Shekinah, a leading Westcountry charity, has officially launched re: work in Torbay, the South West’s first socially responsible employment service.  Based at the Innovation Centre on Lymington Road in Torquay, the new social enterprise aims to target the region’s hardest to reach individuals, supporting them into employment with local companies that can demonstrate responsible business practice.

Mark Duddridge, managing director of Ginsters who has begun to collaborate with Shekinah to reduce worklessness in Torbay says:

“Shekinah's work in the Torbay area could not be more timely nor important given the current economic climate. Their work in Plymouth is amongst the most effective of any done elsewhere in the UK. They have proved that they can make a profound and lasting impact on often the most disadvantaged in our society by co-ordinating the support of local businesses and welfare providers. We wish them every success”.

With seed funding from Torbay Development Agency of an outcome based grant of £35,000 from Torbay Employment and Skills Board (ESB) Shekinah has created Re:work, in partnership with GAP Recruitment.  The new service, a natural development of Shekinah’s current employment and training programmes, is set to create a big social impact, increasing the level of attainment, skills, and apprenticeships whilst increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of local business.  

“Re:work provides a credible opportunity for Torbay businesses or those with Torbay based business activities to adopt a more creative approach to recruitment,” says Soo Brizell Hogg , head of Shekinah’s employability team.  “Shekinah strongly believes in levelling the playing field to provide equal opportunity across communities through training and wrap around support. Re:work gives an individual, who is 2nd or 3rd generation unemployed, the chance to be the one to break the unemployment cycle in their family,” she adds.

Torbay Development Agency Chief Executive, Steve Parrock, said: “The TDA is keen to support initiatives such as re:work to help provide local employment opportunities and improve the prosperity in the Bay. We are particularly keen to work with our partners in the private sector and the Employment and Skills Board to reduce worklessness and give local people new opportunities to change their lives for the better. I am pleased to welcome the  re:work project as tenants in our Innovation Centre at Lymington Road.“

Providing considerable cost savings for organisations such as Centrax, Ginsters and Serco, businesses can really make a difference by adopting re:work to fill their recruitment needs.   It enables them to support a progressive route into permanent employment for candidates, matches the right individual to the job, reduces their personal and business taxes and expands their resource pool. 

The first month of employment on re:work is an initial unpaid work placement, followed by either the offer of employment by the employer or employment through GAP recruitment as a temporary post on special terms for this worthwhile project.  On-going support and supervision of the candidate is provided by Shekinah throughout the placement and first six months of employment which has been shown to raise morale, increase staff retention and reduce sick leave. 

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