Issue No.6 / February 2022
NCS teens’ period poverty campaign hits 1 million views!
What’s inside...
Page 2 CFO Activity Hubs helps to heal Keith’s scars.
Page 4 Ingeus recognised at Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards.
Seven young women who met through National Citizen Service (NCS) have developed an online campaign to raise awareness around period poverty. Even though they have now graduated from NCS, they are continuing their hard work and pledge to play their part in keeping the important conversation alive way beyond their hometown of Brighton. As part of their NCS social action project, the girls created a dedicated TikTok account @BrightonPeriodProject. They have used this to spread important information on period poverty and create a safe space for people to discuss and de-stigmatise ideas around periods. They’ve also used the Issue no.6 / February 2022
platform as a channel to collect and re-distribute period products to those in need. By using popular music or noises which have gone viral on TikTok, and relating that to their content, their platform has now reached over a million views. One video that highlights the woes of having your period racked up nearly 900,000 views on its own – three times more than the population of Brighton. Through their clever partnership with local homeless charity, Antifreeze, to setting up a GoFundMe page and drop off points within the local area, the project has raised thousands of pounds to buy period products and has re-distributed periods products to 1 in 10 of the total population of women in Brighton. The group have also written to charity Period Poverty UK, high street retailers Morrisons and Superdrug, and consumer goods giant, Procter and Gamble – the home of wellknown sanitary brands Tampax and
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Always – to discuss their campaign and to ask for help developing an idea they had similar to the Government’s c-card scheme (aimed at young people between 13-24 years old who can register to get a range of free condoms, information and advice). The girls are pushing for a p-card version that would allow access to free period products to people who need them. Brighton Period Project’s Isobel Hallworth, aged 16, said: “We thank NCS for giving us the tools and the confidence to continue to push the narrative way beyond the programme. We really hope we can roll it out to other parts of the country because we know there is a need for it. Hopefully, us reaching out to the big players in this field will come to something and help spread that change.” “This is such an important, life-altering initiative” said Miriam Jordan Keane, Chief Brand Officer at NCS Trust. “That young women in 2022 are suffering from period poverty in our country is heart-breaking, and I am so proud of the seven teenagers in Brighton who 1
Continued from cover... are putting this on the radar of big brand consumer companies and retailers. This is real girl power in action, making a genuine difference to women’s lives and life chances. Go, girls!” Mark Gifford, CEO of NCS Trust said: “Our focus for NCS has always been to provide tools that will help our youth build confidence and resilience and equip them with the life skills they need to become worldready and work-ready.”
CFO Activity Hubs helps to heal Keith’s scars
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“It’s heart-warming to see a group of 16-year-olds come together and be so passionate about something and wanting to make a change in their community and beyond. They have clearly worked together so well as a team and I’m excited to see where it takes them.” “This year we have moved towards offering year-round access to NCS so young people can engage in the way that best suits their individual needs and circumstances. We remain committed to backing the country’s youth, continuing to help future generations of national citizens give back to their communities, and build the future that they will inherit and inhabit as ‘our next greatest generation.” Unfortunately, even despite the Government removing tax from tampons which used to be considered ‘luxury items’, thousands of girls in the UK still struggle to afford sanitary products. Nearly two million girls aged 14-21 in the UK have missed a part day or full day of school because of their period, according to a survey by global children’s charity Plan International UK. Videos and further information about the cause can be found on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter by searching @BrightonPeriodProject
Issue no.6 / February 2022
Eleven years after being discharged from the RAF, Keith Cooper began struggling with the mental scars of serving in Northern Ireland. Spending the subsequent years offending and in and out of prison, he faced his longest stretch this year. Two months since his release, he’s grateful to the CFO Activity Hubs for
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their support in helping him to look to the future. Keith had access to practical support through the CFO Activity Hub, including debt advice and independent living. He was also offered mental health support through group or one-to-one sessions, something which Keith found beneficial. Watch Keith’s video on our YouTube channel to find out how the CFO Activity Hubs supported him and helped him get back on a better path.
