Branching Out - Remploy's Magazine, Summer 2015

Issue 21 / Summer 2015

Remploy’s Quarterly Magazine

A very modern apprenticeship Page 7

{ Scotland’s changing landscape / Bridging the employment gap / Supported internships } Also in this issue: Q&A with the Co-operative’s Community resourcing manager and getting Fit for Work

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Welcome

From the Chief executive’s chair I was recently in the United States with colleagues from MAXIMUS, our partners in the joint venture which was created as we left government ownership in April and moved into the private sector.

A change of scenery often produces new ideas and clarifies our thinking.

The visit got me thinking about how we keep our customers happy and not just the disabled customers we support into work. I am referring to customers in the broadest sense – in fact everyone that we do business with.

Placing the customer at the heart of our business is what we strive to do – providing the best possible service. Listening to our employer partners, to the Government and other organisations which commission our services helps us to understand their needs and requirements.

Our success over the years in helping tens of thousands of disabled people to transform their lives is a result of the close and deep relationships we have developed with employers.

But I also started thinking whether there was a better way to support the journey of disabled people off benefits and into jobs. Into jobs where they bring real benefits to employers and in the process benefit our economy through increased productivity.

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The current thinking is that sanctions and mandation is the best driver for benefit claimant behaviour and that disabled people can sometimes be difficult to deal with. But what about using the carrot rather than the stick?

Disabled people spend their entire lives jumping through hoops and may have a variety of challenges which make it difficult for them to get their point across. This can make dealing with the bureaucracy of benefit claims and entering the job market very challenging.

But instead of sanctions and benefit cuts, why not offer incentives, for instance like the Obama phone in the US which gives struggling low income Americans free cell phones, voice minutes and texting. Could we offer phone top ups or High Street vouchers to incentivise our customers on their journey into work?

Our role should be to attract disabled people, engage with them and demonstrate an understanding of their needs and aspirations. We can then provide support to help them not only to get a job but to progress in their careers. Of course in return we expect commitment from our customers to engage in meaningful activity that leads to a job.

How do we support those who want a change of career, want and need a different working pattern as they get older? If we are really to reduce the employment gap for disabled people we need to offer support that enables people to stay in work throughout their careers. The job start should just be the beginning.

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News

Lynn is minding her B&Qs

Scotland’s changing landscape Matt Lancashire, Remploy’s Business development director for Scotland, looks forward to meeting the challenge of further devolution.

Lynn Patterson

Lynn Patterson was low on confidence when she was first referred to Remploy’s Glasgow branch. She feared that her dyslexia and other health issues would stop her from ever finding another job.

But the specialist support she received put her back on track and she is now working as a part-time Customer service assistant at B&Q’s store in Darnley in the city, following a successful four-week work placement.

Remploy helped Lynn buy clothes for her interview and paid for her travel to and from work during her work placement.

“Remploy helped re-build my confidence and self-belief.”

Lynn Patterson

Remploy’s Quarterly Magazine

Remploy is one of Scotland’s leading providers of specialist employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions and the business partner of choice to hundreds of Scottish employers who recognise the economic and social benefits of employing disabled people.

The changing landscape in Scotland with Holyrood taking responsibility in 2017 for the delivery of employment programmes, providers of specialist employment support should work in communities across Scotland to attract, engage and support as wide a group of disabled people as possible.

We are committed to working with partners to create a prosperous and fair Scotland, by promoting equality in employment for disabled people and facilitating access to sustainable work.

Since 2010, Remploy in Scotland has found more than 8,500 jobs in mainstream employment for people with a range of physical, sensory and learning disabilities, mental health conditions and other disadvantages.

It is clear to me that a separate programme tailored to the needs of disabled jobseekers and utilising specialist providers and networks of support is more likely to deliver the Scottish Government’s objective of giving all people in Scotland the opportunity to make the most of their potential and to find fair work.

