Embracing Diversity is one of a number of innovative projects and services run by Employment Services.

Employment Services Mission Statement:

"Employment Services will develop a varied range of high quality services to combat social exclusion and encourage diverse communities."

Employment Services is part of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council's Social Services. It has two core areas of work:
Getting people into employment
Changing day services

Day Services

Since 1988 many people have been supported from day centres into paid jobs. People who are still in day services have a choice of a number of innovative projects.

Many people involved in our projects were previously labelled as 'challenging' or 'difficult'.

Pure Radio - Community Radio for Stockport

Broadcasting 28 days in the summer and 28 days in the winter the station provides a way for organisations, including the Council, to lrt people know what they are doing. It also promotes heritage and the arts and has created links with public services and the community.

During 2003 Pure Radio directly trained 10 long term unemployed people from a range of under-represented groups. It also provided placements for young people excluded from school. We employ radio professionals who share their skills with others and make the station sound good.

Radio Marketing Team

The Radio Marketing Team takes the mic to the streets, distributes leaflets and information, takes dedications for the radio, public surveys and "shout outs". Team members also accompany roadshows with the roving mic, record opinions for news and topical events and visit schools and clubs.

In 2004 around 26 people with significant learning disabilities will be involved. Almost all of them previously attended a day centre full time.

Garden Force

Garden Force works with education services, accessing local schools and working closely with pupils and teachers, maintaining their grounds. The team also responds to requests from residents and councillors to tackle areas of overgrowth and vandalised areas.

In addition the team plays an important role in supporting Stockport Council's 'Operation Spring Clean' an initiative that sets out to clean and renovate identified "grot spots" within Stockport.

Catering Outlets:

Level 2 cafe bar
Lakeside cafe at Etherow Country Park
Alexandra Park Kiosk
Sanderling Restaurant
Park View Community Centre

The catering outlets provide training venues for people interested in learning about catering and customer care.

Park Wardens

Park Warden projects are based in five parks including one of the most visited parks in Europe, Etherow Country Park.

Working in partnership with Community Services the Park Wardens compliment the existing Park Ranger services with duties including cultivating the land, weeding and pruning, and reporting any incidents to the Rangers.

This service, and our cafe service, were instrumental in Etherow Country Park receiving the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management (ILAM) Open Space Management Award.

It's not work, but it's a world away from an institution.

Training

Learning First provides accredited learning courses validated through the Greater Manchester Open College Network. Courses include Information Technology, administration skills, communication courses, customer care and health and safety.

In addition we have a partnership with the University of Derby, which pays for a full-time tutor based at Employment Services.

Work Link

Since 1988 Work Link has supported hundreds of people into work.

The service focuses on the hardest to reach groups and proves that that unemployed people abandoned by the mainstream can work if we offer the right support and expertise.

Manchester Project

Work Link is contracted to provide a service to the City of Manchester Council for both learning disability and physical and sensory services

Learning Disability Team

In Stockport the Welfare to Work Joint Investment Plan has shown employment rates for people with a learning disability known to social services are 35%. Mencap assesses the national average to be around 7% an

WORKSTEP

Work Link runs a WORSTEP contract across Greater Manchester worth £800,000 per annum ensuring over 125 disabled people get work. We have sub contractors in Wigan, Bury and Oldham

Mental Health Team

Supports people with long term enduring mental ill health into work. The Team also supports people referred through addiction services.

Physical & Sensory Team

Since 1988 supporting people with physical and sensory disabilities into work.

Youth Transitions

Work Link successfully secured monies from Manchester Enterprises to look at working with young people, supporting them in the move from education into employment. Our main areas of focus are young people with disabilities and young people leaving care. Our partners in this pilot project are the newly formed Connexions Service and Stockport Council’s 16+ team. The project will look at testing an apprenticeship scheme with a core group of employers in Stockport.

You have an 80% chance of getting a job through Work Link