A PIONEERING drive for smarter working practices is proving successful in getting lone parents in Derwentside and Chester-le-Street back into work.

Every week, ten men and women are starting jobs through a Work Wise North-East campaign to change employment patterns and break down barriers for people in deprived areas.

It has support from Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), which targets people with disabilities and health conditions, offering practical support, such as bus passes and driving lessons, through a Lone Parents project.

Instead of sticking to the traditional nine-to-five working day, employers are encouraged to offer people the chance to work from home and keep flexible hours.

RBLI advisors work flexibly themselves, and operate mainly from their own homes, offering support, advice and guidance to steer clients back to work.

They find the parents through community centres, parent and toddler groups and Jobcentres, offering them one-to-one assistance to help them make the transition back to work.

Matt Goldsmith, North-East programme manager for RBLI Employment Solutions, said: "Through Lone Parents, and thanks to flexible working, RBLI can help to break down the barriers that lone parents encounter, helping people to come off benefits and enter a new phase in their lives, taking up employment.

"We can help in all sorts of ways - we can support people financially with bus passes, driving lessons, provide them with scooters to help them get to work - taking out the barriers that have prevented them get jobs.

"This project has been a great success, and it's really down to flexible working and the advisor being able to meet lone parents outside working hours to suit their needs."

The project also covers Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor.

Advisor Teresa Latcham, said: "Working from home certainly helps me to do my job more efficiently, without wasting any time. Every day is different, and a single call can change my whole day, so it's important to be able to be flexible to be able to meet people's needs.

"The people we work with are very appreciative indeed of what we do, and I find it a very rewarding job."