Providers of specialist employment support will need to work in communities across Scotland to attract, engage and support as wide a group of disabled people as possible. We will also need to ensure that disabled people are given genuine choice in the employment support they receive and that it is integrated into their wider support networks.

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News

Minister hears how Remploy is bridging employment gap The new minister for disabled people, Justin Tomlinson met Remploy chief executive Beth Carruthers during a visit to Marks & Spencer’s Pantheon store in London’s Oxford Street. Mr Tomlinson, who was appointed following the general election, heard how Remploy’s partnership with M&S has secured jobs for thousands of disabled people.

Later, he visited Remploy’s Waterloo branch to see the work that is being done to bridge the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people.

Remploy is committed to reducing the 30 per cent employment gap between the numbers of disabled people in work compared

with non-disabled people. This is a key driver of the Government’s Disability Confident campaign which celebrated its second anniversary in July.

To mark the anniversary of the scheme, the Government set a target of reducing the employment gap by half.

The Disability Confident campaign seeks to give disabled people the support they need to get a job and help employers to recognise the abilities and skills of disabled people. More than 370 businesses, large and small, have signed up to the campaign.

While 42 per cent of disabled people looking for work said the biggest barrier they faced was the attitude of employers, businesses with disabled employees report lower absence and sickness rates and greater loyalty and commitment.

Left to right: Tanith Dodge, M&S Human resources director; Pantheon Store manager Sharon Lawrence; Minister for disabled people Justin Tomlinson; Karen Leonard, M&S Finance and operations manager, and Remploy Chief executive Beth Carruthers

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News

Scott’s career is on the right track Scott Edwards, who has speech and hearing impairments and severe dyslexia, faced an uphill battle to find work after being made redundant from his previous job in catering.

But thanks to Remploy and the Marks & Start scheme, Marks & Spencer’s community flagship programme, Scott has found a fulfilling career.

After a year out of work, he was referred to Remploy’s London specialist employment services branch at Waterloo where he received tailored support with job searching, interview techniques and confidence building.

The support paid off when Scott secured a two-week work placement on Marks & Start.

Now in its sixth year, the Marks & Start initiative aims to provide better access to employment for lone parents, homeless, disabled and young and long-term unemployed people.

Just days after successfully completing the placement, Scott accepted an offer of a permanent role as a sales assistant in the food hall at the busy Brompton Road store in London.

“I have dyslexia and I struggle with reading, I also find it very hard to communicate when nervous or under pressure. Before M&S I was not given many chances at employment. I think that people saw my dyslexia and saw it as too much of a burden on them,” said Scott, aged 27.

In 2013, he met his wife-to-be and moved to M&S in Brighton where he now works in the menswear department. “As a customer assistant, I spend my time making customers happy. I take payment for their goods while talking to them about the products and in true British fashion, the weather!

“The Marks & Start programme has been life changing for me,” said Scott who lives in Hove, Sussex.

Remploy’s Quarterly Magazine

Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Disabled People, said: “Scott’s story, through the partnership between Marks and Spencer and Remploy, is a great example of a Disability Confident employer understanding the real business benefit of employing disabled talent.

“Disability Confident is about letting disabled people know that their skills and enterprise are recognised by employers, at the same time as encouraging firms to reap the benefits of a diverse workforce.”

“The Marks & Start programme has been life changing for me.”

Scott Edwards

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News

Making digital connections If Remploy’s digital service was a Remploy branch, it would be 12 times bigger than its high street counterparts. We can reach more people with convenience, choice and 24/7 access and our site can be used on any device in any location.

Our online advisors chat to website visitors seven days a week and until midnight Mon-Fri. The average online chat is 13 minutes and we see lots of quick disclosure which means we can offer support where it’s needed most.

Having constant conversations with our disabled customers means we can respond quickly to their needs, developing the digital service to fill any gaps in support they may have.

Our employer customers spend their time visiting pages about anxiety, autism, dyslexia and disability etiquette.

Jobseekers using iRemploy can also get face to face support in a Remploy high street branch.

This blended delivery reinforces the choice and control for our disabled customers.

