Programs & Curriculums
Apply NowThe Open Wings Curriculum
Enterprise, Work & Work Experience Skills
We offer work experience with local employers. Open Wings, is working in collaboration with local employers, the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) and relevant agencies in order to support those who wish to gain meaningful work experiences. Open Wings helps with CV writing, applying for jobs or work experience, interview skills and confidence building.
Last year one of the members was supported in gaining confidence, going for interviews, obtaining work experience and eventually after building up his skills is now in paid part time employment. Open Wings wishes to extend this work and has recently worked with the University of Nottingham on their Nottingham Virtual Consultancy Challenge to research the barriers to employment for adults with learning differences. If you would like a copy of this report please contact us via our contact form.
Open Wings has also established an Employer Forum of local businesses that wish to understand their own barriers regarding employing adults with support needs. These employers wish to work to open up their business to potentially offering work experience opportunities in the future. Employers may wish to participate in awareness training or may wish to achieve the DWP Disability Confident kite mark. If you are interested in the Employer Forum please link with us here
Just One Hour Now Campaign
What Is the Just One Hour Now Campaign?
An initiative established by Open Wings, to encourage local employers to become more inclusive and begin to work with a diverse range of adults with a variety of different needs, learning disabilities/differences, mental health needs, those that are isolated and those that lack confidence and self-esteem among other groups.
How Will It Work?
Local employers will be asked if they wish to join a local Employer forum covering issues regarding working with the above groups. They will be asked if they are prepared to offer work experience. The work experience will be initiated by a series of 2 or 3 just one hour meet ups for tea and chat to understand the needs of the person they may work with. How can this person also help their organisation.
Hopefully just one hour of getting to know the person the employer will be able to see which tasks might fit best for them to be involved in.
The next stage would be to set up a trial afternoon where the employer may wish to give a simple short assessment task to determine how their organisation can adapt to the needs of the person wishing to do work experience. (Open Wings can help with this)
What Will Employers Be Required to Do?
• State their interest in being part of the Employer Forum
• Take part in a minimum of 2 half yearly meetings either in person or on line to discuss issues regarding employment surrounding the above groups.
• Take part if they wish in some Disability Awareness training and Diversity training if they wish
• Ensure they have Employer’s Liability Insurance in place. They should already have this. Ensure it is up to date.
• Along with Open Wings, assess the risks within the organisation prior to any work experience
The Benefits to Employers of This Initiative
• Work towards achieving a disability confident kitemark
• Become a more inclusive and diverse employer
• Disability awareness and diversity training for staff
• Have a voluntary worker/employee that has been trained by them to do the tasks which the employer requires
• Free promotion via social media of the positive work they are doing to be more inclusive and diverse
The Benefits to the Local Community
• A breaking down of the myths, fears and attitudes towards people with learning disabilities.
• Less isolation and loneliness
• Sharing of knowledge/ideas to pave a better future for employment for adults in this group
The Benefits to Those Groups Identified Above
• A sense of purpose
• A sense of well being
• Increased confidence
• Decreased isolation
• Less likely to put themselves into vulnerable situations, eg, roaming around local community without a purpose
• A learning and development process learning new skills and finding out the are good at something
• Possibly with appropriate employer matching and risk assessment and identification of needs eventually the chance of paid work
Transition Workshops for Schools/Colleges and Training Providers
We can offer our employability workshops to any organization that may be wishing to develop skills for employment within their work. We can run workshops on Interview Skills, Confidence Building, Basic Stress Management.
Basic Skills
A learning scheme developed to meet your individual needs and level.
Learn and develop basic reading, writing, maths and computer technology
Life Skills
Budgeting/Money Management
Meal Planning
Shopping
Cooking
Obtain a Food Hygiene Certificate
Preparation for independent or supported living
Help and support with making healthy food choices
Help and support to monitor and maintain weight
Access to community Zumba class and other fitness sessions.
Gardening and Wildlife
Using our local transition Sherwood gardening plot, we give the opportunity of working in a small outdoor environment.
We also volunteer in the local community centre garden.
We also have a link with the Nottingham Wildlife Trust and are able to access the meadow and other local reserves to develop outdoor learning skills.
Arts and Crafts
Build confidence through basic arts and crafts, support your mental health and wellbeing. There is also the opportunity to develop employability skills and become involved in running our arts and crafts stalls at local events.
Support for Adults with Dyslexia
Individual Person Centred Action Plan
We can design an action plan just for you.
These are just some of the activities you can do:
- Reading
- Writing
- Maths
- Computer/IT
- Gardening
- Cooking
- Arts and Crafts
And a whole lot more!
Online Workshops
Any of our work can also be carried out online individually via zoom or other methods. One to One sessions available and small group sessions too. If you are a school, college or day centre etc. and wish to find out more please contact us.
Other Services We Provide
We firmly believe that all adults with learning disabilities are capable of working or work experience with the right support and the correctly matched environment. Therefore, we also provide work experience opportunities for citizens and we are developing links to help support this. If you are an organisation that would like to be involved in our Employer Forum please do contact us. We can also provide some Learning Disability Awareness Training to local employers. We provide workshops to organisations already working with adults with learning disabilities, to help prepare citizens for work or work experience.
Click the button below to find out how you can book with us.
F.A.Q.
If I want to come to Open Wings what should I do?
You can contact us via the contact form on our website, call or email. We will arrange with you a time for you to come and have a chat with us and a visit and tour around the Centre where we are based.
How long are the sessions?
Each of our sessions are usually 2 hours, but it depends which session you choose to come to.
I want to do some work experience can you help me?
Yes, definitely. We help to build up your confidence and skills to gain work experience and maybe even employment. We will be working closely with lots of local employers.
How much will it cost me to come to Open Wings?
Usually, people are funded for sessions but sometimes people pay out of their own money. This can be discussed when you come for a visit.
I have physical constraints which may make it difficult for me to access the building you are based in. How can you help?
We are based on the first floor of the community Centre and there are some winding steps which may be tricky for some. We can assess how tricky the steps are for you when you come for a visit. If you are not able to access our building, we can do learning online or there is the possibility of finding alternative spaces.