The course will run for two days per week for five weeks. The sessions will be delivered by our trained facilitators. They will be made up of film clips, presentations, whole group and small team challenges (with practical hands on activities), stimulating games, quiet reflective exercises, and one-to-one personal coaching.
Key themes running throughout the course will include:
Competence - helping you to understand your strengths, skills and passions and how these can best be used for employment purposes.
Autonomy and well-being choices - overcoming barriers, taking control and setting goals.
Relating to others - in a friendly environment through group work and community involvement.
Self-worth - challenging negative beliefs and developing a healthy mind set.
You will have the opportunity to tell an assigned mentor a bit more about yourself and discuss your hopes for the course. They will tell you how courses are run and what you should expect from them. You will discuss ideas about the future like activities, jobs, living situations, and friends. You will also formulate your own action plan for the next six months.
You will have an action plan with up to five follow-on actions which you will need to complete after the course. These will be reviewed at post course training sessions and during one-to-one meet-ups with a professionally trained mentor. We may also check in through texting, phone calls, and emails. We will personally help you during this time to create robust job application statements and a strong CV. We will also check you have been able to move on since our last meeting.
The courses are absolutely free for all of those who choose to take them, with no payment required at any point. Everything that we supply to you as part of the course is free of charge. All you need is an Internet-connected device capable of using Zoom and you're good to go! And if you are unsure about using Zoom, our friendly staff and facilitators will help you from start to finish to make sure you have the best experience possible.
Following the initial course, candidates will be offered three follow-up training sessions one month, three months, and five months following the course to check in on candidates and see how they're doing.
This is a 120-page booklet for you to complete over the six-month period. The manuals will remind you of the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and of your own personal strategies in overcoming obstacles. It includes self-promotion exercises for employment preparation, together with strength statements and a list of local organisations for support networks.
If you have limited Internet connection during the course, we may be able to purchase additional data for you - let us know in advance as we'd be more than happy to help.