“We realised very quickly that a lot of our website visitors were parents or carers of disabled people looking for advice. We were able to respond quickly with new content, blog articles and forum areas especially for this audience,” said Maxine Moss-Black, Remploy’s head of digital.

A quarter of iRemploy’s 8,000-plus registered users come to the site from mobiles or tablets.

Services and advice include online mock interviews, workshops to increase confidence and improve skills and abilities, live job vacancies and a forum for peer to peer support.

“I was able to arrange a mock interview from home.

It’s very personal, you’re in your own space and time, and you’ve got time to make the interview process go more smoothly.”

Janet uses the branch and digital service whilst she looks for work

Resoures: Janet Boocock, blended candidate video

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News

A very modern apprenticeship Nicole Hird

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is working with Remploy and the children’s charity Barnardo’s to improve access to apprenticeships and to promote them to people from a wide range of backgrounds.

Nicole Hird has benefited from the partnership after securing a modern apprenticeship in hairdressing at McIntyre’s salon in Dundee with support from her local Remploy branch.

Nicole required specialist employment support because of a long-term kidney condition and Remploy worked with Nicole and her employer to pave the way for a successful and fulfilling apprenticeship.

Nicole said: “I think if someone wanted to do a modern apprenticeship they should definitely go for it. I think it’s easier for getting into work, gaining confidence, getting more experience of watching people who have been in work for longer.

Remploy’s Quarterly Magazine

“I’ve had hands-on help from colleagues and from Remploy. You’re earning money while you’re learning so it becomes easy and helps you become more confident.”

Matthew Lancashire, Remploy’s Director of business development (Scotland) said: “The partnership between SDS, Remploy and Barnardo’s has been a resounding success.

It has ensured that more young disabled people have had the opportunity to access the Scottish Government’s modern apprenticeship scheme, contribute to Scottish businesses and grow the economy.”

Remploy is dedicated to supporting disabled people into sustainable employment and welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment in achieving this joint aim.

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We talk to

Q&A Rob Devlin, Community resourcing manager with Co-operative Food, answers questions about Project Guardian a partnership between the Co-operative and Remploy which provides work experience for disabled people.

Q. Why has the The Co-operative launched Project Guardian?

A. We want to support unemployed disabled people as part of our commitment to championing a better way of doing business for our communities. Co-operative Food is a great place to work and we believe that having the right people serving our customers is key to our success. Project Guardian helps us recruit uniquely talented people by providing work experience opportunities as a way of trying our industry.

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Q. What are you trying to achieve through the Project Guardian scheme?

A. Project Guardian was launched to help unemployed disabled people improve their employability skills. Often the biggest barrier to someone moving into employment is the lack of previous work experience they can discuss in an interview. We hope to raise aspirations of thousands of people across the country and increase the number of disabled people we have working with us.

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We talk to

Q. What is the The Co-operative’s policy on employing disabled people?

A. We are a proud two ticks employer who guarantee interviews for all disabled people that meet the basic criteria for jobs in our business.

Co-operative group has won numerous awards and is a true champion of diversity and inclusion.

Project Guardian will help us reach larger numbers of disabled people and further raise our profile as a destination employer.

Q. Why did you choose to partner with Remploy?

A. The Co-operative has a long standing relationship with Remploy who provide us with an excellent recruitment service across the country. Project Guardian is an ambitious multi partnership programme which brings together Jobcentre Plus, Mencap and Shaw Trust to deliver a fantastic service back to our business.

Q. How would you summarise your relationship with Remploy?

A. Remploy provide a consistently professional service to our business and have already helped hundreds of store managers gain a better understanding of how we can support disabled people back into work.

Q. How important is it for your business to call on a specialist organisation like Remploy for advice and guidance on employing disabled people?

A. It’s an integral part of our resourcing strategy to build strong partnerships with organisations that can help us reach the communities we most want to support.

