Successful first year for Foundations 4 Work scheme
Our social purpose drives everything we do at settle. For some residents we know that specialist extra support can be vital to help develop the skills and experience needed to sustain successful employment.
We’re delighted to report on the first year of a project we’ve funded with our Hertfordshire partner, Create Community Network, to do just this. Through Foundations 4 Work we’re funding a dedicated 1:1 mentor employed by Create Community Network and training to help residents develop the skills needed. Although the Foundations 4 Work project only began last year, we can see strong progress – of the 38 individuals referred to the programme by Job Centre Plus and other agencies in 2018, 29 (76%) moved through the programme and have this year been receiving training and work experience opportunities to help them deliver their goals. A further 5 residents have entered Foundations 4 Work since the report was written and begun their journey through it. Read the full report written by Create Community Network: Foundations 4 Work year 1 report [pdf] 2MB
We’re also trialling a unique passport approach that captures an individual’s training, work experience, volunteering and employment activity. The activities residents take part in are recognised by the Department of Work and Pensions as evidence of job searching and progress. Our intention is that the passport is also recognised by partner employers in the same way.
Any settle residents interested in finding out more should contact us by calling 0330 343 0016 or complete the contact form on our website.
Richard McKie, Director at Create Community Network said “Working with settle has been a breath of fresh air. It’s not often you find a local organisation and substantial employer that genuinely wants to make a difference within the community in which it operates … and does something about it. From the off they have backed their commitment with tangible support and investment that has enabled us to make a real impact in the lives of the people we work with. What’s not to celebrate!”
Gavin Cansfield, Chief Executive at settle said “ First and foremost we are a landlord, but we can never forget the importance of thriving communities. Our Foundations 4 Work scheme is a fantastic example of how we are delivering our commitment to help our residents stay living comfortably in their homes. I’m delighted to see the results we’ve achieved with our partners at Create Community Network.”
