
Covid-19 Series. A day in the life of Employment Advisor Tom Knight during lockdown.
Tom Knight has been a Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) Employment Advisor since January 2017. Tom is embedded within the Military Veterans’ Service NHS Mental Health team to provide employment support to the ex-servicemen and women who are receiving mental health treatment with them.
Tom practices an evidenced based model of employment support
called IPS (Individual Placement and Support). IPS is essentially personalised
support for our service users to help them find and sustain appropriate paid
employment. Tom works alongside Stephen and Gary to make up our Manchester IPS
team and their work was recognised by the Centre for Mental Health as an IPS
Centre of Excellence.
Tom, what is the
value of the employment support you provide?
When I first meet my clients, they are typically unemployed,
complex, sometimes non-trusting. They may have unrealistic goals or perhaps no
hope for the future. But, they are also reliant, keen and trustworthy. Paid
employment is so important for mental well-health and working alongside the
NHS, the ex-servicemen and women I work with are finding and keeping great
jobs, which has a positive impact on their mental health.
How have you adapted
your employment sessions in light of restrictions brought about by coronavirus?
Due to not being able to meet my
clients face to face, I am having regular telephone contact with them and
working through the interventions at a distance. I have introduced video
meetings to those of my clients would like it and we are using email as a way
of conversing a lot more now. I am finding that I am speaking to my clients more
often now due to cutting out the travel time. This is positive as it gives my
client and I a chance to work through more actions points and better position
my client to gain competitive employment opportunities.
What does a typical
session with you look like?
One of the first things we would do together is work through
a vocational profile so I can understand their goals and we can establish the
steps we need to take to reach those goals. Then there’s usually time spent on
CVs, job interview skills and job searching. We use action plans throughout the
process so that we both agree the progress that we intend to make before the
next session. Some of the people I work with have never gone through a civilian
recruitment process, so I take time to make sure they understand the
differences. I also engage local employers on behalf of my service users so
that I can make introductions. This works really well. I stay in touch with
both sides when a job is secured to support with that transition into civilian
employment.
Do employers want to
employ veterans?
Yes, they do. We have had a great response from employers in
the Greater Manchester area. Employers are also more aware of mental health and
supporting their employees to have well mental health.
Employment is key in addressing social isolation. Many of
the people I work with are isolated and employment provides not only financial
security, but social inclusion, community and self-worth. Many of the employers
we work with come to me when they are looking to recruit again.
Are you finding that
employers are still looking to recruit during this period? If so, where have
you found employment opportunities?
As we all know, many companies
have been forced to close and this has made employment outcomes slightly more challenging
to gain. I usually speak with 2 to 3 employers per week and I am finding that
most are not employing or have temporarily closed their business. However,
there are still employment opportunities out there and they are being
advertised. Retail and logistics organisations are currently employing due to
the current demand for their services. I have been utilising my existing
contacts within these industries to gain opportunities as well as searching
online and on company websites.
Is is hard to adjust
to civilian life?
Many of the veterans I support joined the military straight
from school and then – having perhaps served a full 22 years’ service - have
difficulty adjusting to becoming a ‘civvy’. Military service wasn’t just a job,
but a way of life; they are used to living and working alongside each other,
and I have heard many veterans say that they struggle without this daily
support network. I served eight years in the Royal Marines myself, so I
understand. I can support them to establish a new network and routine. It is
all about teamwork; whether that’s working with Military Veterans’ NHS team or
the local employers to make sure the veteran is at the centre and gets the
support they need.
Is there enough support
for veterans?
There are many charities now working with veterans, but the
most effective and efficient are working in partnership and linking with the
NHS and other statutory services to ensure whole families are supported and
avoiding duplication of effort. There have been great changes and improvements
in support for ex-servicemen and women when they leave the military and
transition back into civilian work but it is important that we continue to help
promptly those who are struggling with significant life changes.
Are there any
additional services or organisations that veterans can tap into if they’re
looking for employment at the moment?
If the veteran is unemployed,
they can access support from their local Job Centre Plus and ask to speak with
the Armed Forces Champion. The Job Centre can share any current employment
opportunities and as well training courses that lead to employment. Career
Transition Partnership (CTP) can also support veterans who are looking to gain
employment. CTP specialise in supporting those who are leaving or have left the
Armed Forces. There are also employment agencies that can assess the veterans
skill-set and aspirations and match them to the most suitable job, if they
currently have vacancies.
And lastly, what is
the best bit of this job?
Getting to that stage when the veteran moves into “in-work support” as they have gained employment or reached their goals. Witnessing positive change in my clients and looking back through their pre-employment journey. Seeing and hearing about veterans I have worked with socialising with civilian colleagues and not isolating themselves as they once did.
To find out more
about WWTW’s employment service and our IPS centres contact
employment@wwtw.org.uk.