Ready for Work? Sharron Frammingham Sustainable Employment Specialist

Benefit of Sustainable Employment Supported sustainable employment has been proved to be an effective therapeutic intervention for severe and enduring mental disorder and contributes significantly towards recovery. IPS model has the strongest evidence for success; Job well done: Employment and mental health problems, a guide for funders (Rickey, 2012) Also enabling a person with a history of offending to find and keep a job has been found to be one of the most effective ways of preventing re-offending and improving their chances of leading a better life, (Centre for Mental Health, 2010).

What is Sustainable Employment? Many Mental Health Services have responded to this and created paid employment opportunities for service users. However, it is important to note the research highlights ‘meaningful’ and ‘sustainable’ employment. Just providing payment to a service user to perform a task isn’t ‘meaningful’ or ‘sustainable’ employment. Sustainable employment can be defined as competitive regular paid employment and that provides progression and skill development opportunities. Meaningful (in the context of employment) is defined as something valuable to an employer and performing a task that fulfils a business need. (Recommendations for Service User Employment, Sharron Frammingham)

What does Ready for Work mean? Mental state? Risk? Experience or qualifications? References? CV?

What do employers want? Team working skills Desire to learn Motivation Punctuality and reliability Positive work ethic

Steps to sustainable employment Forensics Paid job Engage with therapies (OT, education, anger management, mental health awareness) Supported employment on site (responsibility, commitment, team work, confidence building, on the job training) Linked to community employment support prior to discharge (action plan in place) Ongoing support in the community (as required)

Comparison Management implicationsPre-reviewPost-review Number of paid jobs1317 (currently) Unpaid training placements035 Weekly staff hours95 Costs not covered by revenue £12,000 (unsold stock) £62,300 (wages) £2,000 opening cafe Profit-ve£43.42 OutcomeNothing recordedGuaranteed job interviews

More than profit JR – When JR came to us he wanted to work but really struggled with confidence and self belief, however through his hard work determination and perseverance he picked things up quickly and was persuaded to apply for a post as a Team Leader. In his interview we saw the real JR, he had never worn a suit before but when wearing that suit he spoke with confidence we hadn’t yet seen. Now in his Team Leader role he takes charge of the shift and ensures everything is done to a high standard. He is interested in pursuing a career in business management within the catering industry and is currently applying to Open University.

HL – Is enthusiastic with a strong work ethic and intuition. From the beginning he would see what needed to be done and do it without being told. HL has a mild learning disability but he doesn’t let that hold him back he is always creating ways of managing and getting over and around his difficulties with writing and taking down information. Now in his Team Leader role he has been instrumental in recruiting candidates onto the program and inspiring and challenging their beliefs about what an ex-offender can achieve. He is interested in pursuing a career in the catering industry.

MM – Hard working and highly motivated, his excellent interpersonal and communication skills means he excels at customer service and as a team leader. His confidence and ability have been instrumental in the success of the project’s sustainability and sales development. He is able to get alongside the candidates on the training program and teach according to the individual. He leads with gentle authority and confidence. He is interested in pursuing his career in the catering industry, especially in food preparation.

More than profit GF – Always has a smiling face and a positive attitude. He is excellent in a customer facing role and has battled against the low expectations other people have of him. Initially this held him back, but since being on the project he has taken every opportunity to develop, responded quickly to feedback and his confidence has rocketed. He is 100% reliable, committed and dedicated; he has never let us down and always arrives early for every shift.

Barriers What barriers are your customers facing? How are you supporting them to overcome these barriers? Is it really helping? What more could you do? Are current partnerships working? Who else could you partner with? Are you linked to your local Mental Health Trust?

Conclusions NHS Trusts have a key role to play in preparing people for employment. People delivering employment prep need to be trained to consider customer’s specific barriers but also employer requirements and the local job market. Locate and fill gaps in provision by forming partnerships to provide a holistic support. Sustainable approach adds meaning and value.

Consultancy and training I’m available to help your organisation; Sustainable Employment Specialist Training and T:

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