First Step Trust (FST) is an innovative charity with over 30 years’ experience of providing opportunities for people excluded from working life because of mental health conditions, learning disabilities, drug or alcohol and other disadvantages. FST provides within the various social enterprises it runs, work experience, on the job training and salaried employment to some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded members of our community. A number of our salaried staff team have been recruited from the shop floor.
More than 95% of those we work with have been unemployed for one or more years, 50% up to 10 years and 17% have never worked at all.
Our approach is about supporting workforce members to utilise the skills and experience they have to hand whilst learning new ones. They are encouraged to share their experience and coping strategies with their colleagues.