1:1 Supported Employment
We provide a free personalised supported employment service. We help the people who come to us secure fair, meaningful, and stainable employment.
- Are you out of work and want to find a paid job?
- Are you struggling in your current job?
- Are you frustrated about how to change things?
- Would you like some dedicated help and guidance?
Into Work can help you.
Together with The Action Group, Enable, and Forth Sector we run the All in Edinburgh project. We work in partnership to provide supported employment services.
What we can do for you
We provide a wrap-around service with input from our welfare rights and wellbeing experts to enhance your employability and experience. Find out more about our other services here.
Our services are based on the 5 Stage Model for supported employment. This is a widely recognised model for helping people overcome barriers to employment and is endorsed by the Scottish Government.
Watch this video to learn more about how it works:
Your employment journey
Stage 1: Initial Meeting
Once you get in touch with us (or someone else does on your behalf with your permission), one of our Employment Advisers will arrange to meet with you to discuss your needs and tell you about our services.
If our services are right for you, we will allocate you an Employment Adviser and will arrange for you to meet them.
If our services aren’t suitable, we’ll do our best to point you in the direction of someone else who can help.
Stage 2: Employment Planning
We don’t want to find you just any job. We want to find a job that’s right for you – one that matches your skills, abilities and interests.
We will meet regularly with you 1:1 to learn more about you and your employment goals. During this stage we can:
- Look at your past work experience, educational background, training, hobbies, or other areas of interest or expertise. This can help you to recognise your skills and abilities that are relevant to work
- Advise you on training
- We can advise you about training and further education that could be helpful to you
- Understand how your condition may affect you at work, or be affected by working
- Work with you to improve your confidence within a workplace setting
- Look at areas that might be holding you back in getting a job and work with you to overcome these
- Advise you on your benefit entitlements and how these might be affected by taking up paid work.
Stage 3: Job Search
At this stage you will be clearer about the type of work you want and be more confident in your abilities to undertake work.
We will work with you to:
- Create a CV
- Complete job applications
- Prepare for job interviews
- Increase your skills and confidence when applying for jobs
To help you gain experience and confidence and to help find out the type of work that suits you, we can also organise:
- Work placements
- Job tasters
- Volunteering
Stage 4: Applying for Jobs
There are many different ways to apply for jobs and many different types of application process.
We can help you by:
- Supporting you with the job application process
- Negotiating with employers to give you the best possible chance at interviews
- Supporting you with disclosing your disability to employers and negotiating adjustments in the workplace
- Supporting you in work
- Delivering disability awareness training to your employer
Stage 5: In-work support
We also provide in-work support for 6 months after you’ve got a job.
We can also help you progress in work – for example to increase your hours or to find a job that better matches your skills and qualifications.
What we need from you
We want all our clients to have successful outcomes and are committed to making this happen. But we can’t do this alone. You also have to be committed to playing your part in your own journey.
We need you to:
- Be committed to finding paid employment
- Take a full and active part in your job search process
- Keep to pre-arranged meeting times and dates
- Be open and honest with us
Are our services right for you?
Our supported employment service is open to people who meet these criteria:
- Are disabled, neurodivergent, or live with a long-term health condition
- Are aged 16 or over
- Live in Edinburgh or Midlothian
- Are committed to finding paid employment
If you are not sure if you meet all the criteria, please get in touch and we can discuss this further. If our services are not right for you, we will do our best to point you in the direction of other organisations or services that can help you.
How to get support:
You can make a referral through our online form, or permission can be given for a third-party representative to make the referral on your behalf.