How our supported internship programmes work
We work with DFN Project SEARCH and other partners to run supported internships in a variety of locations. Our internships last one year and run from September through to August. In that time, you will work in different placements, where you’ll get to try out different jobs. How many placements you have will depend on your location and preferences. Hft’s role is as the Supported Employment provider.
As an intern on one of our programmes, you’ll have support from our Employability Coaches. They’ll support you to learn new skills while you are on your work placements. After you graduate, we will continue to work with you for nine months to help you search and apply for a paid job. We will also provide follow-on support when you find a paid job for as long as you need this.
Outcomes
Our team is currently supporting 92 interns across England and Wales. We’ve supported 482 interns to graduate via supported internships to date. 287 of these have successfully found paid employment (60%).
82% of supported interns who have moved into paid employment are working more than 16 hours per week.
Our programmes
Each programme is run by a partnership, with a Supported Employment provider (Hft), an Education provider (a school or college), and a host business.
We currently work with programmes in:
-
Conwy, North Wales (Supported Internship).
-
Bradford, West Yorkshire (Pre-Internship and DFN Project SEARCH Supported Internship).
-
Wakefield, West Yorkshire (DFN Project SEARCH Supported Internship).
-
Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire (DFN Project SEARCH Supported Internship).
-
Flintshire, North Wales (two DFN Project SEARCH Supported Internships).
-
Caerphilly, South Wales (DFN Project SEARCH Supported Internship).
-
Lancaster, Lancashire (DFN Project SEARCH Supported Internship).
-
Furness, Cumbria (two DFN Project SEARCH Supported Internships).
Hear from our interns
“When I first started, I felt nervous but also excited and now I feel a lot more confident. I have learned how to make salads and serve the residents their puddings which is something I’m really proud of myself for doing! It’s been really nice working with the team in the kitchen and everyone has been really kind and understanding! I am hoping to continue learning more skills and to get better at cooking and baking.” – Lilly (Flintshire)
Follow-on support
When you graduate from our programme, you can get follow-on support for up to nine months. You’ll have an Employability Coach and be able to attend a Job Club if there’s one in your area.
Your Employability Coach will work with you to complete a CV and a Vocational Profile. This is a record of your skills, what you want in a job, and your experiences. Your Coach will also help you to keep these documents up to date. Your Employability Coach will also help you to put together a plan to find a paid job. They’ll support you to search for and apply for jobs, as well as prepare for and attend interviews.
When you find a job, your Employability Coach can also provide support on the job. This could mean helping you to get settled in, complete relevant training, and do your job to a high standard. It might also include working with you and your employer to make reasonable adjustments to your role.
Applying to our supported internship programmes
If you live in England, you’ll need to be under 25 years old and will need an education, health and care plan (EHCP) to start on a supported internship programme. If you live in Wales, you can apply at any age and you don’t need an EHCP.
For all internships, there could be extra criteria depending on the business you’ll be doing your placements with. For example, you may have to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Get in touch with us and we will put you in touch with the Employability Coach or tutor at your local programme who can explain how to apply.