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Mencap STEP UP Project

21 Aug 2015 - 10:46 by michelle.foster

Based in Manchester and the West Midlands, Step Up is a two-year pilot programme for people with a learning disability or communication difficulty (PWLD/CD) aged 16 - 30 who have offended or are at risk of offending. Using learning from Mencap’s successful Raising Your Game and Employ Me programmes, this two-step peer-led programme will engage and prepare this hard to reach group to move into employment through social action initiatives and tailored support.

The programme is split into two stages:

Step 1: Engagement
Step 1 will use social action initiatives to engage and motivate PWLD/CD who have offended or are at risk of offending.

The twelve week course will focus on participants designing and delivering a community impact project that will identify and address a need in their local community e.g. making cakes for a local homeless shelter or running a cyber-bullying awareness campaign.

The community impact projects will develop participants’ confidence and transferable skills such as planning and teamwork. Workshops will be delivered alongside the projects to cement the learning.

Step 2: Employment
Step 2 is an 18 week one to one employment programme with participants. Facilitators will work together with participants to identify skills gaps, set individual goals and create a bespoke package of support to move participants into employment, working on CV writing, work tasters/experience and work trials.

Due to the high support needs of participants, volunteer mentors will provide extra support to help them stay engaged and motivated during this stage. The volunteer mentors will assist with the projects and meet regularly with participants to support them with challenges in their lives.

Employer Engagement
Step Up will also engage with employers in the local area by raising awareness about the support needs of this group and will help them to effectively recruit, support and retain PWLD/CD, and hopefully open up opportunities for the beneficiaries to have placements or work opportunities..

Who
Mencap are looking for potential participants aged between 18-30 years old and have either a learning disability or communication difficulty. The participants should be known to the criminal justice system, or known to other organisations or services to being potentially at risk of offending.

The target is 240 16-30 year olds, (with an aim of 180 completing the full programme and job ready by the end of the project)

First wave - 12 cohorts (6 per region) of 6/7 beneficiaries
Second wave - 24 cohorts (12 per region) of 6/7 beneficiaries

The first wave of the programme will run from November 2015

Where
The programme will specifically focus on the following areas in Manchester and the West Midlands:
Manchester - Salford, Bolton and Rochdale
West Midlands - Hereford, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton and Walsall

For further information about the project, contact Michelle Clark, Service Manager, on 0798 532 7982.

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