New pilot will combine housing and employment support for veterans
Veterans with health conditions who are supported by leading housing provider Stoll will also be offered employment support from The Poppy Factory through a new partnership launching this week.
The two charities have jointly designed the 12-month pilot project, in which a specialist Employability Consultant will work directly with veterans at Stoll’s supported housing schemes in London.
This new role within The Poppy Factory’s employment support team will be partly based at Stoll’s offices two days a week, helping ex-Forces men and women to build confidence and make progress on their journey towards employment. For the rest of the time, they will be supporting veterans with health conditions across the wider capital.
Working alongside Stoll’s support workers and housing officers, the consultant will be able to identify veterans who might welcome guidance and encouragement around employment. They will also design and deliver support that can tie in with existing skills development, welfare programmes and on-site activities.
Deirdre Mills, Chief Executive of The Poppy Factory, said: “Without a secure home, it is very difficult for anyone to thrive in employment. For the most at-risk in our community, even more so. We are therefore thrilled to launch this new pilot project linking The Poppy Factory’s employment support with Stoll, the UK’s leading provider of supported housing to vulnerable veterans.
“By working closely together and with the veterans themselves, our specialists will enable these men and women to return to meaningful and sustained employment with a new sense of confidence, security and well-being.”
Richard Gammage, Chief Executive of Stoll, said: “At this time of year as our nation rightly commemorates those who have died in its service and reflects upon the centenary of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, we should also think about the duty we owe to our veterans. We must continue to strive to do more to improve the lives of those who served and survived.
“This collaboration by Stoll and The Poppy Factory recognises that this has been an immensely challenging year for us all, but that housing and helping veterans remains as important now as it was in 1920. Providing veterans with employment support works to move them towards independent and fulfilling lives.”
Four out of five of the men and women supported by The Poppy Factory report a mental health condition and most have faced a significant period of unemployment. Many face complex challenges such as social isolation, financial instability, anxiety, stress and uncertainty.
Through close one-to-one support, the charity’s employability consultant will help to build veterans’ confidence, advise on suitable job opportunities and offer support with CVs, job applications, interview preparation and training. Once a job is secured, they will stay in contact, help to identify any workplace adaptations that are needed, and working with employers to ensure the veterans is able to stay in employment.
- Veterans with health conditions in London who would like to register for employment support can visit poppyfactory.org/register or email support@poppyfactory.org.uk or call 020 8939 1837.
The Poppy Factory’s employment support
The Poppy Factory’ mission is to support veterans with health conditions on their journey into employment and to continue supporting them whatever challenges they may face.
Four out of five of the veterans it works with report a mental health condition. Whatever their situation, and whatever they are going through, the charity’s employability team is on hand to offer one-to-one support.
The Poppy Factory’s service is veteran-centred and helps people of all ages, including many over 50. The men and women it supports move into a diverse range of jobs across dozens of different sectors, from logistics and construction to the charity sector and health care.
The Poppy Factory has been supporting wounded, injured and sick veterans for nearly 100 years. It continues to stand by them on their journey into employment and beyond.