Following the first meeting in May, the group of public and private sector leaders met to discuss key issues around ensuring that the region's most disadvantaged adults are able to find a job and a home.
Care-leavers, ex-offenders, people with learning difficulties and people with mental health problems have all been identified by the Government's Social Exclusion Task Force as being among the adults most at risk of being homeless or unemployed, and at risk of falling into a life of disadvantage.
This week's meeting focused particularly on the role of lead professionals to help people through times of transition, and the scope for the organisations involved to look at how they can employ more people from the client groups.
Minister for the East Midlands Phil Hope said:
"The Government led by the Prime Minister is doing an enormous amount of work to help people and businesses in the East Midlands through this economic downturn. As Minister for the East Midlands I am determined that these tough economic circumstances will not be used as an excuse to forget about those people who are most socially excluded. In fact, in these difficult times we need to renew our efforts to ensure they do not fall even further behind.
"The first meeting of the Sounding Board in May was a really good start to look at how we in the region can do more and work better to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged in our society.
"The second meeting this week has reinforced that there is good work going on across the region. This group will be at the forefront of sharing useful practice and making sure that I am aware of issues that need to be raise with my Ministerial colleagues."
The Social Exclusion Task Force, working in the Cabinet Office, has helped to develop the Government's central target - or Public Service Agreement (PSA) - on supporting socially-excluded adults. It is one of only 30 PSAs agreed across the whole of Government and will help ensure that the region's most at-risk individuals are given the opportunity to get back onto the path to success.
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