Does work work for vulnerable people? Available to Purchase

This paper summarises the roundtable discussions convened by the charity Carr‐Gomm in October 2007. Participants included providers of services to vulnerable people, policy makers and academics, creating a useful mixture of theoretical and practical knowledge. The Social Exclusion Task Force report in 2006 gives a clear indication of the picture of unemployment for vulnerable people. In addition, developments in funding for key government departments, coupled with population projections, suggests that there is a strong external impetus for vulnerable people to be employed. Discussions covered a range of topics including Who benefits when vulnerable people work?, What constitutes good work? and Barriers to supporting vulnerable people into work.Overall, the group concluded that the most urgent priority is for third sector employers themselves to create flexible work opportunities which can be taken up by vulnerable people. This experience should then be used to disseminate learning and to make the case for change with other employers.