​Glasgow Council pulls funding to employment service claiming it didn't meet outcomes

Glasgow City Council has pulled funding on a project supporting people with neurological injuries because it is not meeting outcomes.

Council leaders say Momentum’s Skills Pathways and Fresh Start programmes was not effective in moving clients from support into employment.

The service, which helps people who have suffered from strokes, brain haemorrhages or suffered head injuries, will close this month after council bosses withdrew over £200,000 worth of funding.

Six employees will be made redundant and around 25 service users will be left without support.

There is an urgent need to find replacement funding for this vital service, and we are currently exploring other options

Glasgow City Council councillor Malcolm Cunning said the money would be spent better elsewhere as service users were not going on to find employment.

He said people were being referred to these services from the NHS but there were already a range of employability services within the NHS which will deliver more positive outcomes.

“There are others avenues we can take where we can achieve the care outcomes the funding was for,” he said.

“As the name suggests, it was to give people a fresh start, moving people from dependency to independent living. That simply wasn’t happening.”

The programme aimed to help people with mental health problems, including anxiety, by building confidence, improving physical stamina and helping them find work placements.

Momentum, which believes the service is still required in the city, is now looking for alternative funding.

It said people like James Gow, struggled to get his life back on track after suffering a brain haemmorrhage in 2011, need a specialised service.

The self-employed tradesman was not able to work and at points not even been able to leave the house following his illness.

“I’ve had my benefit from it and gone on to further education,” he said. “It’s really a vital service.”

A spokesperson for Momentum said its priority is to assist people to transition into employability services where possible and that it would continue to work with the council’s social work services.

“There is a crucial need for this type of specialist support,” she said.

“The proposal that the current service users or people in the future who suffer brain injuries in the Glasgow area can be served by existing employability services does not take account of the complex needs of somebody with an acquired brain injury.

"It is crucial that this type of service exists in Glasgow to support people who have sustained brain injuries, and their families and friends.

“There is an urgent need to find replacement funding for this vital service, and we are currently exploring other options with other state agencies who may be able to support this.”