Supported Employment

The first thing you need to do to receive support is complete a referral form and send it in to us. This lets us know your details and what support you will need.

You can find more information on eligibility and making a referral on our Making a Referral page.

Once we receive your referral, we need to do an assessment to see how you could benefit from support. There will be a small waiting period while we assess your referral, but once this is done we can move on to the next steps!

Once we know we can support you, you will be assigned a Job Coach who will work directly with you on your employment journey.

Your Job Coach will get in touch to arrange an initial meeting with you, and help you complete the paperwork to get you registered with DurhamEnable.

Your Job Coach will take time in your meetings to learn about your aspirations, the sort of work you want to do, and what your skills and strengths are.

This builds your 'Vocational Profile' which we use to match you with opportunities that will be positive and fulfilling for you.

Once we know what you want to do, we work with you to create a plan on how to get you into work.

This may involve finding training or work experience to close gaps in your skills, helping you look for opportunities and engaging with employers, or just looking at ways to build your confidence.

Our goal is to find the right person for the right job.

Once we've found a role that may be suitable, we will work with you and the employer to match you to the role and the workplace.

We may set up a work trial so you can show a potential employer your ability to do the job before you become a paid employee. This can be a great way to become part of the team and gain confidence in yourself before starting work!

Once you have successfully entered work, your Job Coach will continue to support you in the workplace where needed.

This may involve helping you and your employer with Access to Work, advising on reasonable adjustments, or just being on hand while you become comfortable with the job role and your new workplace.

Once you are settled in your role, DurhamEnable will gradually roll back our support as you get more comfortable within work.

Our goal is to see you in a supportive and fulfilling workplace that gives you the support you need to develop your career.