Q. How is working with Remploy going to help the The Co-operative?

A. Working with Remploy is helping The Co-operative in several ways. It helps us reach a wider audience of disabled people, it simplifies our recruitment processes and helps us attract a much broader range of talent into our stores. Remploy also helps up-skill our business leaders so that we can provide the best possible environment for colleagues to flourish.

“Project Guardian was launched to help unemployed disabled people improve their employability skills.”

Rob Devlin

The Co-operative was established in 1844 from a small shop in Lancashire and now has over 2,800 stores nationwide.

Other businesses within its portfolio include Banking, Funeral Care, Insurance and Travel.

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Learning and development

Learning and training on the job A supported internship is an education and training programme for young people with a learning disability, aged between 16 and 24. The focus is on providing work experience and on the job training which gives the young person the skills and experience that employers are looking for.

They are a partnership between an education provider, a supported employment provider such as Remploy and an employer. Remploy currently has nine partnerships with mainstream colleges delivering supported internships to high needs students. 51 per cent of the young people on the supported internships have gone into work.

Young people participating in the programme are considered to be full-time students, either with a college, school or training provider and the aim is to create a smooth transition from education into sustainable employment.

The duration is a full academic year and the young people rotate around a number of placements in the host employer’s business lasting 10-12 weeks.

A full-time Job coach embedded in the workplace delivers systematic instruction to the students before each placement starts. Job coaching continues throughout the placement to ensure students can undertake the role within the business as independently as possible.

Employers benefit because programmes can be tailored to your needs giving access to a previously untapped workforce. There is a beneficial impact on the workplace and employees because working with interns increases staff awareness of equality and diversity while at the same time providing opportunities to build mentoring and coaching skills.

Businesses are able to nurture the next generation of employees; ensuring a loyal and talented workforce and potentially reduce recruitment costs and time involved in recruiting.

As part of a supported intern partnership, Remploy ensures that young people are suitability prepared for the placement and subsequent potential employment and provides specialist disability confidence training for leads and mentors.

A part-time Tutor supports the students to develop their maths and English skills. Alongside this some students may study towards a nationally recognised qualification.

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Expert staff will analyse an employer’s individual needs, roles and tasks and conduct all health and safety, safe-guarding and accessibility checks.

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Successes

Jobs success for Wrexham duo A Wrexham business, which sells mobility aids, has handed a jobs lifeline to two local disabled men.

Carl Myers, left and Dave McCarthy

DSL Mobility recruited Dave McCarthy, aged 47 and Carl Myers, 49 after they successfully completed work trials organised by Remploy’s branch in the town.

Both men feared they might never work again after being made redundant when Remploy’s manufacturing factory in Wrexham closed in 2012.

Dave said: “Remploy and DSL have got me back on my feet. Remploy helped me with my job searching and provided me with advice on interview techniques and how to create a standout CV.

“It was what I needed and paved the way to me being given this new opportunity.”

Carl had more than a dozen interviews before he finally landed his new job. “I was scared stiff at each interview,” he admitted. “I hadn’t had one for a quarter of a century, so it was quite an ordeal.”

DSL owner Russell Allmand said the work trials organised by Remploy persuaded him to give Dave and Carl a route back to work. “At DSL we look beyond disability and concentrate on a person’s ability.”

Martin’s games success A Leicestershire man, who received back-to-work support from Remploy after recovering from a life-saving kidney transplant, has proved his fitness by taking part in the British Transplant Games.

Martin McCluskey, aged 52, from Loughborough, successfully competed in snooker, 10-pin bowling and five-a-side football at the four-day event in Gateshead.

In 2009, he developed polycystic kidney disease, an inherited condition, which causes cysts to develop in the kidneys.

Martin McCluskey

When he felt strong enough to look for work, Martin was referred to Remploy’s Leicester branch for specialist support. Within months he had successfully applied for a job as a Warehouse operative at Marks & Spencer’s busy distribution centre in Castle Donington.

“Having a job again is fantastic,” added Martin.