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Lillian gets her sparkle back The Covid pandemic brought an end to Lilian Miller’s 22-year job at a hotel but thanks to Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) in Liverpool, the cleaner has got her life in order again. After polishing up her CV and dusting off her fears, Lilian felt so confident that she was the first to leave an Ingeus employment open day with a new job. Lilian, aged 62, from Everton, cleaned rooms at a hotel for over two decades. She was made redundant in November 2020 but with limited IT skills to access jobs and interviews remotely during the pandemic, she found herself unemployed for 11 months.
She says it felt like ‘groundhog day’ until she was referred by Jobcentre Plus in Everton to employment programme JETS. Ingeus employment coach Julian Ralston helped Lilian with her CV and booked her on to a computer course. She scooped a new job before it started, at an Ingeus open day. “I was first through the doors and the first to be offered a new job,” she remembered. “JETS gave me so much support – they said just go in and sell yourself and I did! I felt confident enough to walk into a room full of employers knowing I was capable and had the right experience. Julian had made me a CV to hand around and it was amazing nobody in their right mind would say no!” Lilian was ‘elated’ to be offered a job with a cleaning company. She now cleans offices and public areas for a building company and loves it. “I’ve never been so welcomed. I’ve
been there a few weeks and it feels as though I’ve been there donkey’s years,” she enthused. “I’m so made up and I’m so happy.” Lilian, who enjoys walking and reading horror stories, also won £100 in high street vouchers at the open day. Plus, JETS has supported her with money for work trousers and travelling expenses. “I would like to say thank you to the JETS programme for being there every step of the way in supporting my journey back into employment,” said Lilian. “I still see Julian once a fortnight, he asks me if everything is alright and if I need anything, they are just amazing.” Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) in Liverpool is commissioned and financed by the Department for Work and Pensions and deemed to be a European Social Fund match funded programme. Ingeus supports the delivery of JETS in the North West, Greater London, Greater Manchester, the North East, and Central areas.
Not only do we enable better lives, we save them too! We couldn’t resist sharing a good news story of a different type from the North West… Restart Advisors in Wigan, Bethany Gaskill and Jessica Leigh, saved the life of a woman in need earlier on this month with their quick and heroic actions. Whilst out on lunch, they ran to the aid of a lady who
Issue no.6 / February 2022
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collapsed in front of them, who was suffering from a suspected cardiac arrest. Both Beth and Jess jumped to support, calling 999 and giving the lady CPR whilst they awaited the arrival of the ambulance. They have since been told that the lady is okay and that they would have saved her life with acting so quickly. The team bought the girls some flowers as a gesture of how amazing they are.
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Restart Scheme launches performance fund
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“To mark the launch of the Performance Fund we’d like to gift to you; a plant to remind you all of what we’re all here to do. We sow the seeds of hopes and dreams, and watch our customers grow; with time, care and respect, they’ll soon be ready to go; off into the world of work to build a brighter future; The Restart Scheme team officially launched the programme’s Performance Fund in February.
whether working as a cleaner, driver, or on a computer.
The Performance Fund is a committed budget for spending on participants to help them progress into sustainable employment, its fully flexible and can be used on a variety of specialist support and interventions.
it’s about what we can collectively do.
The fund enables our team to respond quickly to getting the services our participants needs, meeting individual needs and also helping to bridge gaps in local provision.
So, it’s not about me, and it’s not about you; We make a difference, you and I; for together we nurture and help others thrive. So, every time you pass by this plant; remind yourself - there’s no such thing as can’t! Everyone will flourish given the opportunity to succeed; it’s about finding the potential and nurturing that seed.”
Creating Enabling Environments in Lambeth and Manchester Ingeus is launching a project to achieve the Royal College of Psychiatrists Enabling Environments Award (EE Awards) in two of its Restart Scheme centres in Manchester and Lambeth. This is a pilot scheme with a plan to be rolled out to all other centres as part of a wider continuous improvement strategy. An Enabling Environment is an environment where healthy
Issue no.6 / February 2022
relationships are seen as the key to success. You can find them in any kind of service, from a wide variety of sectors. Places which are ‘enabling’ create more opportunities and better outcomes for everyone there. They create happier, more productive, staff; better outcomes for individual recipients; and support everyone to give greater contributions and to be the best they can be.
