New partnership to support survivors and carers to return to work
A new partnership between SameYou and the Big Issue aims to help survivors and carers cope with the often overwhelming prospective of returning to work after brain injury.
61% of respondents to a survey we conducted said they would have benefitted from a job coach to ease their return to the workplace.
Big Issue Recruit supports people who face barriers to work with finding sustainable employment, and this partnership will expand this support to brain injury survivors and their carers. Individuals will work one-to-one with expert job coaches to get back to work. Big Issue Recruit works with candidates, pre, during and post-employment to ensure this employment is truly sustainable.
Jenny Clarke MBE, CEO and Co-Founder of SameYou, says: “We’re proud to be partnering with Big Issue Recruit, supporting brain injury survivors and their carers, with their return to work by building their confidence and finding the right employment pathways for them.”
Paul Cheal, CEO of the Big Issue Group, said: “There is a clear need to create more support and clear pathways for those returning to work after experiencing a brain injury.
“We are pleased to extend the work of Big Issue Recruit, to a wider group of people who face barriers to work - brain injury survivors and carers of people who have experienced a brain injury. These are often a forgotten group of people in society.
“By partnering with SameYou, our ambition is not only to highlight the challenges that brain injury survivors encounter in returning to work or finding a new role, but also to work together to bolster the support we offer candidates by adding a Job Coach to the Big Issue Recruit team to specialise in this area of need.”
Sponsoring a job coach
We are campaigning to fund a job coach with an intrinsic knowledge of the challenges experienced by people returning to work after a brain injury or their carer. The job coach will work within the Big Issue Recruit team which works to support people who face barriers in reintegrating the workforce.
Jenny said: “It’s our desire to create a powerful network to help brain injury survivors and their carers feel better supported when returning to work. 37% of the respondents to the recent return to work survey revealed that they did not feel ready to go back to work, but that money pressure was one of their main incentives for doing so.”
How you can help as a job coach sponsor
We understand the importance of sponsorship in achieving our mission. By collaborating with corporate sponsors, philanthropists, individual donors and community groups, we can help ensure that more brain injury survivors and their carers can access the support of a job coach.
Sponsoring a job coach can make a real difference to the lives of those affected by brain injury. In our recent survey, 56% of the respondents indicated having struggled financially since their brain injury and 89% of these attributed brain injury as the reason for their financial struggles.
What more, 70% of respondents believed that they would have benefitted greatly from guidance on issues such as fatigue management, managing busy/stressful environment, memory and concentration issues as well confidence building.
This is where a job coach could help mend the current gap experienced by so many, allow survivors to regain financial independence and work with both the survivor and the employer to ensure a successful reintegration into the workforce.
Why sponsor a job coach
Sponsoring a job coach will enable you to target specific demographics, increase your brand’s visibility, enhance your reputation, provide networking opportunities and allow you to let your customers know about the important initiatives you support.
Your support will directly impact the lives of brain injury survivors and their families by funding an innovative return to work initiative. Together, we can make a meaningful difference and inspire positive change.
Make a difference and join us in transforming lives.
For further information about Big Issue Recruit and the pathways it offers people who face barriers into work, or if you’re an employer that would like to be part of those pathways, visit the Big Issue Recruit link below.