Employment & Training
Introduction to the Life Opportunities Employment and Training Service
Life Opportunities Employment and Training supports adults with mental health support needs towards suitable and sustainable paid work, voluntary jobs, training, or education. Our service is free, flexible, and tailored to the individual. The service is voluntary.
What we can offer
- A safe, friendly and relaxed environment
- A chance to build confidence and develop existing skills
- One-to-one support
- Voluntary work placements in administration, horticulture and catering (please click on the links to download Administration, Horticulture and Catering placement factsheets)
- Information, advice and guidance
- Assistance in accessing training courses or other kinds of voluntary work
- Basic I.T. skills courses
- Information on disclosing mental health, managing change, how to market yourself to employers, how to produce a winning CV, successful interview skills, effective job hunting strategies, help to gain welfare benefits advice.
Please note: As of January 2008 until further notice, Care Co-ops is only able to offer placement opportunities on three areas of its service and is currently suspending its range of courses and employment support. This is due to a change in funding streams. Once new, suitable sources of funding have been secured, Care Co-ops intends to reintroduce its full range of employment and training support services.
Who can apply?
Anyone with a mental health issue, aged 18 to 65, living in Brighton and Hove.
Contact details
For further information, please contact the Life Opportunities Employment and Training Team on 01273 685300, or by e-mailing them at employmentandtraining@careco-ops.org.uk . We are happy to have a friendly chat over the telephone, or come for an informal visit at our premises and find out more over a tea or coffee.
What people have said
"Doing voluntary work and attending the Farm was, for me, the foundation of my return to health. Learning new skills and working in a team. All this brought me to the point from which I am now at the college and course I am attending."
"While with Care Co-ops, I felt part of something; something that was there to look after me and fulfil my needs at that time."
"Attending monthly reviews enabled me to check on myself and how I was doing and as a result, to be able to make decisions with support about where, what and when to do next."
"Good for gradually getting back into office work. My supervisor asked me to do more fiddly work, but only gradually."
"Having to get up early on a regular basis (it was only once a week but valuable nonetheless) and put in a full day's work with people trained in food preparation and the running of a kitchen helped my confidence to grow quite quickly."
"Having the opportunity to do something that I love to do, with other people, and get very positive feedback, was a rewarding experience!"
"I remain deeply grateful to Care Co-ops for all the help and support I have received over the past few years."