“Remploy helped rebuild my confidence and found “My dad died from the disease and my sister and a job that is right for me. I can’t thank them enough for two brothers both needed transplants,” said Martin, all they have done. I’ve been given a second chance who spent up to 12 hours a day on dialysis before of life and I fully intend to make the most of it.” receiving a new kidney in September 2011.

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Real work, real results

New contract supports the most vulnerable In September Remploy launched the new Specialist Employability Support (SES) service, a national two year programme focused on helping disabled people who need the most support, either to start work or overcome barriers so that they can access other provision.

Remploy is one of six organisations providing 1,700 disabled people across England, Scotland and Wales with work-related support each year.

1,250 disabled people are expected to move into work over the course of the two-year contract which is worth more than £3 million.

All customers will have a dedicated Specialist coach as their single point of contact, who will focus on their individual needs, and support them throughout their journey into work.

The coaches will: conduct an initial assessment to get to know the individual and identify their barriers in order to produce a detailed Individual Support Plan; co-owned by the individual and their coach.

In preparation for starting a job the Specialist coach will meet the individual and their employer to agree any reasonable adjustments such as appropriate adaptations, support with Access to Work applications and job coach support.

Matt Fellows, Remploy’s Director of business development, said: “Winning this contract is a recognition of our expertise in providing support into work for people with complex barriers.

We will work with a national network of specialist partners, providing support to vulnerable adults who want to move into employment.”

Customers will be registered on the free, online iRemploy service, where they can chat to iRemploy advisors seven days a week.

They will agree with the coach the level of support required, frequency of contact and support duration.

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Customers will be registered on the free, online iRemploy service, where they can chat to iRemploy advisors seven days a week.

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Around the UK

Fit for Work

A new support service, designed to help working people who face long-term sickness absence return to work more quickly, is now available across the whole of England.

The free and confidential service, known as Fit for Work, will provide the services of occupational health professionals to employed people if they have been, or are likely to be, off work for four weeks or more.

According to government statistics, around 815,000 working people in England each year have sickness absence of four weeks or more. Research indicates that, without support, a significant proportion will struggle to return to their jobs.

Now all GPs in England will be able to offer their working patients a referral to the new service, which includes an in-depth assessment, followed by a personalised Return to Work Plan and managed support to get back to their jobs.

Employers will also be able to refer their employees to the service from the autumn which will help employers reduce the impact of long-term sickness absence on their businesses.

Fit for Work supported Julie when she had to take time off work due to severe muscle pain, and gave her the confidence to speak to her employer about returning to work in a way that was manageable for her.

Julie, aged 53, is a Support worker in a small care home in Rhyl, Wales. She was referred to Fit for Work by her GP in April 2015, after suffering severe pains in her legs.

“I get a lot of pain when I’m sitting down or lying down, which makes sleeping impossible.

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The service, which is entirely voluntary, is intended to help the hundreds of thousands of people each year who are, or are likely to be, absent from work for more than four weeks due to illness or related issues.

The service is expected to be of particular value to small and medium-sized firms where there is no, or limited, employer occupational health support available.

Employees, employers and GPs can contact the scheme by phoning 0800 032 6235 or by visiting the website at www.fitforwork.org.

In Scotland, Fit for Work is delivered by the Scottish Government and is called Fit for Work Scotland.

It’s not so much the pain that’s the problem, because when I’m moving around at work I don’t feel it”.

Julie was off work for two weeks, and then returned briefly, but was referred to the Fit for Work service by her GP when she informed him that she would need four weeks off.

A telephone assessment worked well for Julie due to its holistic nature and produced her Return to Work Plan. “Luckily my manager agreed to let me work shorter shifts,” she said.

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News

Andy’s in business – with help from Remploy A former soldier who became a surveillance specialist during a 13-year army career has set up his own business – teaching counter surveillance techniques to personal injury compensation claimants.

Andy Kift, from Malvern, Worcestershire came up with the idea during a post-army career as a Surveillance operative for a global surveillance company. “I began to feel very uncomfortable with some of the methods used by insurance companies to undermine genuine compensation claims,” he explained.

