Www.bitc.org.uk Developing experience through volunteering and work placements

www.bitc.org.uk

Developing experience through volunteering and work placements

www.bitc.org.uk www.riverside.org.uk

Denise GibbsSupport Team Leader, Old Tea WarehouseHigh Wycombe, Riverside ECHG

Debra FearnshawHead of Operations, Work InclusionBusiness in the Community

Who are we?


Workshop will:

• How to offer volunteering opportunities to homeless people to build skills and confidence• How to develop employability action plans• The principles of good quality work placements • The outcomes that can be achieved through clients participating in volunteering and work placements• The importance of employer involvement to ensure that work placements are beneficial to clients and employers alike• How work placements fit alongside other support to make sure clients are prepared for and make the most out of their placement (case study)

Objectives for today


• Getting into a routine• Learning what to expect in the workplace• Meeting new people• Work in an industry that is of interest• Gain experience• Gain self confidence• Feel useful• Use on CV• Learn new skills• Stand out from the other candidates • Can lead to a paid position

The benefits of volunteering /undertaking work placements


• Lack of experience• Lack of skills/qualifications• No routine, stable accommodation• Substance misuse• Low self-esteem• Lacking in confidence• Offending history• Poor personal hygiene• Poverty/ lack of suitable clothing for working• Mental health issues• Never worked before/family has never been employed

Barriers to employment


• Find out what interests the client• Develop links and effective partnership working practises with other agencies• Research volunteering opportunities Take baby steps• Complete a SMART action plan • Research local training courses together• Use disclosure letters for offending histories• Write a CV together• Refer to agencies assisting with employability skills• Ensure that the client is receiving support for other issues (e.g. substance misuse) alongside your back to work support.

Overcoming barriers and

creating an action plan


• Local Volunteer Centres

• Library

• Citizen’s Advice Bureau

• Do-it.org.uk

• Reciprocal arrangements (e.g. hostels)

• Business in the Community

Researching volunteer/work placement opportunities:

www.bitc.org.uk

30 years + of experience

10,700 companies engaged in BITC campaigns

62 countries involved in change

850 member companies with acombined workforce of 17.8million employees

Business in the Community

We stand for responsible business.


850 member companies

1 in 5of the UK private sector workforce are employed by

our members

http://www.bt.com/

www.bitc.org.uk

Community – Employment

• Our ambition is that everyone, particularly

those with significant barriers to overcome,

receives support from business to build the

skills and confidence to gain and sustain

employment.

www.bitc.org.uk

Business has a significant role to play

We believe employment is one of the most effective routes out of poverty and disadvantage.

“Doing Ready for Work has confirmed for me that I can be an excellent employee given the right opportunity.”

- Ready for Work graduate

Through Ready for Work, businesses can make a transformational impact on people’s lives.

Ready for Work offers great business benefits too.

www.bitc.org.uk

Why would businesses want to get involved?

www.bitc.org.uk

Understanding business motivation

• Personally motivated

• May want to give people a second chance

• May want to support their local community and make a difference to society

• Access a diverse pool of talent

• Fill roles that are ordinarily difficult to fill

• Provide training and development for staff through employee volunteering opportunities

• To be, and to be seen as actively contributing to the communities where they operate, making an investment in these communities

• Winning contracts – they have to do it (social value etc)

• Engaging their supply chain

www.bitc.org.uk

Our impact since 2001

• 7,446 people have been supported by Ready for Work and 3,041 have

gained employment to date.

• 40%+ of people who complete work placements enter employment.

• 59% sustain employment for at least six months.

We aim to support 4,000 people into work by 2016

www.bitc.org.uk

What is Ready for Work?

A four stage programme with businesses engaged throughout...

RegistrationPre-

placement training

Work Placement

Post-placement

support

“Businesses must not underestimate the power of Ready for Work. The pleasure our people get from helping someone change their life is enormous and translates into building a motivated and loyal workforce.”

