SHOCK and anxiety have rippled through the Island community after the Jersey Employment Trust yesterday warned it may be forced to scale back its services following a decision by government not to provide additional funding this year.
The Association of Jersey Charities has warned that “some of Jersey’s most vulnerable Islanders are at risk of being let down” following the decision, which has left service users anxious and uncertain regarding JET’s future.
But Social Security Minister Lyndsay Feltham sought to reassure Islanders yesterday, saying that the government is working with the Trust to agree a “long-term funding commitment”.
The statement from the minister came hours after the charity, which provides vocational training and employment support for Islanders with disabilities and long-term health conditions, announced that all of its 38 staff were “at risk” of redundancy.
JET is contracted by the Employment, Social Security and Housing Department with agreed funding of around £2 million.
But the Trust has stated that: “For the past four years, further essential funding – in the form of one-off grants – have been necessary to cover increases in demand and the cost of living, which last year was an additional £785,000.”
The statement continued: “During contract negotiations JET has been told that the additional top-up funding will no longer be made available and, as a result, is reviewing the scale of its services and, as a consequence, the number of clients it can support.”
It added that this would likely mean referring “more than half” of the 550 clients it supports each year to the government.
Additionally, it will also now close its waiting list of more than 50 Islanders and pause the acceptance of any new referrals.
Kenan Osborne told the JEP that his son Owen, who is autistic, had benefited from the support of JET for the last three years and was “devastated by the news”.
“…Now where will his support come from?” he asked.
In a statement released yesterday afternoon, Deputy Feltham said: “I want to reassure everyone who gets support from JET that we are absolutely committed to making sure they get the assistance they need. JET does incredibly valuable work in our community, and we are working with them to make sure that continues.
“We have been in discussions with JET for some time about how best we can support their work going forwards.”
The minister continued: “The government contracts JET to provide vital services for Islanders, but for several years JET has been running considerable overspends and has had to come back to us for extra money.
“This is taxpayers’ money, and I have a responsibility to make sure we’re using it appropriately.”
Deputy Feltham stated that government funding for JET “remains at more than £2m this year”.
“We are working to agree a long-term funding commitment with them, to provide certainty into the future,” she added.
“I know the pressures that charities are facing, and we are working to make sure funding is directed where it is most needed and can make the greatest impact.
“If anyone has concerns about their support or would like to talk to a dedicated advisor, please call 447608.”
Responding to the minister’s comments about overspending, JET stated that it has “consistently delivered support to its clients within the agreed funding grant available”.
“Where additional funding has been required, this has been pre-approved by
government and used specifically to meet increased demand and maintain agreed
service levels,” it added.
“This is, therefore, agreed top-up funding to account for increasing demand and the pressures of inflation, and is not overspending.”
- News Focus on pages 12 and 13 of today’s JEP.
