Key workers may get help with housing
By Jo Deeks on Thursday, 14th February 2002.
Calls for key worker incentives to be offered to attract professionals to come to Haverhill are to be investigated.
Members of Haverhill Partnership heard at their meeting this week that professionals such as health workers, doctors and teachers are put off the town’s negative image.
Tackling the town’s negative image is one of the recommendations of a recent social impact study on Haverhill, which said Haverhill Partnership Group should take a major role in this.
Mike Dawson, of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said a study they had conducted showed a shortage of key workers across the borough. The council would be looking at the possibility of a key worker housing being offered as an incentive to ease the problem.
Abbey Powell, of West Suffolk Borders Primary Care Group, said the shortage of GP’s and health workers and being unable to attract the right staff was an underlying problem with the services they could provide.
“Haverhill is perceived as a problem town. We have a lot of jobs we have not found staff for,” Ms Powell said.
Janet Welling, of Suffolk County Council’s Education Department, said there was a perception of a low level of educational achievement in Haverhill which made it difficult to attract and retain teachers.”
Divisional Officer Ian Taylor, of Suffolk Fire Service, said cost was also a factor in attracting staff to Haverhill.
He said: “Our 28 firefighters have to live within four minutes of the station and we are already starting to face serious problems of recruitment and retention with spiralling house prices.”
Mary Martin, a town and borough councillor, said she constantly heard negative views of the town which were related to its image in the 1960s and 70s. She said: “The perception is that who have never been here. We need to show that perception is not right.”
Gordon Mussett, of Haverhill Town Council, suggested a collaborative recruitment pack should be produced giving people a more true picture of the town, possibly an extension of the brochure produced by Enterprise 2000.
Members of Haverhill Partnership heard at their meeting this week that professionals such as health workers, doctors and teachers are put off the town’s negative image.
Tackling the town’s negative image is one of the recommendations of a recent social impact study on Haverhill, which said Haverhill Partnership Group should take a major role in this.
Mike Dawson, of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said a study they had conducted showed a shortage of key workers across the borough. The council would be looking at the possibility of a key worker housing being offered as an incentive to ease the problem.
Abbey Powell, of West Suffolk Borders Primary Care Group, said the shortage of GP’s and health workers and being unable to attract the right staff was an underlying problem with the services they could provide.
“Haverhill is perceived as a problem town. We have a lot of jobs we have not found staff for,” Ms Powell said.
Janet Welling, of Suffolk County Council’s Education Department, said there was a perception of a low level of educational achievement in Haverhill which made it difficult to attract and retain teachers.”
Divisional Officer Ian Taylor, of Suffolk Fire Service, said cost was also a factor in attracting staff to Haverhill.
He said: “Our 28 firefighters have to live within four minutes of the station and we are already starting to face serious problems of recruitment and retention with spiralling house prices.”
Mary Martin, a town and borough councillor, said she constantly heard negative views of the town which were related to its image in the 1960s and 70s. She said: “The perception is that who have never been here. We need to show that perception is not right.”
Gordon Mussett, of Haverhill Town Council, suggested a collaborative recruitment pack should be produced giving people a more true picture of the town, possibly an extension of the brochure produced by Enterprise 2000.
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