Around 200 residents have improved their lives thanks to a £14m ‘Better Working Futures’ programme set up by the Council.

In 2018, Richmond joined forces with the European Social Fund (ESF), Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton Councils to help unemployed people get back into work.

Overall the scheme has been helping at least 1,304 people across south-west London to try and secure a job, with 191 Richmond residents on the scheme, of which at least 32 have found a job.

The ESF and all the councils commissioned Reed in Partnership – a leading recruitment and training company, to deliver the programme which was also specifically designed to help those living with a disability, health conditions, long-term unemployment and other issues that may create an employment barrier.

Cllr Geoff Acton, Lead Member for Business for Richmond Council, said: “Helping people get back into work is very important.

“Reed in Partnership are delivering the service to those who are either long term unemployed, have health problems or disabilities or face other kinds of barriers to employment.

“We can already see the results.”

Reed in Partnership also worked with each borough to ensure local expertise had been used when assisting people with issues like obtaining basic skills, training, health, housing and language lessons for people who did not use English as their first language.

Rob from Richmond lives with dyslexia and joined the programme in 2018, with hopes of becoming a black cab driver but found the ‘knowledge appearances’ – an oral exam that tests a driver’s knowledge based on his or her ability to remember the fastest route, to be difficult.

The Better Working Futures programme were able to provide him with an employment adviser who offered support including stress management, and a hypnotherapist.

Through these sessions, Rob was given the confidence and calming techniques that he needed to get through the examinations.

And, in August 2019, Rob was awarded his licence and has since received support to register him as self-employed and financial support so he could have a TfL medical check and a DBS check.

Rob said: “The programme definitely helped; it is a shining light when not a lot of help is being offered.

“The stress was unmanageable without the help of hypnotherapy, which I couldn’t have paid for whilst I was unemployed.

“Working feels good.

“It is a learning curve and I’m learning the intricacies of it every day I’m easing myself in.

“When you get this licence, there’s a quote that a lot of cabbies use: ‘It’s hard to get and easy to lose’ – so I am taking it step by step, and hopefully will have a very long career.”