Fifty-four-year-old Andy, who has rheumatoid arthritis, believed his lack of business experience might thwart his entrepreneurial ambitions, but his local Remploy branch was on hand to help.

Remploy’s Adam Woodruff, left, and Andy Kift

Humera Rafiq, Remploy’s Business advisor in the West Midlands, was ‘blown away’ by the level of detail in Andy’s 48-page business plan.

“But because of his inexperience, he hadn’t really thought about marketing his business and how he would cope without a regular income during the development stage. That’s where we were able to help,” she said.

“I have developed a very good relationship with Adam and Humera who are now more like friends than business advisors.”

“I knew all about surveillance but almost nothing about business,” admitted Andy, whose internet-based company provides counter surveillance training material, including e-books and videos. “Thankfully, Remploy provided a nurturing environment and some much-needed expert advice.”

Adam Woodruff, an Employment advisor at Remploy’s Worcester branch, was inspired to help Andy. “Initially, the most important thing was to convince him that I was treating his ideas seriously. After that it was a case of putting Andy in touch with colleagues who are specialists in self-employment,” he said.

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Andy Kift “Humera never tried to put me off pursuing my dream,” recalled Andy, whose new business launched earlier this year and has already gained a healthy number of new customers.

Added Humera: “Remploy provides bespoke business support for people like Andy. Of course, self-employment is not going to be right for everyone. But it could be an option for people who require flexible working patterns.”

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Around the UK

Cadet 2 Careers A partnership between Remploy and the Army Cadet Force (ACF) has successfully delivered the Cadet 2 Careers (C2C) programme, a four-week employability training programme delivered by Remploy for ACF detachments in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

As part of Remploy’s Be the Change volunteering programme, Chris Kingsbury, Regional development employment advisor in the North West volunteered two days a week for a month to lead and train for programmes at Remploy’s Manchester branch and Fulwood Barracks, in Preston. The programme was offered free to all cadets and at no cost in time or money to the local Army Cadet Force.

Chris Kingsbury said: “For over a month I had the pleasure of working with cadets from the Army Cadet Force detachments in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

C2C helps senior cadets recognise and transfer their ACF skills into skills that would be of interest to an employer. It is primarily aimed at cadets aged 15 to 18 and not going on to further education and guides cadets into ‘civvy street’ employment rather than a career in the forces.

Senior ranking officers within the ACF have also been highly impressed with the delivery of the programme, the professionalism and expertise of Remploy colleagues and the benefit this has been to their cadets.

I found this to be extremely rewarding, and a completely different experience to my usual day to day role which meant I had to challenge myself and step outside my comfort zone.”

The programme is broken down into the following units.

• Discovering the full range of skills the cadets have developed through their ACF activities and achievements.

• Teaching cadets through mock interviews how to show their skills to employers in their CV, on an application form and at an interview.

• Researching the local job market and businesses before learning how to create and deliver short presentations.

The successful cadets with Remploy’s Chris Kingsbury

• Delivering presentations to an audience of senior HR people from local employers.

Among employers who received the presentations were Forward Assist Recruitment, Speedy Services, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer.

The cadets had lunch with the employers to gain feedback and discuss their employment hopes.

Colonel Mike Bennett, project manager of the ACF, with Caitlin McLauglin

Remploy’s Quarterly Magazine

Issue 21 / Summer 2015

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Valuing our impact Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a way for us to put a value on activities such as improving people’s confidence, reducing reliance on other services and protecting the environment.

Between April 2013 to March 2014: For every

we created

invested

in social value

£1 £2.51

We saved the NHS

Staff satisfaction increased to the value of

We reduced our greenhouse emissions by the equivalent of nearly

We saved the State

in benefit payments Together we generated in excess of Our staff gave back

We supported

individuals by improving candidates’ motivation, resilience and confidence

Read the report at www.remployblog.co.uk/sroi

volunteer hours