The first Employment Advice Fair held by the RISE team took place on 18th October at the Old Free School in Watford. There were presentations by Dr Straughan and Serwah Hindhaugh, new RISE team member and qualified solicitor who spoke about the new services that RISE offers to people affected by mental health problems: legal, benefits, debt and employment advice commencing with a detailed individual and private assessment and on-going advisory sessions for as long as a person needs these. The aim: to enable people in their recovery and in their return to work by removing the barriers that would otherwise hinder them and continue to create a stressor.

Dr Straughan spoke of the multi-modal package of services that RISE now offers: Recovery training, self-help groups, practical work placements, job-skills and job-related skills training, job-seeking support, individual advice - which together ensure that a person is well supported in their recovery and in their return to work and beyond, as they continue to maintain good health in the workplace.

The event was attended by over 30 people who remained in the majority for the whole afternoon and took part in the two workshops. It was also an opportunity for the presenters and facilitators to spend some time exchanging on each other’s provision and for people to sign up to the various services on offer.

Guideposts Trust staff Karon Davis and Peter Wesson also presented on their new training developed with Herts Partnership NHS Trust called Moving Forward and Watford’s Disability Employment Advisor, Siobhan Coughlan spoke of the range of personalised services that she provides people with all kinds of disabilities as they seek work.

Natalie McKenzie, carer and accountant from Price Waterhouse Coopers, facilitated the two workshops: “A Life in the Day” (job-related skills needed at work) and “The Interview” (what skills and attributes an employer is looking for in those valuable face-to-face moments that mean the difference between being offered the job and being turned away). 

Bob Walters, BBC camera man and film producer, filmed the presentations and workshops on the day - to be edited into films that will be uploaded onto RISE’s Vimeo site shortly. So watch this space!

Meantime, to find out more, click on the links below to access the presentations and workshops in hard copy format:

Heather’s presentation rise-fair-services

Serwah’s presentation - to be uploaded soon

Natalie’s workshops  day-in-the-life 

                                              the-interview

Karon & Peter’s - to be uploaded soon

If you are interested in any of these opportunities, contact the RISE team on 01923-297122 to find out more.

Opportunities for the next Recovery In-Sight course to be held in January and the practical voluntary placements and job-skills training are open until May 2012 and are funded by the European Social Fund/Skills Agency. The individual advisory sessions which conclude in March and the Advice Fair are funded by Awards for All/Big Lottery.

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