WORK PLACEMENTS
Work placements are part time, unpaid volunteer placements within First Step Trust, where you will work alongside our friendly team. Work placements are aimed at people who want to move into paid employment but need additional support to take the first step. Work placements are flexible, but normally last 6-12 months. For eligibility criteria and how to join please see below.
GARAGE PLACEMENTS | WOOLWICH
In our social enterprise garage, SMaRT Garage Services, you will work alongside our professional mechanics to gain practical mechanics experience. Workforce in the garage are enrolled in FST’s bespoke 10 Module Programme. This includes VR, practical garage training and underpinning knowledge through a workbook. It includes theory and practical assessments.
Workforce take this course at their own pace and are supported at every stage by our skilled garage trainers. While this course is not accredited to a particular level, workforce have gone on to college (level 2) and to apprenticeships at Halfords.
Workforce receive an IMI accredited Professional Achievement Certificate for each module completed.
GARAGE RECEPTION PLACEMENTS | WOOLWICH
In our reception placements you’ll be working with our Garage Service Manager in our social enterprise garage, SMaRT Garage Services.
Working in the garage reception you’ll gain experience in customer service and working with members of the public.
You will be taking and processing bookings, ordering parts, inputting information onto computer systems, and interacting with the finance team.
FINANCE PLACEMENTS | WOOLWICH
For people wanting to gain finance and admin skills, placements in First Step Trust finance office offer the chance to work alongside our qualified finance team.
You’ll gain experience in using Sage accounting systems, and will carry out practical finance tasks including processing invoices, petty cash, credit card, bank reconciliation and more.
We can also support you to learn through online self study modules.
MERSEYSIDE AND GREATER MANCHESTER REFERAL UNITS
FST Salford (funded by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust) and FST Merseyside (funded by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust) provide real work experience and accredited training to resident service users within secure facilities, as part of their recovery pathway.
We provide access to voluntary work placements at the on-site café, where service users can learn customer service, money handling skills and the preparing and serving a wide range of hot and cold food items freshly made on the day.
At our professional car valeting service, service users will learn all aspects of how to valet the inside and outside of a wide variety of vehicles to a professional standard.
These two areas of work are supported through the project’s office administration & finance team, where workforce gain real work experience in an office environment, learning how to use a range of office equipment to process supplier invoice payments and income generated from car valeting and the cafe.
To join a work placements within secure units we operate in, you must be referred by a member of the clinical teams.
APPLY FOR A WORK PLACEMENT
London: Eligibility criteria for our work placements are you MUST be 18+, a Greenwich resident and receiving support for your mental health, long time unemployed, offenders and reoffenders.
We expect you to have a goal of moving into paid employment, although we recognise this can take time.
An application form and confidential reference form is required. Reference form must be completed by a health care professional, job coach or a professional who is aware of the applicants circumstances.
To refer an applicant who meets our criteria for a work placement, please contact grace.akinwande@firststeptrust.org.uk with the applicants full name, contact number and referral source.
Merseyside & Greater Manchester: To join a work placements within secure units we operate in, you must be referred by a member of the clinical teams.