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Workwise Project
For some people, the prospect of returning to work following injury can be quite daunting , whilst for others the regular nine to five slog will not be a viable option. But whatever the individuals’ personal circumstances may be, there’s sure to be something that suits them.
Headed by our Employment Adviser,
John Leonard, the Workwise Project does not set out to be an employment agency, but instead aims to provide SCI people with the best information, support and
encouragement needed to either return to work, retrain, become a volunteer or continue education (we have details available of several residential and non-residential colleges that offer a variety of courses meeting the requirements for today’s workplace).
Workwise also promotes volunteering as a beneficial alternative to paid work which can, as well as being personally rewarding, act as a stepping stone back into the workplace at some time in the future.
John Leonard (who is spinal cord injured) regularly visits our Peer Support Teams around the country, promoting the Workwise Project to SCI Centre staff so that both in and out patients are aware of the support and advice available to them. He has also become involved with the Employment Clinics held in the Salisbury, Stoke Mandeville and Stanmore SCI Centres, which focus on discussing the issues involved in returning to work and exploring options available to suit individual circumstances. John helps to research and source what has been discussed with the individual, and passes on information for them to consider when they feel ready to return to the workplace. Thanks to John’s efforts, a number of people have not only successfully returned to work, but have gone on to careers they had previously not considered prior to injury.
The Workwise Project also encompasses a Mentoring Scheme in which a group of SCI individuals talk and write about their successes in returning to work. Their stories can be read in the pages of
FORWARD, or here on the website.
If you think you can help John in this project, either by becoming a mentor or by offering employment opportunities to SCI people, feel free to either contact him directly on
0845 678 6633 Ext 216 or via
email