It's all about work in Suffolk

Residents of Suffolk are invited to Shaw Trust’s All About Work event on Wednesday 27th October, where more than 16 local organisations will be coming together to offer support and advice to help people on the road to employment. The FREE event, which is aimed at both employers and members of the community, is taking place at Ipswich Hospital, with a FREE Buffet at 2pm and presentations from 2.45pm to 4.30pm.

The aim of the event is to encourage businesses and individuals to come together to work towards improving opportunities for training, volunteering and employment for people with disadvantage or disability. Shaw Trust Community Advisors will be on-hand giving careers, training and volunteering advice. They will highlight local support services relevant to individual needs, for example counselling services, motivation courses, IT training, benefit and debt advice, as well as networking, placement and interview opportunities with local employers.

Peter Alder, Shaw Trust Regional Manager, says: “Shaw Trust is looking forward to bringing both employers and prospective employees in the local community. We want to facilitate local employment opportunities by offering tailored advice and guidance to meet individual needs. Engaging with training and employment services can be daunting for some people, and this event hopes to make this easier by bringing together the different services in one place.

“Shaw Trust has already helped many people with a disability or disadvantage in the area gain employment, and established some excellent relationships with local businesses. As a result the Trust is currently supporting a considerable number of people with disabilities in a working environment, some for the first time in their lives.”

Shaw Trust is already helping people in the local area:
ISS Ltd and Shaw Trust have supported Matthew into paid work. Matthew had never been in paid employment before and was really keen to display his skills in the workplace. He wanted a job, and was determined to get there. With the right support Matthew is now in paid employment with a fantastic team and is completing Hospital post rounds independently. He enjoys his time with the team and shares the ‘post room’ banter and activities. Matthew is now looking to increase his working hours and take on more challenges with the support of the management and team at ISS Ltd.

Paul and Paul also started at ISS Ltd covering Security and Catering within the Hospital. Both Pauls tried out their work placement before committing to paid employment. However, ISS Ltd was so impressed by the standards of work, both have now progressed into paid employment with a view to increasing their working hours.

Phil Whale, General Manager of ISS Ltd. has wholeheartedly supported this recruitment and has been actively involved offering support and guidance. He is speaking at the event to talk about the contribution to the team, and the value that each individual adds. Phil says: “I’m hoping that by talking honestly about our experience, it will give other employers encouragement to work with Shaw Trust to secure more employment, opportunities for those individuals that would find it hard to get a paid job without support”.

Shaw Trust is an active partner in the local community providing advice and support to help people with disability or disadvantage to find work and achieve independence. If you would like to find out more about Shaw Trust’s services in Suffolk call 01473 407305 /407019.

The event is taking place at: Courtyard Restaurant, Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich. For further information or to confirm your attendance please contact; the Shaw Trust team on 01473 407019.

Organisations and services attending the event in addition to Shaw Trust:
• Genesis Orwell
• Mencap
• Lapwing
• Workwise
• Family Action
• Eras Ltd
• IAPT
• Community Learning
• Adult Community Services
• ISS Ltd
• Pastel
• Street Forge
• Person Centred Partnership
• Job Centre Plus
• Suffolk County Council
• Shaw Trust

A number of topical presentations will be taking place throughout the afternoon including: The World of Work (Shaw Trust), The Value of Volunteers (Age Concern), Personalisation (Suffolk County Council), Achieve More with Less – The Value of Teamwork (Eras Ltd) and Disability in Work (ISS Facility Services Healthcare).


ENDS

Notes to editors:
Shaw Trust is a national charity, formed in 1982, which helps people with disability or disadvantage to find work and achieve independence. We do this not only by delivering government programmes, but also through our own self-funded initiatives, and by campaigning to change attitudes at all levels. Across the UK more than 1,600 staff now oversee a diverse range of more than 200 projects.

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