Successful first year of #Focus5!
We have had a busy first year on the #Focus5 project, helping young people develop the skills to progress into employment, education or training.
Our team of key workers is growing and we are excited about delivering the next phase of the project across Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay.
We need more young people!
#Focus5 waiting lists have now cleared! If you know of young people who could benefit from our service please send us a referral using the online form on our website.
We are particularly keen to hear about females aged 15-18 who need support with education, employment or training.
How can young people benefit?
Young people are assigned to a #Focus5 key worker and together they create a bespoke plan of activities to meet immediate and long term goals or aspirations.
This can include; opening a bank account, learning about financial independence, navigating public transport, creating a CV, applying for jobs or apprenticeships, interview training, organisation skills, work experience opportunities, 1:1 mentoring, therapeutic activities, support with returning to education or the development of life skills.
It also often involves the chance to simply talk and build confidence over a coffee, or a walk in the countryside! Support can be anything that helps young people towards education employment or training, as long as they fully engage with the project.
To find out more, why not browse our gallery of recent success stories.
What are the criteria?
Because the #Focus5 project funders set targets for helping young people into employment, education or training, we need to gently remind you of the eligibility criteria. Below is a summary, you can find the detailed criteria and further information on the referral form section of our website.
A young person needs to be:
- Unemployed – (If someone is unemployed then they are entirely without work, but available for work and actively seeking work. They will usually be registered unemployed and be in receipt of unemployment benefits).
- Economically Inactive – (If someone is economically inactive they are not in paid employment or self employment and are not available for, or not seeking work. They may be in education but at risk of NEET. They may be in receipt of certain benefits such as incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance, and could also be in training of some kind).
- Aged 15-18
- Committed to taking steps towards education, employment or training
- Willing and able to engage with a key worker out in the world, to develop at least one of the #Focus5 skills; Communication, Teamwork, Organisation, Problem Solving and Customer Service.
As many of our key workers are not qualified to fully support young people with complex mental health needs, for the next phase of #Focus5, we will assess referrals strictly against the above criteria and there may be occasions where unfortunately some young people will not be eligible.
Whilst we will make contact with every referral and endeavour to help as many people as possible, we do need to ensure those who join the project are in a good position to succeed and benefit from what the project has to offer.
Why not call us on 07876 758108 for an informal chat about a young person or drop us an email. You can also keep up to date with our news via Facebook and Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you!