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2. job search

Journey to Employment
2015
Background
The need for change:
There are 11.5 million[1] working age people in Great Britain with a long term health
condition[2]. More than half are classified as disabled under the Equality Act 2010
because they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial, and longterm, adverse effect on their ability to carry our normal day-to-day activities.
In total 2.8m people with a disability or a long term health condition qualify for
Jobseekers Allowance or other benefits such as Employment Support Allowance.
Building on learning form the Right to Control pilots, the Personalisation Pathfinder will
look to test a different approach to working with and providing help to these customers.
The overall objective of the pathfinder is to test whether a more personalised and
flexible advisory approach is more effective at helping customers move towards and
get into sustainable employment.
The role of the Community Employment Specialist (CES) is an opportunity to help
those that do want to get back to work realise this goal either directly working with
customers or through the new Specialist Heath and Disability Coach in the Jobcentre
(JCP). The CES will help shape the way in which these customers are supported and
tap into local provision that meets their needs.
What activities will J2E deliver?
The Journey into Employment projects (J2E) will provide support for the Pathfinder
for one year and will go live in May 2015.
J2E will provide a joined up package of support enabling statutory and voluntary
services to work together to break down barriers and improve access to JCP services.
J2E provides an opportunity for JCP staff to actively engage with project participants
and carry out JCP reviews in an environment participants may find less threatening.
J2E will deliver a wide range of activities that will provide a holistic package of support
to enable individuals to move into employment and stay there. These will include
elements such as:
[1]
The 11.5 million includes both those people with a disability and those with a long term health condition, but without being
disabled.
[2] A health condition lasting, or expected to last, at least 12 months, as measured by the LFS in response to the questions: “Do you
have any physical or mental health conditions or illness lasting or expected to last 12 months or more?”
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Journey to Employment
2015
Person centred mapping - projects will map out a path of support identifying:
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Personal barriers,
Previous work experience, skills and interests,
Manage health conditions, and
A route to overcome barriers.
Employment support – projects will identify the training needed to navigate the
employment path by offering:
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Confidence building and motivation.
CV writing/application and job search.
Interview skills.
Independent travel – travel training (if required).
Raise awareness of, and support individual to use Access to Work services.
In work mentoring support – help needed to stay in work.
Financial management advice including welfare benefits and better off in
work advice, to support the move into employment.
Developmental pathway – projects will identify personal aspirations by:
 Developing personal goals, objectives and action plans for individuals to work
towards.
 One-to-one support with specialist advisors – mentoring, coaching and
training.
 Basic skills training – to build confidence, work readiness and how to make a
positive impression on an employer.
Peer support - working together – projects will encourage peer support working to
enable participants to share experiences and skills by:
 Encouraging individuals to set up and run social activities and events such as
a pool league, health & wellbeing initiatives, volunteering etc. to build
confidence and build team working skills.
 Developing Community partnerships with community groups to provide
awareness sessions on activities and support available.
 Signposting individuals to agencies, community forums etc. to raise
awareness of support services and entitlements.
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Journey to Employment
2015
In work support – projects will offer a mentoring and budding support for individuals
who they support to move into employment, to help them settle into the new job and
manage any concerns by providing:
 An employment buddy - peer support for the first three months in
employment to help individuals manage the change.
 Help to identify access needs and work with the employer and individual to
try to ensure appropriate adjustments are put in place.
Building relationships with local employer
J2E will run a programme of local employer engagement to change attitudes towards
employing disabled people.
J2E will:
 Work with local employers to facilitate work trials and work placements to
enable participants to gain work experience.
 Up skill employers in the benefits of employing disabled people (Social Value
Act) to try to reduce myths and concerns about employing disabled people.
 Raise awareness of and actively promote Access to Work with employers, to
demonstrate how beneficial it can be with helping to employ disabled people.
Please see Annexes 1 for the J2E project outline, Flyer and customer journey.
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Journey to Employment
J2E Activities
2015
ANNEX 1
Journey into Employment Project Outline
Introduction to the peer Support Job club
Week 1
Expectations
Initial assessment
Employment
Support
Employer
Engagement
Weeks 2 -5
Building Relationship
Person centred planning
CV preparations, interview
techniques
Condition Management
(health, lifestyle, wellbeing)
Financial, benefit awareness
Personal development
Social activities to build
confidence and self esteem
Travel training
Collaborative working
Create volunteering
Work experience opportunities
In work support- for ex
participants & employersadvice
Job club
Weeks 6-12
Job search / CV Updates
Coaching
Applications / interview practice
Peer mentoring
Volunteering /work placements
Local provision – L & D
Employment Café
On going
4
(Drop – in support)
Peer Support Mentoring Group
Continuous job search
Share the learning
Interview techniques
Support buddies
Working through feedback
Journey to Employment
5
2015
Journey to Employment
6
2015
Journey to Employment
1.
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The first step
Meeting with Specialist Health & Disability Coach.
Consider referral options
What type of service would support the needs of
the individual
Referral aid memoire suggests J2E referral is
appropriate
Claimant sign posted to peer support job club
2015
J2E Journey
6. Weekly activities
• Work ready activities
• Interview support
• AtW advice
• Job testers
• Realising potential
• Confidence building activities
• Group activities
4. Initial assessment
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Person centred planning - family /finances
What work ready activities would help?
What are the barriers to employment?
Condition management?
Volunteering?
Work placements?
Social enterprise?
Social activities –
2. J2E peer support job club
Peer Support
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Introduction to the job club
What it can offer
What is the commitment
Why will it help
Confidence building & team working
Community inclusion
Employment Ready
J
2
E
J
2
E
J
3. Building
local employer relationships
o
• u Up skilling employers in disability & AtW
• Championing the value of employing
r
disabled people.
• n Creating employment and volunteering
e opportunities for J2E participants
• y Sharing experiences with JCP
7
J
o
u
r
5. Social job club
n
• Meeting people
with a similar lived
e
experienceyof disability
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Sharing experiences
Understanding what works
Learning how to manage conditions
Support to learn new skills
Learning how to manage finances – what
help is available – better off in work
calculations
Team and confidence building
7. Outcomes
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Confidence levels increased
Work ready skills level increased
Support to move into employment
Support to set up business
Support to take up work placements
Advice on AtW
Wellbeing improved
Reduced dependencies on services –
welfare savings
In work support managing expectations of
employee and employer
Journey to Employment
8
2015