Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group Webpage
Initiatives of the Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group
1) Welfare Reform Booklet
The Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group has produced the document below that attempts to summarise the principal Welfare Reform / Localism changes. It also contains contact details of organisations and initiatives that may be able to assist people affected by the changes:
PEP Welfare Reform Changes Leaflet 2013 (130 KB) - DOWNLOAD
2) Data Collation, Analysis and Sharing
The PEP group collate and analyse data to help them determine what the key issues are in the district relating to poverty, employment and prosperity. It is by no means a definitive list and the PEP group cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data.
Sources of data that the PEP group use include the Herts Joint Strategic Needs Assessment website and the Neighbourhood Statistics website.
Claimant Count Data
This is a measure of the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits: Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance Credits (hereafter referred to as 'JAS' or the claimant count). To view data click on the downloadable word document below:
PEP Claimant Data Feb 2013 (546 KB) - DOWNLOAD
Young People not in Education, Employment or Training Data
It is a measure of number of young people not in education, employment and training in individual wards and towns in the district.
To view data click on the downloadable word document below:
PEP NEET Data June 2012 (223 KB) - DOWNLOAD
3) Referral List
The former Poverty Action Group produced an 'Agency Referral List' to enable agencies to refer their 'users' who are affected by poverty more effectively. It is by no means a definitive list and the PEP group cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information.
Click on the relevant themed link below to find out the names and contact details of organisations and agencies that may be able to help someone affected by poverty:
Mental & Physical Health, Well-being and Leisure
Money Matters, Debts, Benefits and Savings
Literacy, Education, Work and Training
Housing and Accommodation
Parenting, Childcare & Family Support
What is the Three Rivers Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group?
The group was formed following the merging of the former Poverty Action and Prosperity and Employment groups. These groups were originally formed by the Three Rivers Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and link into the Three Rivers Community Strategy.
The Poverty, Employment and Prosperity (PEP) group brings together organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors that are directly involved in addressing poverty and inequalities in employment and prosperity within the District. Further information about the group can be found in the 'Frequently asked Questions' section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group priorities?
To improve the support provided to residents on low incomes through improvements in delivery and access to services such as benefits advice, debt advice, and homelessness advice.
To reduce inequalities in poverty in Three Rivers by targeting improvements at:
- the areas of greatest income deprivation in the District
- the needs of groups particularly affected such as those with mental health problems, disabilities, and the elderly.
To increase employment, reduce worklessness, and address the impact of income deprivation in targeted areas of the District by:
- to increase the proportion of residents with qualifications ‘up to level 2’ in the targeted areas.
- to increase volunteering amongst hard to reach groups in the targeted areas e.g. people with mental health problems.
- to improve local access to support services (towards employment and community activity) for hard to reach groups in targeted areas.
To monitor and respond to emerging needs from the impact of the recession in the District.
The group will focus on the immediate support needs of those affected by low income as well as medium and long term solutions to addressing the impact of low income such as worklessness.
Q2. Who is involved in the Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group?
Organisations who are members of the group include:
Three Rivers District Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Three Rivers Citizens Advice Service
ASCEND
Hertfordshire Library Service
Thrive Homes
Three Rivers Learning Partnership
Watford Mencap
Job Centre Plus
West Herts College
Youth Connexions Hertfordshire
South Oxhey Children's Centre
Rickmansworth Children's Centre
The group will invite other representatives to attend the group on as appropriate to needs of the agenda.
Q3. How does the Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group operate?
The group meets 6 times a year and reports to the Local Strategic Partnership. Key decisions will be ratified by Three Rivers Local Strategic Partnership.
Q4. Who do I contact to find out more about the Poverty, Employment and Prosperity Group ?
The chair of the Prosperity and Employment Group is Peter Brooker and the Vice-chair is Marion Seneschall. You can contact either of these via the Community Partnerships Team.