Gateway Family Services
Changing Lives, Changing Services.
We work to improve health, develop skills and opportunities and fight inequalities. We change the way public services work.
Not in Education, Employment or Training?
Gateway Family Services are offering support to young people between the ages of 16 – 24 years who are not in education, employment or training.
We will be offering courses in Employability and Personal Development, Customer Service and Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care.
We have a key worker service that can offer one to one support with CV building, looking for jobs and finding the right training.
If you are aged 16 – 24 years and live in the Birmingham and Solihull area please call Chelsea Gaffey on 0121 456 7820 for more information.
Train to Gain the Skills Needed by Employers
Ranjit had worked at Jaguar Land Rover for over 30 years when he was made redundant. Because he had worked on an assembly line for many years he didn’t have skills in other areas.
Ranjit used his redundancy money to open a pub but that was just as the recession started. Costs were high and less and less people were going out to the pub so he decided to close the business.
After five years of being unemployed Ranjit decided to do some courses that would make him more appealing to employers. Ranjit signed up the key worker service so that he could get some support with CV building, training and looking for work.
He also volunteered with the Cardio Rehab Volunteers. Whilst volunteering Ranjit did training with Gateway Family Services in Equality and Diversity, Lone Working, Boundaries and Confidentiality and Understanding Health Improvement.
Because Ranjit knew that he had limited experience and skills he decided to attend the Employability and Personal Development course delivered by Gateway Family Services.
Ranjit needed to gain confidence using computers and the internet so he comes to Gateway Family Services to use the computers so that he can check his email and search for jobs on the internet.
Ranjit said that Gateway gives him a reason to come out of the house and still enjoy life while looking for work.
*Names have been changed.
Key Workers Help with Training and Volunteering.
Karen had been a victim of domestic abuse and as a result had been living in women’s refuges in and around Birmingham. Now that she was settled she wanted to carry on with a job in the care industry as this is what she used to do.
Key Worker Rachel, supported Karen to create a CV and an email address. Karen wanted to do a counselling course and an NVQ in Advice and Guidance as she already had an NVQ in Care. Karen knew that she would need to do some voluntary work to gain more experience. Rachel gave Karen some ideas of organisations that she may be able to volunteer with. Karen made contact with them and one organisation invited her to an interview. Rachel downloaded the company’s volunteer handbook and worked with Karen on her interview skills and techniques.
Karen attended the interview and found out that she was successful four days later.
This is a great opportunity for Karen as she will receive training and gain valuable experience as well as getting a reference for any future applications she makes.
*Names have been changed.
Key Workers Support Client to Find a Course
Jennifer* had been receiving support from another service in Gateway when she was referred to the Key Workers. Jennifer wanted a change in direction from the work she usually did. She wanted to work in Primary Education as the hours would fit in with her family life.
Susan, a key worker, supported Jennifer to write a new CV and covering letter. She helped Jennifer to look for colleges that offered teaching courses. Jennifer didn’t have an email account so Susan encouraged her to set one up and to also look for courses in her local area.
Jennifer found a course at Birmingham Metropolitan College in Supporting Teaching and Learning. Jennifer needed a placement and because she was growing in confidence she was able to approach two local schools who agreed that she could do a twelve hour placement with them as long as she had a clear CRB.
Jennifer continues to do the course and will hopefully go on to university later this year.
*Names have been changed.
Key Worker Support Helps Diane to Find a Job
Diane*, a university graduate, registered with the key worker service in November 2011. She was interested in becoming a cardiac volunteer, and following interview she was accepted for the role.
Gateway Family Services offered all the volunteers a training package and Diane also attended training provided by University Hospital Birmingham.
Diane was still getting support from the key worker service while she was volunteering. During her one to one sessions Diane updated her CV and was given tips to help her with her job search. As it had been a while since she had a job interview she was also given support with her interview skills. Diane and her key worker did mock interviews and the key worker gave her some frequently asked interview questions. Diane was able to go away and think about how she would answer those questions.
Within weeks Diane had secured an interview within the Audiology Department of a hospital in Oxford. Diane was successful and is now working in her new job.
*Names have been changed.
Social Inclusion through health volunteering in Birmingham
We had a great time on Tuesday when the Bishop of Birmingham joined the swing dance class which is part of our cardio volunteer scheme. To our utter shamed we filmed him and posted it here!
There is though a serious point.
