Specialist Vocational Support
Impact’s Workability projects help people with mental health needs and disabilities to access education, training and work.
Workability projects offer one to one and group support in a stimulating and supportive environment. People are supported in matching their skills and abilities to suitable jobs and courses and planning their career development at a pace that is comfortable for them.
Workability consists of three teams covering Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex.
Workability also supports employers to develop positive and sustainable working relationships with their employees.
“Workability gently eased me into going back to work, particularly when I was feeling very low. I found them helpful and they gave me confidence.”
Last year
- More than 970 people used Impact’s Workability services.
- 21 Workability clients in West Sussex received a qualification
- Our employment Development Workers met with over 50 employers who had said they wanted to work with us.
- 33% of referrals to our service in Brighton & Hove were from South Downs NHS Trust.
Links
Equal Brighton and Hove
www.equalbrightonandhove.org
Our Equal Mental Health Partnership comprises four local mental health projects - Impact Workability, Care Coops, Richmond Fellowship and Mind. Through our joint working we all feel that we now have a better understanding of what we each offer and work together more effectively to support our clients into work, training and education.
When a beneficiary is referred to any one of the partners, they can access all our collective services, and be supported through each stage of their individual journey to their work and learning goals.
Every beneficiary has the opportunity to explore their needs and clarify their goals in a one to one meeting with a vocational specialist. Then they decide which activity offered by the partnership is most appropriate to them.
Workability offer IT training, Toolkit for Living, a mental health self-management course based on the Recovery Model and Work it Out, a course which helps people prepare for returning to work training or study. They can also undertake a supported work placement in a local business or organisation or have one to one vocational guidance to explore work or training options.
Care Coops offer specific training and work experience in catering, horticulture, admin or IT. The project also offers one to one advice and guidance. The Work Directions course, in collaboration with Richmond Fellowship, takes clients from preparing for work to taking action - job hunting, selling yourself to employers and finding work.
When any beneficiary in any part of the partnership gets a job, they can access Richmond Fellowship's job support service, which provides the crucial support they need to stay well and in work. Richmond Fellowship works with both the worker and their employer to achieve this goal.
Experience in Mind is a young people led project. It offers a personal development opportunity for young people to design and deliver a training package, based on their own experiences, to professionals. EIM is open to all young people, from 15 - 25, who identify themselves as having had or are currently having some form of mental health difficulty.
Courses run in local community settings around the city.
European Social Fund
www.esf.gov.uk
Brighton & Hove City Council www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Care Co-ops Community Services Tel: 01273 685300
City College Brighton www.ccb.ac.uk
Department of Education and Skills www.dfes.gov.uk
East Sussex County Council www.eastsussexcc.gov.uk
East Sussex Disability Association ESDA www.esda.org.uk
Hastings Borough Council www.hastings.gov.uk
Jobcentre plus www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Mind www.mind.org.uk
Newcep admin@newcep.org.uk Free phone 08000721774
Social Firms South East www.socialfirms.co.uk
Sussex Downs College www.sussexdowns.ac.uk
Sussex Learning and Skills Council www.learninginsussex.co.uk
West Sussex County Council www.westsussex.gov.uk
Our Projects
We currently run 15 projects across Sussex.
For a complete listing of all our projects, please see our Services Directory.
Bridge the Gap
"In 1978 IMPACT’s original vision was to: 'Bridge the Gap'. That is to provide services for hard to reach, excluded communities and individuals across Sussex, to ensure access to services and support where there is clearly identified need. We continue to maintain this vision and I am continually inspired to see the range and quality of our services, the dedication of our staff and volunteers and the number of people we are able to help"
Mike Long, Chair
