A Busy April for HeadsUp EPUT Delivery Partners in Central and North Essex

With 15 new participants joining our EPUT delivery partners this really has been a great month for HeadsUp in this part of Essex. It’s fantastic to see people who can really benefit from our support coming forward and taking those first steps back towards the workplace, even if it might be small steps or even one step forward and two steps back to begin with!

We have seen some lovely outcomes for some of our participants aswell for instance one lady was inseparable from her boyfriend- they would attend the HeadsUp meetings together and she would include him on part of her journey. This month however, she found employment in an ice cream van in a local retail centre … but the extra topping was that her boyfriend also found employment in the neighboring hot dog van! This story cannot help but make you smile and we wish both of them huge luck in their journey……

Some of our participants are making really good use of all of the opportunities that are available to them. These might be activities run by HeadsUp itself such as our programme of workshops (there 3 of these coming up for this group), but also by attending events that HeadsUp delivers with other people across Essex. This week in conjunction with North and Mid Essex Mind and IAPT, we are delivering a whole host of information stands, workshops and even a Burlesque Taster to help people feel more body confident! There are various events being held across Essex all to raise awareness during the national ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’ find out more in our news piece in this section of the website.

Finally (this really has been a busy time!) the team continue to make great links with other local stakeholders who may signpost potential participants to us in the future. Recently this has included linking in with the Moat Foundation Officer at a new community hub in Maldon where some of the team are setting up an ‘Employer Links’ day for participants in that area – watch this space !!

Do get in touch to find out more headsup@enableeast.org.uk

The Plan for Mental Health Awareness Week 2019

HeadsUp are supporting this important week of awareness by attending a variety of events across Essex. Do come and have a chat to us in the following locations;

14/05 – @theharveycentre Harlow
15/05 – @royalsshoppingcentre Southend AND Eastgate Shopping Centre Basildon

Wellbeing events in conjunction with Mid and North East Essex Mind and North Essex IAPT at:

16/05 – Anglia Ruskin University Chelmsford
17/05 – Firstsite Colchester

Look forward to seeing you.

Greenstead celebrate with 4 participants moving into employment or training in March

Our Greenstead based Peer Support Worker has been busy supporting participants to move forward and become more confident. With the help and support of a HeadsUp trainer who facilitated some workshop sessions during March, the team are delighted that four participants have now moved onwards and upwards from the project since the beginning of this year.

It’s been great to celebrate their achievements with them.

* One has successfully completed his Construction Skills Certification Scheme training course and is due to sit the exam shortly which is a great achievement already!

* Another has commenced two accredited online training courses specialising in digital skills – Digital Marketing, and Introduction to Cyber Security.

* A third has been working through Maths and English qualifications, starting at Entry Level, and achieving her Level 1 qualifications earlier this year. She is now working at Level 2, and is keen to continue progressing in both subjects.

* A fourth participant has grown in confidence through attending a training course, and is now actively looking for apprenticeships or traineeships in retail/customer service.

We have also welcomed five new participants to our HeadsUp programme in Greenstead since the beginning of the year, and our Peer Support Worker is working closely with them to help them achieve their goals and overcome some of their barriers.

Some great outcomes here, do get in touch if you would like to see how you might get involved!

Participants realising their potential

Over the last few weeks Geoff, our Employer Engagement Manager has spent a lot of time supporting participants in the latter stages of job searching: applications and interview skills. Such activity creates a real buzz amongst the whole team when we manage to help someone realise their potential and move into employment (or education or training!).

Helping someone move away from an industry they’d previously felt trapped in, and into a field of work that matches their interests, really struck a chord with Geoff. Finding the right environment to work in is incredibly important for good mental health. All too often we tell ourselves that we must stay working in the same sector “because I can’t do anything else”, and this can cause or exacerbate illness. The good news is that with the right effort and the right support, you can make that break. If this is something that you’re struggling with, please do give us a call.

We can also offer you support if you’re looking at applying for jobs for the first time. This can be incredibly daunting if its been a while since you have done so and can remove some of the mystery of the process and help with understanding what the employer is looking for. With your agreement we can make contact with the employer and arrange pre-application visits, or explore other ways in which they can ensure you get a fair chance. We can be there to support you on interview day if you so wish, either for a bit of moral support before your interview or even to sit in on it.

So have a think about your next step and give us a call if we can help!