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The Following are extracts from
the minutes of a CUC Open Meeting
held at Friends Meeting House
on the 6the July 2005 when Rosemarie
Harris from Status Employment
was invited along to discuss
the what and how they help Mental
Health Service Users back into
employment.Rosemarie
started of by thanking us for
inviting her along to the CUC
open meeting and continued by
saying that Status Employment
understood that there were mixed
feeling towards them by service
users but pointed out that they
have had a change of management
and staff and more involvement
with service users.
History
in brief: Status started
in 1991-2 working with people
with learning difficulties
– “with support
people can work, which would
allow people to contribute
to society” Mark Gold
from the USA, a trainer in
systematic instruction. Which
involves taking one part of
a job, and adding other parts
when the individual is capable.
In 2000 a new contract was
introduced called ‘New
Deal for Disabled People’
which brought new funding
to Status and allowed they
to work with people with Mental
Health problems.
How to join Status and the
process of finding you a job:
When contacting Status Employment
they will send you a pack,
Referral only. Complete the
application form and return
it with a copy of your Care
Plan Approach (CPA).
Note: everyone has a CPA,
though you may not know it
or even have a copy yourself.
Contact your Key Worker who
will have one for you. It
is quicker if you send a copy
of yours as it speeds up the
process.
Key Workers forwarding a copy
are notoriously slow at passing
one on. Without one Status
are unable to work with youAll
your details are kept on a
database called ‘Gemma’
which you are allowed to see.
You will be called in for
an ‘Interview Pathway’
which will look at the best
way forward for you. Then
you will be given an employment
agent (2-3 weeks) who will
try to get to know you and
find out what makes you ‘tick’,
setting up a vocational profile
(4-6 weeks) and a meeting
will be arranged with you
and your Key Worker.
There is a 50/50 job search
action plan were you do 50%
of the work of finding yourself
the job you want. They help
you help yourself find rather
than find it for you.
They will also arrange a meeting
with the Disability Job Adviser
at Jobcentre Plus.
“We
do not want to set people
up to fail”
Status will negotiate with
an employer your role in their
company. If you have problems
in an area they will work
with you either to overcome
this through different practises
or discuss with the employer
other areas where you could
make up your role.
There are no waiting lists,
not anymore. People with mental
health issues are very fast
at placing were as people
with learning difficulties
have to be trained and in
some cases trained and trained
again.
There are no age issues, as
long as you fall within the
working age range 18 –
65 Status would be able to
work with you. Some companies
like B&Q are very good
at taking on the older age
group because they see and
appreciate the knowledge and
experiences of the mature
candidate.
How Status get their moneyStatus
get funding, continues funding
if:
- They
get you a job
- If
you stay in that job
The money comes from the
PCT, DWP, Kings Fund and Social
Services.Status also runs
a course for those that are
not ready for work but are
thinking about starting work.
It is a 12 week course that
helps you build up your confidence,
4 people at a time based at
the Partchmore Centre with
a computer course on Thursday.
Rosemarie was thanked or attending,
and she thanks us for inviting
her on behalf of Status Employment
STATUS EMPLOYMENT
6 West Way Gardens
Shirley
CR0 8RA
Tel: 020 8655 3344
Fax: 020 8656 6600
webmail@statusemployment.org.uk
www.status-employment.co.uk
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