- Barry Quatermass, IMS Director, Carillion


Pre-placement

training


Day 1 Day 2

Introduction Introduction – to Business Volunteers

Ice Breaker Ice Breaker

Ground Rules Transferable Skills

Self Awareness (hopes & fears) Energiser

Comfort Zone Interview Skills

People Skills Head in the Clouds Feet on the Ground

Energiser

Placement InterviewsSelf Talk

The Work Environment

Client Story


Work Placement


Pre Placement

Allocating the Programme Coordinator

Buddy to attend training

Planning the Placement

On Placement

First Day & Induction

Core Elements to Incorporate

Monitoring

Ending the Placement

End of placement review meeting

Linking with employment opportunities

Signposting


Post-placement support


Job Coaching

1 to 1 Support with a trained business

volunteer

Regular meetings for up to 6 months

Client led – training, volunteering, employment

Ready for Work Clubs

Weekly/Fortnightly Drop in Sessions

Business Volunteers on hand to support

you

Business Starting to use to run

recruitment sessions

Employment Workshops

Behind the Scenes

Employment Skills Workshops

Financial/Disclosure Workshops

www.bitc.org.uk

Ready for Work

Participant criteria summary

• They have recently experienced homelessness or are they at risk (we use the

hidden homelessness definition). Participants will also face multiple barriers to

work, for example, a past experience of homelessness, care, asylum, unspent

convictions and / or substance misuse.

• Their accommodation needs to be stable for the entire duration of the

programme. Any issues (such as mental health, alcohol or substance abuse)

need to be under control for a sustained period (min 3 months) & will not affect

their ability to work

• They are enthusiastic about work and keen to gain workplace skills through a

combination of training, a work placement and post-placement support .

• Over 18 years old, are unemployed and have the right to work in the UK

• They can communicate, read and write in English

www.bitc.org.uk

Ready for Work - recap

RegistrationPre-

placement training

Work Placement

Post-placement

support

Ready for Work teams support the businesses and participants every step of the way.

We understand the business perspective so they can support Ready for Work participants in the most effective way.

We train businesses in their volunteer roles to ensure people get the support they need while on placement or working with a job coach

We work with our employer network to ensure we link to job opportunities such as new sites, stores, supply chain.

www.bitc.org.uk

Be part of the solution

“My friends and family have noticed how much happier I have been since I got back to work. I now feel much more part of society, like I am making a difference to something.”

- Ready for Work participant

“The most satisfying part of my role is seeing a very nervous individual walking into our large organisation on their first day and then growing with confidence and eagerness to learn as the placement progresses. The ultimate achievement is when we can offer someone a role and secure a better future for them with Royal Mail.”

- Jayne Parry, Recruitment Advisor, Royal Mail and site co-ordinator for Ready for Work


• December 2012 left prison on licence referred from probation for supported accommodation.• Weekly sessions set up monitor his progress and support him with identified needs. Attendance of Anger Management courses and address his aggressive behaviour. IT courses to build up his skills set.• He was referred to Enterprise, an organisation within local job centre that supports ex-offenders with placements/volunteering opportunities and employment. • Enterprise referred him to BITC’s Ready for Work programme for 2 week placement with Freshfields Law Firm in London. He undertook further voluntary admin work.•August 2013: A secured a paid IT apprenticeship with Freshfields.•October 2013: He gave a speech in the House of Commons at a BITC event. He spoke movingly about the support he had received, highlighting the issues he faced as ex-offender, the stigma he’s overcome and through support he now believes he can work anywhere without feeling discriminated against•March 2014: He is preparing to move into a social housing tenancy with support from his Riverside resettlement worker

Case StudyHow volunteering & placements fit with

other forms of support


Ready for Work – the participants perspective

Case Study


• What barriers are there to people volunteering / doing work experiences?

• How can we overcome these barriers?

• How do you motivate your clients/ service users to feel motivated about volunteering?

Group discussion


Feedback from groups

Documents

Www.bitc.org.uk Developing experience through volunteering and work placements