Thurrock Council is aiming to support and inspire parents in Thurrock to find work with the launch of a new initiative.

According to government data, 6,360 children (14.5%) in Thurrock live in an out-of-work benefit household – a higher proportion per population than the majority of local authority areas in the east region.

As well as the financial benefits of working, research also shows that children living in non-working households are less likely to reach the expected levels throughout their education and more likely to be unemployed themselves in adulthood. There are also strong links between unemployment and poorer physical and mental health.

Thurrock Council's 'Your Job, Their Future' campaign aims to highlight the excellent support available in Thurrock to help people find work, including services and initiatives provided by the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Cllr Mark Coxshall, portfolio holder for regeneration, said: "There is some fantastic help and support available for people in Thurrock who are unemployed. Whether that be courses to enable people to pick up the skills and qualifications they need, help with interviews and CV writing, support with childcare or simply a helping hand to rediscover their confidence, there is already so much on offer.

"What this campaign aims to do is bring all of that together in one place and help signpost people to where they can get the support they need.

"People can be out of work for a number of reasons and this is not about telling them how to live their lives, but we want them to know that the rewards of work can go well beyond the financial ones and can have a positive impact on the whole family.

"We appreciate finding work can be daunting, particularly for those who have been without a job for a long time or have never worked, but help is available and finding a job really can be the first step in creating a better, brighter future."

To find out more about the help and support available, visit www.thurrock.gov.uk/yourjob