Social Inclusion

"[Ed Link] showed me I had real talent, being there with support. It got me believing in myself, gave a lot of self confidence. [I liked the] friendly way in which you supported me, letting me make my own decisions on the future."

"Very solid advice and feedback delivered professionally."

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health states the need for good partnership along with people accessing mental health services, learning and work providers and mental health providers.

Education Link has been responsible for influencing service development in consultation with service providers and people who access the service, and supports welfare to work and the journey through recovery in a socially inclusive, individually tailored and person-centred approach. 

Education Link has facilitated and supported the journey back into vocation and employment.  Through developing good partnerships, it has enabled supportive networks, facilitated appropriate support, maximised choice and potential for the person accessing the service and has enabled people to come together to build progressive recovery pathways.

The project has contributed to reducing the incidence of exclusion amongst the disadvantaged through the provision of training, learning, mentoring support and advocacy, enabling individuals to benefit from income and employment opportunities, (including volunteering), within the South West.

Education Link has worked closely with those providers who support welfare to work, recovery and vocation, such as Working Links, Prospects, Job Centre Plus, Health and Social Care providers, (voluntary and statutory), supports the Big Society agenda and also works with employers to enable a person’s journey through recovery to well-being:  we believe recovery is about people’s whole lives, not just their symptoms, and is a process of self-discovery and transformation.