Project SEARCH is a supported internship programme hosted by employers, designed to help young people with learning disabilities into work. It is a year-long programme of on the job training, which is described as 'employer-led'.

 

                                                 Project SEARCH started in Cincinnati Hospital in 1997, there are now over 200 sites

                                                 worldwide and 32+ sites in the UK.

 

                                                 It is now the 5th year of Project SEARCH at St George's Hospital, and six students

                                                 are in work placements around the Hospital. They are working in the Porter's

                                                 department, Theatre Porters, Main Reception, M&S, St George’s Advanced Patient

                                                 Simulation Department (GAPS), Radiology, the Library and the Playroom.

 

                                                 The students are at work Monday to Friday from 11am until 3pm.

 

                                                 The students are supported by a full-time course tutor and a job coach from Action

                                                 Disability, who will help the students to find employment at the end of the year;

                                                 either within the Hospital or externally.

 

                                                 Project SEARCH changes the way people think as it challenges ideas about what

                                                 people with a learning disability can do. It raises expectations of employability and

                                                 the general public can see people with a learning disability hard at work as part of

                                                 everyday life.

 

Only 7% of people with learning disabilities nationally are in any form of paid work, compared

with 74% of the wider population. In Plymouth the situation is even bleaker at 5%.

 

However- 16 out of 21 of our graduates are now in employment. That's 76% !! We hope for more

successes this year... watch this space!!

 

Last year we had six trainees who successfully graduated in July- 4 are now employed.

Two graduates are working at the Hospital- one as a Theatre Porter and one as a Booking &

Admin Clerk in the Scanning Department. One graduate is working at The Lyric Theatre in

Hammersmith and another is working at Starbucks.

 

From our previous years we have graduates employed at the Hospital; in Sterile Services,

General Portering, Theatre Portering, M&S and at the Canteen. We also have graduates working

at M&S in Richmond station, Shangri-La at the Shard, KPMG, Poplar School, the Unicorn Theatre

and Tooting Leisure Centre. One of our graduates is working at Cricket Green School as a

Lunch-time Assistant and Teaching Assistant.

 

The other graduates returned to college to pursue their studies, or are supported by employment services to continue their search for employment. Working alongside the St Georges staff has greatly increased the employability skills of each of our graduates, and allowed them to show what they can do.

 

We send our congratulations to all these young people and wish them all the best for the future.

 

We are very fortunate to have an enthusiastic Project SEARCH team supported at the Hospital by the Business Liaison partners who have helped us move the project forward massively this last year and supported by Action on Disability.

As ever, the mentors in the hospital departments are working

hard to support our trainees doing a great job - we are very

grateful to them all!

 

We look forward to another positive and successful year with our

thanks to all who contribute so much.

 

For further information please contact:

 

Beth Madigan at bethany.madigan@cricketgreen.merton.sch.uk

Annie Brine at annieb@cricketgreen.merton.sch.uk

Catherine Kiernan at - 

catherine.kiernan@actionondisability.org.uk

 

Like us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/projectsearch.stgeorges/

 

 

Please see these articles to find out more:

 

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/work-with-us/project-search/

 

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/newsitem/st-georges-celebrates-project-search-success/

 

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/newsitem/project-search-students-experience-st-georges-work-placements/

 

 

 

                                  Other opportunities for employment or work experience:

 

                                    https://www.orchardhill.ac.uk/workstart/  applicable to 18 years plus.

                                    https://www.orchardhill.ac.uk/media/filer_public/63/04/6304ec7f-3f48-4194-bfb6-        

                                    27d55f8fce74/workstart_brochure_digital.pdf

                                    https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/news-articles/step-into-work

                                    http://www.thrive.org.uk/

                                    https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/

                                    http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/adult-social-care/disabled/employment-

                                    training-learning-difficulties.htm