The ‘foundations for work’ project is an innovative collaboration between settle and the Create Community which comprises a package of support for tenants together with a range of volunteering opportunities for staff.

The background and purpose …

For the long-term unemployed, the prospect of finding, and then opening doors to potential job opportunities is all too often scary and extremely challenging. Should they actually succeed securing a job, keeping it can be equally demanding. This because society and employers alike can often expect everyone to be ‘match fit’ from day one, regardless of their starting point or journey.

This exciting collaboration between Create Community and settle is, in essence, looking to tackle this gap in understanding and support. Together we will be providing tenants and anyone else within the household with not only insight, development and training, but also ‘hand held’ support right up to securing a job … and then beyond as they ‘settle in’.

Of course, this will not be possible without commitment and support from the employer community and as a result, a core element of this initiative will be invested in engaging with them. This means working with them to understand their side of the equation, their challenges and looking to help them help us in our mission.

Together we are determined to see this ground-breaking project give tangible, realistic long term opportunities to those within our community who are furthest away from the job market and who, genuinely, want to get back to work.

  • the one to one mentoring with individual tenants to assess their needs and work with them to develop a plan of action (activities and interventions) that will help them on their journey to a more self sufficient and fulfilling life.  This, ultimately, leading to a sustainable employment option that meets their individual needs of the demands of the life they lead.

for tenants

interested?

what’s on offer

  • the development of self worth and belief, the acquisition of skills and capabilities leading to building of the confidence to make positive, self managed steps forward.

  • gain access to numerous volunteering opportunities both with us an organisation and others in the community

  • the provision of taster experiences, work placements and, ultimately, roles within both the business and voluntary sectors

  • Regular morning ‘get togethers’ for an opportunity to pause, reflect, offload and be yourself for an hour or two.

    A time and place to be with others and nourish yourself with what you need.

    Free tea and biscuits provided!

for staff

  • We have a small plot in the heart of the Letchworth community, jointly run with our friends at Greencare at Norton. Here we grow vegetables and flowers and, as you can imagine, there’s a never ending list of gardening jobs to do! Similar opportunities are available at the Standalone Farm where we will be supporting the market garden and farm shop there too.

  • If you like the outdoors, like getting your hands dirty and and happy to put a shift in ... this could be for you!

  • Small groups (4-6)

    Session 2-3 hours

sharing your story …

support in the classroom …

building self confidence …

a tour of the workplace …

  • For many of the people we work with, the world of work will be but a distant memory and they really value an insight into what the workplace looks like today. We have a number of opportunities for you to come in and talk about your role, your typical day and what it's like in your role in today’s working environment.

  • Individuals who are happy to share their story in an engaging and authentic way ... all whilst demonstrating empathy and non-judgement toward our participants

  • Small groups (4-6)

    Session 2 hours

  • In the classroom, participants will often progress at different paces ... sometimes needing that extra little bit of support in getting their heads around the given topic. All they often need are some gentle words of encouragement, reassuring them that they are OK and guiding them to find a way forward for themselves.

  • This isn’t about knowledge and expertise … it’s about patience, empathy and support. In fact, understanding what it’s like to feel overwhelmed in the classroom would be a real asset!

  • Small groups (4-6)

    Session 2 hours

  • After an extended period away from the workplace and perhaps society, it’s not surprising that many of our participants have totally lost any sense of confidence. In preparation for interviews or, indeed, any sort of engagement opportunities they need to practise and reconnect with the value we know they have. Conversations with others who can gently tease out their self worth are invaluable.

  • Individuals with good listening skills, an empathetic and non-judgemental mind and a simple desire to help people rediscover all that’s good about themselves and their story.

  • Small groups (4-6)

    Session 2 hours

  • It's been a long time since many of the people we work with will have set foot in a current-day workplace. The opportunity to both see and experience a business environment first hand is invaluable. Simply walking around a building or offices, interacting with staff and getting to ask questions we've found have a big impact on the mindset of the individuals involved.

  • If you think you could take a small group on a tour of the your workplace ... maybe inviting 1 or 2 staff to talk about their roles on the way ... then give this a go!

  • Small groups (4-6)

    Session 2 hours

getting into the garden …