West of England Works is lucky to work with some very proactive partners, and this month we are going to be taking a closer look into the work of West of England Centre for Inclusive Living (WECIL).
WECIL is a unique organisation which seeks to support disabled people through the delivery of support and advice from fellow disabled people. They work with anyone who considers themselves to have a disability, including individuals with physical impairments, mental health conditions and learning difficulties.
As part of the West of England Works programme, WECIL has created an Employability Advice Line. Its highly trained specialist advisors provide assistance with many questions. Some of the key areas of advice that they offer include:
• Disclosing an impairment with your employer or a potential employer
• Providing information on potential opportunities and other useful services
• Advice on Access to Work, how you can receive funding that will support you in your employment and for your employer to make adjustments in the work place
• Information and guidance on where to go for help if you have any issues in the workplace
• Advice on ‘in work’ benefits
• Any other issues that may be of concern to you.
WECIL also uses its expertise to train other organisations to work with and support clients with disabilities. These training sessions are highly rated and raise awareness for employees with disabilities, including long term health conditions and mental health.
Ternaya Cummings, Learning and Development Manager at Southern Brooks, praised WECIL‘s training, and said: “WECIL’s trainer was fantastic and really helped challenge our whole team in how we work and how we can be more inclusive. WECIL’s knowledge and experience really shone through throughout the day.”
The Employability Advice Line helps people across the South West including Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and BANES. It is open between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Fridays. You can get in contact with WECIL via phone on 0117 961 7909 or email employability@wecil.co.uk
