At Watford Workshop we have seven places each day available for service users from Adult Care Services, as well as another 15 service users who are supported by JobCentrePlus. Companies outsource to the Workshop a variety of commercial work including •electrical assembly •light mechanical •etching •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 ACS 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 ACS service users who wish to attend one to three days per week instead of going to a day-care centre, 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, tea and coffee and also sell simple snacks.
Although we are unable to pay ACS service users a wage, we give them £4.00 per day towards their expenses.
Open Day 19th May
Please take a look at our website www.watfordworkshop.co.uk to find out more. Even better, come along to our Open Day on Wednesday 19 May 2010 between 9am and 3pm 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, Richard Heather, or Works 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 (we are generally more economical than a day-care centre). 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.
