Pathways to Work
What is Pathways to Work?
The Pathways to Work service is specifically designed for
people who have a health condition or disability. It provides
additional support to help customers move in to work.
This new service is delivered by Seetec in partnership with
Jobcentre Plus, Biscom, RehabWorks and Priory, and provides a
personalised support package which is designed around individual
needs.
It enables understanding and management of individual health
conditions or disabilities, enabling a return to work and an
improvement in lifestyle.
Pathways to Work is currently available to customers in the
Black Country and will be available across Great Britain by April
2008. It is part of the Government's wider welfare reform agenda,
which aims to help 1m people move off disability and health related
benefits and to help address child poverty.
Pathways to work offers:
- Access to a Seetec Personal Adviser
- Back to work action plan
- The opportunity to regain your confidence
- Advice and guidance on coping with specific health
conditions
- Support in dealing with stress, anxiety
and depression
- Financial and debt counselling
- A Return to Work Credit for eligible
customers
- Help and assistance with finding a job - CV
preparation, interview techniques
- Support and assistance whilst in work
Who is eligible for this service?
The Pathways to Work programme is available to all customers,
who claim disability or health related Benefits, aged 16 to 59
years who live in the Black Country.
Most customers who have made a new or repeat claim on or after
3rd December 2007, are required to attend and
participate in the mandatory part of the programme in order to
receive their entitlement to full benefit.
All other customers in receipt of disability or health related
Benefits before the 3rd of December 2007 have the option of
accessing the wide variety of voluntary support elements of the
programme.
What's involved?
New or repeat customers taking part in Pathways to Work will
need to attend an initial work focused interview with a trained
Jobcentre Plus Personal Adviser. Most people will then go on
to attend another 5 work focused interviews with a Seetec Adviser
at monthly intervals.
During all interviews the Adviser will help identify future
life and work goals and any barriers there may be in achieving
them. An action plan will be agreed detailing the activities the
customer has identified to undertake to meet their goals, and this
will be reviewed at each meeting.
If customers choose they will be able to access a wide range
of support such as help and assistance with finding a job; CV
preparation, interview techniques, financial and debt counselling,
work tasters and placements, advice on in-work benefits and support
and assistance whilst in work.
As Pathways is tailored to meet individual needs it enables
understanding and management of personal health conditions or
disabilities.
It offers programmes on coping with specific health
conditions, advice on how to deal with stress, anxiety and
depression and occupational rehabilitation courses in so doing it
helps rebuild self confidence.
In order to provide customers with the tailored support
package Pathways to Work offers, Seetec has joined together with
specialist local partners. Together we can ensure customers
receive information, advice and guidance specific to their
needs.
Do I have to attend the Work Focused Interviews?
Yes, if you have made a new or repeat claim for a disability
or health related benefit after the 3rd December 2007
and have been referred to the programme by Jobcentre Plus and are
aged between 16 and 59 years, and live in the Black Country which
includes the boroughs of Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton and
Walsall.
How do I access the Pathways to Work
programme?
If you are making a new or repeat claim for a disability or
health related benefit, you will receive notification 6 to
8 weeks after submitting your claim to attend a Work
Focused Interview with Jobcentre Plus.
Details of your meeting will be in the letter and you must
attend in order to receive your full entitlement to benefit.
If you are already in receipt of a disability or health
related Benefit, you can voluntarily contact Seetec on our
freephone number 0800 65 20 878 or you can
drop in to one of our employment and training centres and have a
confidential chat with one of our Advisers. The details of which
can be found on the 'Where to find us' link to the left
Pathways to Work will be officially launched on Monday 3rd
December 2007.
For further information on the Pathways to Work programme,
please contact:
Freephone 0800 65 20 878 or email us using
the contact button below.
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