The Bishop is leading a new Social Inclusion Process for the city. The aim is to understand the impact of social exclusion, explore what works to tackle it, and make recommendations on how to achieve the overall vision for a high quality of life for all Birmingham citizens. Jackie Mould, Director of Birmingham Strategic Partnership, describes it as
“Our vision for this process is to develop a new approach that will help raise aspirations and bring listing change to the quality of life for our most disadvantaged communities and neighbourhoods. “
Gateway runs a unique volunteer programme in Birmingham that both supports people to find a way back in to work, and helps people stay healthy after having a heart attack.
We have strong links with the University Hospital Birmingham and together, through the use of volunteers, run a Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme. So far the project has helped 7 people who were unemployed get jobs, (one of them, who you can see in the video, is our key worker Paul Key) -with one more now in full time training.
Bishop David said:
The cardio volunteer programme is an excellent partnership between Gateway Family Services CIC and University Hospitals Birmingham. These regular dance sessions are a great way of heart patients getting exercise in a supportive and sociable setting, helping their recovery and having fun at the same time.
For more information about the social inclusion process visit www.fairbrum.wordpress.com
Adult Learner’s Week 14th – 18th May
Gateway To Your Future
Are you looking for work, a course or training?
Would you like advice on housing or benefits?
Do you just want to know what is available in your community?
We will be offering workshops in CV building, employment support, volunteering and benefits advice.
Come join us for FREE advice at the following venues:
Monday 14th May Northfield Library 11am – 1pm
Tuesday 15th May Ward End Library 3pm – 5pm
Thursday 17th May Small Heath Library 12pm – 2pm AND Weoley Castle Library 12pm – 2pm
Friday 18th May Shard End Library 12pm – 2pm
For further information please contact:
Chelsea Gaffey 0121 456 7820
chelsea.gaffey@gatewayfs.org
Volunteering – a stepping stone back into employment
Having been made unemployed during the height of the recession, Paul was lost as to what to do next. After seeing if retirement suited him, he realised that he wanted to get back into a working routine and wanted to give something back.
Paul had heard about Gateway’s volunteer programme with University Hospital Birmingham through his neighbour and decided that it was for him, signing up as soon as possible to help cardio patients to recover and rehabilitate.
Here he talks about his experience of being made redundant and finding his volunteering placement.
Paul now works with Gateway as a Support Worker, helping others to find employment or training, just as he did.
Khan Thought He Had All The Experience and Qualifications Needed to get a Job in England
Khan came to the UK to live with his wife but he came on as a visitor visa so he had to go back to Pakistan. Eventually he got a spouse visa but it didn’t take him long to realise that job prospects were not what he thought they were. His wife was friends with my wife and she made a referral to me because she knew I was an employment advisor.
Khan has a lot of work experience and qualifications but they are not recognised here, a Masters in Pakistan is the same as an Honours degree in England. He has looked for work outside of his field because he knew that he wouldn’t get the type of work that he has done previously. In Pakistan he was a teacher and here he had been self employed selling sports goods but the competition was too big.
Khan’s wife was working and supporting the family inspite of her health problems. Khan now needed to take over and be the main breadwinner.
Khan did not have a CV or references. I told him that working culture is different in England and we need to start with a CV. Khan was confident that he had all the experience he needed and would not need help with interviews etc.
At the first Interview Skills Workshop Khan’s eyes were opened to the way things are done in this country and afterwards told me that he would never have passed an interview in a hundred years if he hadn’t done the workshop.
To get references he agreed to do some voluntary work at the QE through Gateway and he got all the training that went with the volunteering job. He now has something to put on his CV and he has now got a job in a factory. It is not what he wanted but he is bringing home a wage and supporting his family.
Getting people ready to work
Finding a job at the moment is tough for a lot of people, tougher still if you have few qualifications or are lacking experience in the world of work so we understand that many people need help to overcome the barriers and fears that they may have in stepping into the unknown.
Shamana joined one of our Employability Courses this year when she was struggling to find work. Initially overwhelmed by the thought of going back to training, especially as she thought she was a bit older than the average learner, Shamana tells us how she was made to feel comfortable in her course while being offered the support and guidance to help herself become more ready for work and confident in her own abilities at the same time.
We currently have more courses running that can help you develop your work readiness, CV or even just your confidence. They are free to join and normally in your local area.
If you are aged 24 and under and would like to know more about our courses then please contact Chelsea Gaffey on chelsea.gaffey@gatewayfs.org or phone on 0121 456 7820