STOCKTON Borough Council's social services department has been awarded a grant from the European Social Fund for an employment support project to help disadvantaged people improve their job prospects.

The project will initially work with 110 clients and it is envisaged that it will be opened up to support more people through the development of the Stockton-on-Tees Welfare to Work Joint Investment Plan.

The Employment Support project aims to help socially excluded people into supported or open employment.

Training support, advice, guidance, assessment and care plans will be provided by a multi-disciplinary team of workers who, up to the end of December, will be providing a high degree of support to the clients.

Jane Humphreys, assistant director (operations) social services, said: "We were extremely pleased to receive funding from the European Social Fund towards the costs of this initiative.

"The local authority along with our partners and the voluntary sector, are always seeking new ways to maximise the employment prospects of all people who are disadvantaged through disability, age, gender or race - and this is a positive route we are taking."

Employment opportunities for both paid and voluntary placements are required for clients of the project and Stockton Borough Council and North Tees Primary Care Trust have already pledged their support.