Community health services

Tender description

Porchlight has been awarded a European Social Fund/Big Lottery Fund (ESF/BLF) Building Better Opportunities (BBO) grant. This grant is to deliver an innovative service which does not duplicate current programmes or provision in Kent and East Sussex to people who have had mental health issues that have been a barrier to work. Aspirations is formed of 4 partners, with Porchlight as the lead and the grant holder. Three organisations are based in Kent. The vacant fourth organisation will be based in East Sussex. Project services will be concentrated in remote coastal and rural areas. Services will be personalised to the needs and preferences of participants and ensuring that support will be available in the place and manner that suits them. Project staff will be placed at ground level to target and meet with local groups and advertise the project services in the heart of communities in places identified by sector intelligence and local people. The partner will use their extensive community contacts to recruit and assess the needs of people from within their local community, and across East Sussex. They will work in a flexible and innovative way with participants to put together a personal development plan which could include skills, health and well-being activities provided by outside organisations. They will look outside traditional referral sources to find and engage those who are the most difficult to reach. The partner will provide training on basic skills and NVQs, volunteering opportunities and support participants through a work-readiness programme. These will be flexible according to the needs of the participant, and could include a personalised timetable or tuition in an out-of-classroom learning area, for example.