Catch22 has a strong commitment to supporting people with care experience into work. We know that those with lived experience of being in care offer us an incredibly important perspective of the needs of people from different backgrounds and communities. We’re dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Catch22 understands that people with care experience may need a little extra support to help them apply and settle into jobs within our organisation. Because we recognise the huge value those people with lived experience of being in care will bring to our services. We are proud to commit ourselves to the Covenant’s Care Leavers Friendly Employer Charter which is a national inclusion programme that supports young people with care experience into employment.
So how can we attract and support you into a job within Catch22?
- When you apply for a position within Catch22, you can tick a box which indicates you have experience of being in care.
- If needed, we can offer a small grant to help with any essential items you may need to start your job within Catch22.
- A member of staff will continue to support you in the first six months of your role, offering ongoing support and advice.
We aim to recruit and hire people with care experience, of all ages, across all areas of our service.
All of this support will be guided by you, and you can use as little or as much of it as you need, and you can opt out at any time.
We have an ongoing commitment to involving those with lived experience in the design, delivery, and evaluation of our services. This means we will use your insight and knowledge to help us do what we do best: supporting people to build resilience and aspiration across the communities we serve.
The Propel scheme is completely confidential throughout the whole process. We will always seek your permission before we share any information about the support we are offering. Even the recruiting manager will not know you receive this support unless you are okay with them knowing!
So what support are we offering?
During the application process, if you think it will be helpful, we can allocate a member of the Catch22 Propel team to talk with you about the application process and offer you advice on a range of issues including completing the application form.
If you are offered an interview the Propel worker can also help you prepare for the interview, help with your CV and spend time with you, offering advice and support. If you need help with a cover letter we can do that and if you need any help with transport to the interview or clothes, then your Propel worker can help with this.
After your interview the hiring manager will aim to let you know the outcome as quickly as possible. This could be to advise you about other stages of the selection process, or to tell you the outcome of the interview.
- If you are successful: The hiring manager will contact you and send you a letter with a conditional offer of employment.
- If you are unsuccessful: The hiring manager will let you know and chat with you about the interview. With your permission, the Propel worker can seek feedback from the recruiting manager with a view of helping you feel more prepared and confident in the future.
In respect of starting in your new role we will have to carry out checks, please note that carrying out these checks may take us a few weeks. Once they are complete, we’ll offer you a date to start work, and your line manager will provide all the information you need for your first day.
At any point in this process, you can opt out of the Propel scheme but if you would like a bit more support your Propel worker can continue and be with you for up to six months into your new job.
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