Staying in touch to help people find employment

As the coronavirus outbreak impacts on all of our lives, at Derventio we are doing all we can to continue to support everyone we work with. Our employability services work with people who are facing barriers that mean they have struggled to find a job. We help with everything from interview advice to connecting people with local employers.

Because of the social distancing rules, we have had to stop all face to face contact. However, we are continuing to stay in touch and support people to take the next steps towards training or employment. We also help people to address their specific barriers to help become ready to do training and look for work.

Regular welfare checks over the phone are a simple way to check that people are OK and that they understand the current guidelines around social distancing.  This situation has disrupted some of the learning and volunteering people were taking part in. These conversations give us a chance to catch up on people’s progress or difficulties and give support and guidance. For people who have their own laptops, we are sending information about online courses they can do at home.

We have also been able to provide more general support, including emailing activity ideas to help people stay busy during the lockdown, and dropping off food parcels to people who need them.

The coronavirus crisis is having a catastrophic impact on the economy. People who are facing unemployment, poverty and complex challenges will be the worst affected, and our employability services will be needed more than ever. In the meantime, we hope that the reassurance and practical support we are giving now will give people the best possible chance to escape unemployment and have a secure future.