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Facing up to Change - A Guide to Redundancy Response Services in Somerset for Employers and Employees

The Project Steering Group scoped out a Somerset flagship project which would produce added value for the six market towns in Somerset taking part in the project.  The flagship project proposal was for the development of an 'Ensure Guide' - a guide to redundancy response services in Somerset, to bring together details of what activities and initiatives local partners, private, public and voluntary, could bring to bear to assist in communities where major closure or redundancy or major restructuring is threatened/taking place.

After a two stage process which included:

• The development of a database mapping all the existing services, initiatives and activities currently carried out by the relevant sub-regional and local public/private/voluntary sector intermediary and delivery bodies in relation to redundancy and closure situations;
• Consultation with all relevant representative and advisory organisations; and
• Analysis of case studies of approaches to handling closures/redundancies, including other examples of task force operations, as well as lessons from previous redundancy situations involving major companies.

Ancer Spa produced a guide (Facing up to Change.pdf - A Guide to Redundancy Response Services in Somerset, Ancer Spa, January 2006) to meet the following criteria

• Be practical, informative and user friendly in respect of the three target audiences - employers, employees and agencies;
• Detail the means of establishing the task force, those to be involved, their roles and the procedures by which they would operate; and
• Set out the methods of communicating and marketing the guide to its intended audiences.

The guide, which will be available on the Somerset County Council and the Somerset Strategic Partnership website, sets out information and links to additional information to help companies:

• Access business support networks;
• Contact the appropriate public sector information and advisory agencies;
• Comply with the statutory regulations relating to redundancy situations; and
• Institute a support package for staff facing redundancy.

The guide also contains information to help individuals facing redundancy including:

• Access to a wide range of vacancies through the Jobcentre Plus website;
• Advice and guidance, from career opportunities to CV preparation and re-training in new skills mathing future job opportunities;
• Opportunities for self-employment and starting a new business; and
• Guidance on financial and other support available. 

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