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Becoming an Enabling Environment centre will improve our participants experience engaging with our team, service, and improve engagement levels. For our teams, this improves their ability to provide an excellent service they have input into, with a sense of pride and ownership, which will in turn remove barriers, enable better engagement, and create an environment for performance and success.
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Ingeus commended at Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards Able Futures help hundreds to cope with relationship issues and loneliness
Ingeus has been ‘notably commended’ as one of three organisations for Best Diversity and Inclusion in the first ever Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards, which recognises excellent employment practice amongst Greater Manchester employers.
On 14th February, celebrated by some people as Valentine’s Day, over 200 people joined a webinar where the Able Futures team covered how relationship issues or loneliness can cause feelings of stress and an inability to cope with everyday life and time at work. In the webinar, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant (VRC) Lisa Dobinson explained how experiencing relationship issues or loneliness can affect people, with symptoms impacting mental health, anxiety and ability to focus. Lisa also explored some coping strategies that could help those experiencing these issues.
David Schmechel (Local Integration Lead for Restart Scheme GM), Edward Wild (Key Worker in Preston), Aaron Middlehurst (Local Integration Lead for Restart GM), Jayne Garner (Head of Integration for Restart GM) and David O’Brien (Performance and Delivery Manager in Manchester) attended the awards on 3rd March and were awarded with a trophy.
Issue no.6 / February 2022
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Listeners also had the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts and experiences in a confidential, anonymous way, and apply for support when it is needed. You can watch a recording of the webinar here.
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Ingeus leads training to help older jobseekers
The accredited training course is available to industry practitioners via the Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP), which reports that more than 600 people have accessed it to date. Ongoing evaluation of the training’s effectiveness by the Centre for Ageing Better via Ingeus key workers is instrumental in ensuring the learning is robust and adds value to key workers’ knowledge.
It’s a sad fact that older jobseekers can feel at a disadvantage applying for roles because of their age. Many of the people Ingeus helps back into employment are over 50, so we are thrilled to be leading the way in a project to transform the job search for this age group. The Upskilling Employability Workers programme trains employability key workers on how to better support clients aged 50 plus, by understanding the specific barriers they face. With around 50 percent of our participants 45 or older, we have expert knowledge of what works and what doesn’t while supporting them. It’s more important than ever that people can find work as they age, with many working for longer and with widespread job losses due to Covid. This project is
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helping to shape the whole industry to help older people, who often have invaluable skills and experience, to access job opportunities fairly. It has been created by the Centre for Ageing Better, following findings that many older workers experience ageism in the recruitment process and struggle more than other age groups to get back into work when unemployed. Ingeus key workers from the Working Well (Work and Health Programme) in Greater Manchester helped shape the training and are piloting the four online, self-learn training modules.
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An interim report into the project shows that most key workers who took part in the pilot felt better equipped following the training. 45% reported a better understanding of customers’ needs, while 60% said it had positively changed their practices toward participants to some degree. It was found that the training gave them a better understanding of clients’ needs; lead to better support; and improved relationships with older jobseekers. Older clients were found to be more confident and motivated, and able to view their age differently, following the upskilling of their key workers.
We asked Laura life’s essential ‘this or that’ questions: Summer or winter?
Laura Roberts Laura has been part of the Work and Health Programme since it started back in 2017 and tells us a little more about her role. “As a team, North West Work and Health Programme provides support for unemployed people with health or disabilities get back into employment. We do this through understanding their individual needs and tailoring the support accordingly, so we can guide them through their journey.
This month we’re putting Laura Roberts, Head of Delivery for the Work and Health Programme in the North West, in the spotlight.
Issue no.6 / February 2022
“My favourite part of the job is working alongside our team and seeing the support that is given to our participants. I love hearing and sharing their good news stories and feedback there really is nothing better!”
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Both – Summer for the longer days and sunshine but winter for getting wrapped up for winter walks or cosy days at home. Chocolate or sweets? Chocolate every time. Night or morning? Morning up and ready to make the most of the day. Cats or dogs? Cats. Dressed up or casual? Dressed up, love getting dressed up and ready for a day or night out. Phone calls or emails? Phone calls – nothing better than talking with people. Books or films? Books.
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