Title of Project – Moving Forward with CashBack for Communities
Theme – Journey to Employment
Target Group – Young people disadvantaged by:-
- Living in areas of deprivation; and
- Being unemployed, not in education or training; and
- Being excluded, or at risk of exclusion from school; and
- Being at risk of being involved in antisocial behaviour, offending/re-offending
Age range : 16 to 24 years
Number of Young People project expects to work with : 300
Summary of Project
An 8 week work placement and 10 week job search support to young people from areas of deprivation with autism who are furthest from the work force and provide follow up support to sustain positive destinations. It will provide intensive 1:1 mentoring and group work, preparation for employment. The project will support young people from areas of deprivation with autism to overcome barriers to employment and consists of the following stages:
1. Initial Assessment: Background information, including employment history, education and support needs, will determine the individual’s precise route along the pathway. Given the difficulties the target group of young people can experience around change and transition, it may be necessary to conduct additional one-to-one meetings, prior to deciding next steps.
2. Options for Individuals not ready to progress: Some young people will require alternative support before they are ready to fully engage with the programme. This is identified in the Initial Assessment and NAS can offer mentoring with a mix of Face to Face and E-Mentoring. It is expected this will help the young person remain engaged with the project in order NAS can support their journey to employment when they are ready, and will be supported by NAS services.
3. Preparation for Employment: Group sessions to identify and prioritise issues participants wish to address. Topics covered include; Starting Conversations, Reading Body Language and Understanding the Autism Spectrum. This will help young people to build social confidence, learn how to manage anxiety and develop a better understanding of the recruitment process. The project will target barriers experienced specifically by autistic people which are not covered in other employment support programmes but are essential to their progression into work.
4. Work Placement: NAS will support young people who would benefit from work experience into part time work placements lasting up to 8 weeks. To ensure young people get the most out of their placement a preplacement visit will be conducted to assess the workplace to ensure they are suitable and identify potential challenges. NAS will run autism awareness sessions for staff of supporting workplaces. A member of the NAS project team will conduct monitoring visits and engage in formal feedback with the young person.
5. Job Search Support: This stage will take up to 10 weeks and will help young people identify and apply for employment. The young person will be supported to; build a job search toolkit, identify suitable vacancies, complete application forms and prepare for interviews. NAS will identify and apply for training courses, higher/further education, voluntary work etc. if these are preferred or more appropriate outcomes for the individual.
Working with employers – will deliver autism awareness sessions to employers in Glasgow and the surrounding area to ensure opportunities are available for young people with autism. NAS will then refer young people to those employers they have worked with successfully.
Areas where the project will be delivered:
The project will be delivered in a Glasgow hub to young people from areas of multiple deprivation within the following 14 local authority areas:- Clackmannanshire: East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Renfrewshire; Falkirk; Glasgow; Inverclyde; North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Renfrewshire; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; Stirling; West Dunbartonshire