South West Region
Partnerships
Partnership Working is well developed in the South West.
We work in partnership with regional bodies such as:
- Government Office for the South West
- Regional Development Agency
- Regional Employment and Skills Partnership
- Skills Funding Agency
- National Apprenticeship Service
- SW Councils
- National Offender Management Service
- Equality South West.
We also have a number of stakeholder relationships with bodies such as SW TUC, CBI, Citizens Advice and the SW Association of Colleges.
Agendas covered include:
- skills and apprenticeships
- offender-related activity
- drugs
- mental health
- childcare.
We are also involved in region-wide discussions on employment and skills related matters.
Background
The South West peninsula extends over 350 km from the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall to the northern border of Gloucestershire. It has the largest land area of the nine English regions and has the highest percentage of land classified as rural.
Over 80% of the land area is agricultural and just under 10% is urban or suburban.
The largest urban centres are Bristol, Bournemouth and Poole, Plymouth, Swindon, Gloucester, Torbay, Cheltenham and Exeter. Together, these areas account for around a third of the total population of 5.2 million people.
The transport infrastructure includes the M4 and M5 motorways running east/west and north/south respectively. There are airports at Bristol, Exeter, Bournemouth, Plymouth and Newquay. Major ports are at Bristol, Plymouth, Poole and Falmouth.
European Social Fund Information
There are two Regional Frameworks covering the SW – one for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Convergence area and one for the SW (excluding Cornwall and IoS) Competitiveness area.
Jobcentre Plus structure
The South West is currently (November 2010) split into four Jobcentre Plus delivery Districts:
- West of England
- Devon and Cornwall
- Dorset and Somerset
- Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.
Regional contact
Phil Harrison – 0117 9456944
Jobcentre Plus
Regional External Relations Team
6th Floor
The Pithay
Bristol
BS1 2NQ
District contacts
West of England
Jobcentre Plus
Customer Services Directorate
West of England District
7th Floor
The Pithay
Bristol
BS1 2NQ
Sue Keogh – Senior External Relations Manager – 0117 945 6863
Jennie Murphy – District External Relations Manager – 0117 945 6793
Devon and Cornwall
Karen Hooper – Senior External Relations Manager – 01392 888 840
Jobcentre Plus
Customer Services Directorate
Devon and Cornwall District Office
Ground Floor
Pynes Hill Court
Pynes Hill
Rydon Lane
Exeter
EX2 5AZ
Carolyn Webster – District External Relations Manager – 01872 355021
Jobcentre Plus
Truro LSB
Lemon Quay House
Cornwall
TR1 2PU
Sally Kittle – District External Relations Manager – 01752 884261
Jobcentre Plus
Plymouth Plumer House
Plymouth Old Tree Court
Devon
PL6 5HY
Dorset and Somerset
Karen Taylor – Senior External Relations Manager – 01202 858697
Jobcentre Plus
Customer Services Directorate
Tamarisk House
1 Cotlands Road
Bournemouth BH1 3BG
Cathy Riordan – District External Relations Manager – 01305 328023
Jobcentre Plus
Weymouth BA
Westway House
Westway Road
Dorset DT4 8TG
Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire
Glen Leat – Senior External Relations Manager – 01249 425813
Jobcentre Plus
Chippenham Jobcentre
Cyppa Court
Avenue la Fleche
Chippenham
JN15 3LH
Cary Brookes – District External Relations Manager – 01452 366 000
Jobcentre Plus
GWS District Office
Gloucestershire BA
Cedar House
Gloucestershire GL1 1XL
