At Watford Workshop we have seven places each day available for service users from Health and Community Services, as well as another 15 service users who are supported by WorkChoice. Companies outsource to the Workshop a variety of commercial work including •electrical assembly •light mechanical •etching •poduct packing packaging assembly •wiring •heat sealing •labelling •book servicing and •collating.

Experience shows that service users undertaking such opportunities at Watford Workshop benefit from spending time doing real work, as well as the social contact while working and during their breaks. Several of them have successfully progressed to employment outside the Workshop.

Full account of each service user’s capabilities is taken when assigning tasks. We provide task-specific training and this is complemented by more general training such as numeracy, literacy, health and safety, food hygiene and healthy eating.
                 

Karen Clissold, an ACS service user who has attended the Workshop for four years, says, “I used to come here two days a week but I’ve increased that to three. I like the atmosphere here, I get on well with the other people, and I like doing ‘real work’. I need to use two buses to get here but that’s OK”.

Sarah Endean, another ACS service user, made the comment, “I have been with the workshop 18 months now. I have never had a job for that long and it makes me very happy!”

Chris Smart, the social worker in Watford & Three Rivers Community Learning Disability Team who coordinates HCS contacts with the Workshop, added, “I welcome the opportunities for our service users to gain work experience at the Workshop.”

The Workshop is suitable for HCS service users who wish to attend one to five days per week and who will enjoy working alongside other disabled people on a variety of tasks.

Practical Details

Watford Workshop is located behind Furniture Village on the Century Park retail development, which is opposite B&Q and less than ½ mile from Watford town centre. Service users walk to the Workshop or come by bus, train, private car or by transport organised by Social Services.

The Workshop hours are:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 4pm
  with a 15-minute mid-morning break
  and a 30-minute lunch break.
• Friday 8:30am to 1pm, with a
  15-minute mid-morning break.

Most people participating at the Workshop bring a packed lunch to eat in our canteen. We provide free drinking water;  there is a small charge for tea and coffee and we also sell simple snacks.

Although we are unable to pay HCS service users a wage, we give them £4.00 per day work incentive.

Please take a look at our website www.watfordworkshop.co.uk to find out more. Even better, come along to see for yourself (directions are on the Contact page of our website).

Please don't hesitate to phone 01923 220 256 to speak to our General Manager, Linda McIntyre or Training Manager, Liz McCue. They will be delighted to discuss with you the valuable opportunities that we could offer your service users and the funding arrangements. They will gladly make an appointment to show you round the Workshop and can arrange a ‘taster’ day in the Workshop for any of your service users who may be interested.