Supported Employment

Finding work can be challenging, particularly when you are facing barriers that can make employment feel out of reach.

West Lothian Council's Supported Employment provides personalised, person-centred support to help people overcome barriers, develop their skills and move towards meaningful and sustainable employment.

We work with you as an individual, taking the time to understand your circumstances, strengths, interests and goals. Whether you are looking for your first job, returning to work, changing career or need support to remain in employment, we can work alongside you to help you take your next steps.

How can we help?

Our support is tailored to your individual needs and can include:

• Exploring your skills, strengths, interests and employment goals

• Support with CVs, application forms and job searching

• Interview preparation and building confidence

• Identifying suitable training, qualifications and work experience

• Developing employability and workplace skills

• Identifying and overcoming barriers to employment

• Advice around reasonable adjustments and workplace support

• Working with employers to identify suitable opportunities

• Support with travel, work clothing and other practical barriers where appropriate

• Advice on how starting work may affect your benefits

• Support to settle into a new job and sustain employment

• Career development and progression

We can also work alongside other services and organisations where additional support is needed.

A person-centred approach

We understand that everyone's circumstances are different.

For some people, getting into work may involve developing confidence and skills. For others, there may be practical barriers such as finances, housing, health, childcare or transport that need to be addressed first.

Our role is to work with you, not simply tell you what you should do.

We will listen to what matters to you, identify your strengths and help you develop a realistic plan towards your employment goals.

You don't need to have everything figured out before you contact us.

Supporting people with health conditions, disabilities and neurodivergence

Our Supported Employment service can support people who experience physical or mental health conditions, disabilities or neurodivergence that may create barriers to employment.

We recognise that everyone has different strengths and support needs. We can work with you to identify appropriate employment, explore reasonable adjustments and develop strategies to help you succeed in the workplace.

Our support can continue after you start work, helping you build confidence, overcome challenges and sustain employment.

Unlocking Potential - Supporting people with health condition and a criminal convictions

We also provide specialist support to people who have criminal convictions or experience of the justice system.

Having a conviction can create additional barriers when looking for work. People may have concerns about disclosing convictions, completing application forms, attending interviews or finding employers who are willing to consider their circumstances.

We work with individuals to look beyond their conviction and focus on their skills, experience, strengths and future goals.

Support can include:

• Exploring employment goals and suitable career options
• CVs, application forms and disclosure letters
• Interview preparation
• Support to understand and approach disclosure of convictions
• Identifying suitable employers and employment opportunities
• Developing confidence and employability skills
• Accessing training and qualifications
• Preparing for employment following release from custody
• Working with employers to promote inclusive recruitment
• Ongoing support once employment has started

We recognise that people can change, develop new skills and build positive futures. A person's past circumstances do not have to prevent them from achieving their employment goals.

Parental Employment Support (PES) - Supporting parents with a health condition

We understand that balancing work and family life can bring additional challenges.

Our service can provide support to parents with a health condition who want to move into employment, return to work, increase their hours or develop their career, while taking their family circumstances into consideration.

We can help parents explore employment options that fit around their family commitments and provide practical support to overcome barriers that may be preventing them from moving forward.

This can include:

• Exploring suitable employment and career options
• Support with CVs, applications and interviews
• Identifying flexible or family-friendly employment opportunities
• Support to access training and qualifications
• Exploring childcare options and potential childcare costs
• Advice about how starting work may affect benefits and household income
• Support with travel and other costs associated with starting employment
• Building confidence and employability skills
• Support to overcome practical barriers
• Ongoing support once employment has started

We understand that finding the right balance between work and family life is important. Our aim is to help parents achieve their employment goals while recognising their responsibilities as a parent.

Practical support

Sometimes employment isn't the only thing that needs to be addressed.

Issues such as housing, finances, benefits, identification, transport, childcare, health and access to training can all affect someone's ability to move towards employment.

Where appropriate, we can help individuals identify these barriers and connect them with other services and organisations that can provide additional support.

Working with employers

Supported Employment is about supporting both individuals and employers.

We work with employers to promote inclusive recruitment and employment opportunities and help create the right conditions for individuals to succeed.

This can include discussing reasonable adjustments, providing guidance around support needs and maintaining contact with employers where appropriate.

We recognise the value that people with different experiences, skills and backgrounds can bring to the workplace.

Support before, during and after employment

Getting a job is only one part of the journey.

Our support can continue after someone starts work, helping them settle into their role, build confidence, overcome challenges and sustain employment.

Where appropriate, we can also support individuals who want to develop their career, increase their hours, gain additional qualifications or move into a different role.

Your goals. Your strengths. Your future.

West Lothian Council's Supported Employment Service is here to help you identify your goals, overcome barriers and take positive steps towards employment.

Whether you are looking for work, returning to employment, changing career, managing a health condition or disability, or need support to overcome other barriers, we are here to help.

If you would like to find out more about the support available, please contact the West Lothian Council Supported Employment Service.

If you are interested in any of the services that Supported Employment Service provide, please contact us for more information.

To request an appointment - Public registration form (opens new window)

Call 0800 032 9768