Kingston Supported Employment Service

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About Us

Our Supported Employment service works with Kingston residents with learning disabilities, autism, or mental health issues to take steps towards employment, training, or volunteering. Located in Siddley House we’re here to ensure you get the support they need on your employment journey.

We recognise that people with disabilities can face additional barriers to finding paid work. We help you to identify employment goals that are in line with your skills and preferences. Our employment support workers then work closely with you to create a personalised plan to help them to work towards these goals.

Things that we can support with include CV writing, job applications, interview preparation, and identifying helpful workplace adjustments depending on individual needs. Employment support workers can also support with communication with potential employers and be a vital link to ensure your career is a good match. Our supported employment service follows the British Association for Supported Employment framework of Place, Train and Maintain.

We also offer a Kingston Peer Support Service were our Peer worker uses their lived experiences to support you achieve your goals though shared understanding, empathy and encouragement.

For more information you can our service leaflets including head to our Leaflet resource section

Kingston Supported Employment Service FAQs

What is employment support?

Our employment support workers will help your personal goals towards finding a job, volunteering, education and training. Our team use a person centred approach and will support you with writing a cv, applying for jobs, preparing for interviews and advising on reasonable adjustments.
How long can you support me?

We support you for up to 12 months and up to 6 months in employment. We understand that sometimes life happens and there may be times when you might like a break from support and we would factor this in on a case by case basis to ensure that everyone has the support they need.
How often will I meet my employment support worker?

Our sessions are usually fortnightly but you do have the option to meet monthly. We offer face to face support, over the phone or online.
How long will it take me to get a job?

Finding employment ranges from person to person, the more you engage and are motivated to find work the easier it should be. There is no set time frame, but we aim to get you into employment as soon as possible but it is dependent on your personal goals. We do not have jobs readily available, as we use a person centred approach towards employer engagement.
What is in work support?

Once you have been supported to find employment, we provide up to 6 months of in work support. This includes regular communication with your Employment Support Worker to ensure you sustain your employment. We may also keep in contact with employers to support with any reasonable adjustments or challenges that may arise.

Our impact

The number of clients that gained vocational outcomes… 0

Find out more

Testimonials

“They offered tremendous insight into employment support, rights and wellbeing in the workplace, clearly outlining an employer’s responsibility to protect their LGBTQ+ employees from discrimination, sharing case studies of people the Working Well Trust have supported. Their presentation sparked a lively and interesting discussion on the challenges and barriers LGBTQ+ people frequently face both within, and when trying to access, employment.”

Paul, Forum Lead at Elop
Thank you once again for all the support you’ve provided to both [Client] and the organisation. This has been a real learning journey for us, and your input has already helped us strengthen our practices moving forward!

Senior manager, for a Client of the In Work Support Service
“I really believe the best thing that our team did was refer to you! ”

Community Engagement Practitioner, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust
This service is very good and it helped me get into a job I actually enjoy doing instead of little jobs that wont last and I actually really really enjoy this job. [The Employment Specialist] done such a great job!”

SF, A Thrive Client
“I would say that you have been very supportive to our clients and they could see the light at the end of the tunnel working with yourself, your skills and empathy has been great for our clients and they find it easy to connect with your service.”

Mahmoud Jum’ah, Health & Wellbeing Practitioner For MIND
“I think the service is a very good one. Having them in-house it makes it a lot easier for patients to meet with them and for us to support. It’s easier for the patients to trust and work with them which is a very good thing and the staff are fantastic, very personable and very good team players” –

Team lead, for Early Intervention Service, BEH Trust
“Your ES’s are both amazing and have made life so easy for us for supporting our client into work, really helpful, great to have this service integrated into our team”

Social Worker, in South Locality, BEH Trust
“Service users in therapy leave your sessions feeling more confident and often reminded of their skills and abilities that hadn’t been at the forefront of their minds. This empowering approach is so valuable (especially so when conversations are often focused on problems) and really helps with therapy when goals are around feeling more confident and returning to work/activity. Thanks very much.”

THPTS Clinician, THPTS Clinician
“I’m meeting all different types of people and learning something that I still enjoy even though it’s not in my interest and field but I’m learning other things. Access has been very positive for me based on my enquiries helping me find my part time jobs. I’m feeling confident in a positive way.”

Access Client, Access Client
“I was struggling with my mental health and learn something new. It has helped me in many ways – more confident to ask for help when it is needed, communicate with other peers and enjoying sewing. The staff are brilliant, very caring, helpful and encouraging. Each day is difficult to get out of the house and stressful for me but when I attend Sew and Support course it helps me to relax”

Sew & Support Client, Sew & Support Client