promo
materials
• Appointments
• Drop in sessions
Face-to-face

9. Partnership working
• Citizens Advice BABL project
• Working across three counties in south
east Wales
• Aiming to extend

10. Work It Out and Shelter
Cymru’s wider aims
Giving
people
support to
help
themselves
Developing
services in
partnership
with the
people who
use them
New ways
of providing
access to
advices