A powerful project launched in
Over the next 12 months the charity will talk to some 520 Glaswegians to find out exactly how best to get vital information and advice to those people who don't know where to turn for help.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference, to have influence on the future of services and potentially help shape future legislation and policies," said Shaw Trust Regional Manager Ian Bruce.
"There are many agencies, organisations and sources of information out there but it is very confusing and people are bewildered by it all. We've been asked by Government to find out what are the best ways of communicating with this group of people, the sort of areas people want advice on and the impact of this advice on them," he added.
Shaw Trust, which helps people with disability or disadvantage to find work and achieve independence, already has significant expertise dealing with the over fifties through its New Deal for Disabled People contract and worked with some 60,000 people across the country last year.
The project is being carried out in partnership with experts at the Senior Studies Institute at
Shaw Trust Project Manager Oxanna MacGregor-Gunn is already aware of a huge range of needs through clients the Trust has already helped into work:
"These people may be in work but they are still disadvantaged because they may not be well informed and simply don't know which way to turn," she said.
Many have problems with pension and tax arrangements, employment law, redundancy issues, care of relatives, health and fitness issues and some have literacy and numeracy difficulties which makes the job of tracking down information even harder," she added.
Shaw Trust will act as a signposting service directing people to the most appropriate help then follow up over coming months to find out if the advice was easy to access and useful and finding out whether decisions made as a result were better informed.
"Hopefully as providers we will all be more informed at the end of the process and service provision may change as a result of the findings. We believe there will be a long lasting legacy from this year long project," Ian Bruce added.
Shaw Trust will test various ways of communicating to see which is most effective. These may include media advertising and features, internet campaigns, by mail or through employers.
The project is one of six which the Department of Work and Pensions has commissioned across the
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. For further details, please contact Communications Manager Tony Noble on 07971 794404, or PR Officer Becky Gammon on 07779 784901. Or you can email: crucialpr@shaw-trust.org.uk
2. Shaw Trust is a national charity, formed in 1982, which helps people with disability or disadvantage to find work and achieve independence. We do this not only by delivering government programmes, but also through our own self-funded initiatives, and by campaigning to change attitudes at all levels.
3. Across the
