On Friday I visited Eastleigh Jobcentre Plus. I have to admit I thought this was going to be difficult and depressing. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard the team there must be working, at the coalface of this dreadful recesion. The number of people they are seeing has doubled in the last year and apparently New Year saw quite an escalation in the amount people claiming. Some Happy New Year!

My husband, Stuart was under threat of redundancy twice in the last few months. Thankfully he didn’t join these statistics and he still has his job. But we could so easily have been there.

I have to pay tribute to Neil who talked me through the centre, Steph (an infectiously bubbly and helpful front office person) and all the employees who are obviously working incredibly hard to get people back to work. Their dedication and upbeat approach made this visit anything but depressing. Whilst I obviously feel desperately for those who have lost their job, it is so encouraging to know that at Eastleigh Jobcentre Plus unemployed people have a team like this to help them through the devastation they might face.

Unsurprisingly they are taking on staff to cope with demand. I hope their recruitment drive continues to attract people with this proactive spirit and understanding. For those who sadly have to become clients of Jobcentre Plus they will find compassion and a wealth of expertise.