LGA calls for devolution of WHP

The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for the Work and Health Programme (WHO) powers to be devolved to local authorities in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

The LGA has warned that without local monitoring the WHO could repeat mistakes from the past Work Programme which only helped 20 per cent of the most disadvantaged job seekers secure a job after two years.

It called on the government to use the Autumn Statement to devolve the programme to groups of councils so they could construct a ‘coherent’ service plan.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board, said: “The LGA has put forward its own proposal to the government for a devolved, integrated employment support to replace the Work Programme, which we believe will deliver better outcomes for residents than the traditional Whitehall centrally controlled approach.

“Together with the government, we consulted councils on how the WHP should work. The clear message was that to be successful it will need to integrate local services, jobcentres must be required to work with councils and local partners so the right people are supported, and the right locally based contractors are utilised."