Staying well often means doing something satisfying and enriching. If you’ve been out of education or work for a long time or you’ve been through a recent mental health setback but want to re-establish the habits that help you to keep well, then Restore’s Employment Coaching service can help.

Restore’s Employment Coaching Team is now offering a ‘hybrid service’  for individuals who are in work and needing support, or are seeking employment, training or volunteering positions. A hybrid service means that we can conduct your coaching sessions either over the phone, on-line or fact-to-face at one of our centres across Oxfordshire.

Our Individual Employment Support in secondary services (Adult Mental Health Teams), run in partnership with Oxford Health, remains a largely phone and on-line offer.

Our Opportunities volunteer work on in-patient mental health wards remains suspended following government guidelines -we will resume activities as soon as it is safe to do so

A coach can support you to think through just what you want to do and the best way to start. For instance:

  • You might want to volunteer so you can do something valuable for your community while getting back into a work-a-day routine.
  • If you’re struggling to get a job that suits you because you’re not fully qualified, you might decide to start by building up your skills and knowledge through education or training.
  • Or you might want to get back into work but feel held back by a lack of confidence or motivation.
  • You might not know how you could tell an employer about your mental health condition or whether you have to, anyway.
  • If you’ve got a gap in your work history you might fear that it will stop you getting another job.
  • Perhaps you don’t know how to search for work, or present an application form or a CV, or how to tackle an interview.

Restore’s coaching process is review-driven, with reviews scheduled every 4 sessions to make sure you and your coach are keeping on track with your employment goals. Coaches can also continue to meet with you when you begin work, to provide additional support during the transition into working life.  Telephone and email coaching support are also available.

We don’t find work for, or places on courses or in volunteering roles. We support you to develop the skills you need to do these things yourself. Our coaches are skilled and constantly training to improve. They know how to help you get the best out of yourself, and to understand that you may have even more to offer because of your mental health issue – not despite it.

Restore also offers coaching to keep a job that you’re in. If your mental health condition is making it hard to cope at work, our specialist coach can help you navigate the maze of employment-related issues that can seem overwhelming.

If you’re an in-patient in the Warneford Hospital or Littlemore Mental Health Centre, you can meet one of our visiting coaches, who can make links back to your employer or help you plan for life after hospital so that you continue your recovery by having something to do when you leave. Our coaches visit on Tuesday afternoons.

If you, or someone you know could benefit from our support, fill out a Referral Form and someone from Restore will contact you.