People are out of work for many different reasons and it is hard enough getting a job at the best of times, but for people who have faced mental health issues there are additional barriers beyond what most job seekers face. This year we have continued our work with Mindset, a programme of activities to help people who have experienced a range of mental health issues get into work.
Most participants on the programme have well established career paths with a wealth of experience between them, but due to lost confidence, stigma from employers and other factors they are struggling to get back into the workplace. One of the participants told us, “I feel reluctant to give information about my condition as I fear it would result in discrimination.”
But through Mindset participants complete a structured programme that provides a combination of training, coaching and work placements over a period of 4-6 weeks. Staff from the Mindset group also work with local employers to advocate for positive recruitment of those with mental health issues. Between March and April this year seven people came to Birmingham Settlement on volunteer placements in roles including administration, data analysis, IT training and service user involvement. Participants were assisted in gaining practical skills they can use in the workplace, helped to improve their CVs and encouraged to reflect on the skills they have to use and what they still have to work on.
The programme has been a huge success so far this year with volunteers both enhancing our organisation and gaining a lot from it in return. Some of the things participants have told us include:
- “Training and working at Birmingham Settlement has been a worthwhile experience.”
- “Some of the tasks have been challenging so I’ve learned different things.”
- “It’s been a growing experience.”
- “I got what I wanted out of it.”
- “I’ve gained things I didn’t expect.”
- “I thought I wouldn’t work in an office again, but I feel like I don’t have anything to worry about now.”
- “Anything’s possible!”
We hope that the experience of the programme will have a genuine impact on the chances of participants finding jobs and we intend to continue working with Mindset later this year to build on the work done so far.
Mindset is run in partnership between Birmingham Settlement and: