Frequent questions about supported employment

Going to work creates a sense of achievement and increases wellbeing. It will allow you to be part of the community, open new opportunities to meet new people and gain new skills. As well as having the opportunity to earn money.

We have found people roles in a wide range of careers from animal care to office roles, maintenance to admin. You can read more about these in our case studies. We work with you on an individual basis to explore career options and find suitable employment which you are happy in. No one will be expected to work in a role which they do not want to.

The jobs will be based in your local area or from home. Some travel may be required but only a distance that feels comfortable to you and where it has been previously discussed and agreed.

This will be completely up to you, but we often find that people want to work part time. This allows you to continue to do the activities you already do in the week but fill days that you may not have anything to do.

Moving into work may affect your benefits. It could also trigger a change to the benefit being claimed. We can discuss benefits before you start work to ensure you are happy with how your benefits will look.

For more information, please contact our Supported Employment Coordinator at supportedemployment@solihull.gov.uk or for more complex issues please contact our Community Advice Hubs.

Our Community Advice Hubs in Chelmsley Wood Library and Solihull Connect at The Core in Solihull town centre are available Monday to Friday to discuss and support you or the person you care for.

You can see when drop-in sessions are available at the Age UK Website.

To contact the hubs or book an appointment:

• email admin@solihullcommunityhub.org.uk
• call 0121 709 7590

This will depend on your individual needs. We will ensure you can be as independent and safe as possible. We will talk to you to gain an understanding of how far you would like to travel, the types of transport you are happy to use and what previous experience you have with travelling. In some circumstances we can provide travel training if you would like to travel alone to the workplace, this could be walking, cycling, or using public transport.

If you can or want to drive, or you have someone who drives a car on your behalf we can support with applications to Access to Work and Motability grants (where appropriate) to cover the cost of any adaptations.

If you need to have someone drop you off and pick you up, this is also something we can explore. Please contact our Supported Employment Coordinator supportedemployment@solihull.gov.uk for more information.

We understand that it is important to have support to get into work and just as important to continue that support while in work. Each person will be supported along a path specific to their needs, gaining confidence and self-esteem along the way to be able to sustain employment but we also realise that extra support while in work is sometimes needed.

Our partners work with employers and individuals to make sure the role continues to be enjoyable. Partners can communicate with employers if any issues arise, even if this is after you start work. They also offer regular communication with you while in work to ensure you feel supported, and issues do not arise.

Our partners are also able to support if someone is at risk of losing their employment. They can work with individuals and employers to try and resolve issues or, if required, support to find alternative employment.

If you need additional support at work this can be arranged. If you are already working with one of our partners they will continue to support you at work. You will also be supported to apply for government support called Access to Work which helps people to get or stay in work if they have a health condition or disability.

You can also speak to our Supported Employment Coordinator at supportedemployment@solihull.gov.uk or partners who will be able to provide further guidance about Access to Work.

With support in place, we are confident that work will be successful. If it is not, for any reason, support will always be available if you want to go into paid work. We can also help to explore other options.

For more information, please contact our Supported Employment Coordinator at supportedemployment@solihull.gov.uk.

We will always try to fit working hours around your existing activities. For example, if you attend a group on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we will look for work on a Tuesday and Thursday. If this is not possible, we can also look at switching days.

If you attend activities five days a week, some of this may be affected and sacrificed, although we can also support by looking for weekend work. If this is the case any lost placement days, funded or part funded by the Adult Disability Team can be kept open for up to 8 weeks, while you settle into work. This means that if, for any reason, the work placement is not successful, you can go back into that placement with no need for a new assessment.

If contributions are made towards the provision, these must continue for the placement to be held. If you leave work after the 8 weeks, you may still return to the placement, if it is still available, or a new needs assessment can be completed.