Ixion has over 15 years of expertise of working with a wide range of individuals covering large geographical areas across the UK including: London, SE England, East of England, NW and NE of England. Through the expertise of our parent, ARU, we work with over 28,000 individuals from different backgrounds with varying needs.

Ixion provides a regular, structured process, which aims to be both challenging and supportive and is designed to ensure that the Trainer and/or Assessor is maintaining a workload with individuals who have active needs, and that appropriate support and supervision is being provided/received.

Delivery is characterised by intensive training and support that introduces customers to a positive routine with learning in accessible, “bite-size” formats and progression routes to help enter and remain in employment.

Innovative new Development Tools

We have recently introduced Cmypeople, an online competency assessment which maps people and jobs against the same competency framework. Where a learning need is demonstrated, then we provide in-house trainers or signpost to specialist tutors and services to complement vocational resources, which for those clients who do not initially feel comfortable being integrated into a group will include access to supportive learning on a one-to-one basis.

Significantly, we also offer the innovative "Positive Psychology" Programme – an evidence-based, solutions-focused approach that has delivered superb “into work” results around the world and to which Ixion has an exclusive UK licence. The model aims to put people into sustainable work at the earliest opportunity.

Dedicated Support

Each customer works with a dedicated Career Coach to help identify job opportunities, skills gaps and training needs and will receive a comprehensive Job Kit, including resources and job seeking tools to take away and use. Specific activity includes:

• Job search - Local recruitment, local jobs, industry specific publications, who are the local employment agencies, on-line recruitment and job match services, responding to the ‘hidden’ jobs market, etc
• Creating a CV and how to tailor a CV to suit different jobs and employers
• IT for Job Search (internet, email and word processing)
• Completing application forms (including on-line applications) and cover letters
• Interview techniques, personal presentation (dress, appearance) and verbal/non-verbal communication (language, behaviours, body language and eye contact)
• Telephone techniques e.g. speculative calls, following up jobs leads.

Keeping people in Work

We recognise that acquiring a job is not the end of the journey but one of the stages and that remaining in that job is equally important.

Retention and progression depend on the individual being in the right job, with suitable hours, skills and location. If someone is placed in a job which is unsuited to their capabilities and personal circumstances they will not remain in it. Whilst initial assessment and accurate identification of individual needs, aspirations and abilities matched to local labour market opportunities is crucial, so too is the provision of employer support and post-programme aftercare.

In work support for all new recruits will be provided, unless they wish to opt out; this lasts for around six months, and can vary from acting as a liaison between the employer and employee to helping individuals look for other jobs if their position is only temporary.

Supporting Individual Needs:

18-24 Youth

We understand that Jobseekers aged from 18 to 24 have needs which are often diverse. To help, we tailor wrap-around support programmes that engage and motivate the individual before entering work trials, job tasters and employment.

• No formal qualifications: We work with employers like Disorder Magazine and BAFTA to provide work experience that is accessible to those that may not have formal qualifications.
• Personal Issues: family, debt-management, drugs: We can provide relevant external specialist advisors to talk to individuals about issues they might not want to address with their employers.
• Lack of motivation and self-belief:We address this through offering customers jobs that they find interesting and is aligned to reaching career goals and aspirations. From set-design, dog-walking, to theme park assistant. Through our Research-based psycho-social reform programme that has control over external factors, achievement of goals, openness towards new life experiences and increased self-belief. As motivation and confidence is also a key barrier we build in motivational courses, confidence building, advice and guidance specialism.
• No Work Experience: An intensive job taster activity will boost confidence and increase appetite for work tasters and volunteering. For example through our Future Jobs Fund project, we provide employment for six months that can add experience to a CV in key areas of interest.

25+ Job Seekers

We focus our delivery to help meet the needs of this wide customer group providing flexible support to meet the diverse and complex needs of each individual we work with:

• Lone Parents: We have access to initiatives like the LDA CAP and engage with Children Centres to access bursaries/discretional funds available to Lone Parents to help find affordable childcare options. We also find employers who are willing to provide Flexible Working vacancies to meet lone parent needs. As motivation and confidence can be a key barrier, we can help with motivational courses, confidence building and advice & guidance specialism across the most deprived areas with high levels of child poverty.
• Ex-Offenders: Through our national NOMS and Skills for Jobs contracts we deliver back-to-work support to ex-offenders living in areas of high deprivation. The success to working with this group is to have key relations with local employers and remove any negative perceptions.
• BAME Groups: ESOL provision and supporting language barriers are key to the success of supporting unemployed BAME into work. Customers that require an interpreter are given the support as and when needed through our support mechanisms, and we work with social advisers and specialist teams to support individuals that have barriers to work.
• Self-Employed and Older Workers: Becoming self employed is one of the most effective routes to employment. Ixion through its successful programme Making Enterprise Work can provide a complete support programme and framework for all customers: for young people it is a great way to get them job ready, and for older clients it helps build on existing skills, expertise and hobbies
• Professionals, Recently Redundant, Graduates: We know that graduates can be most affected in an economic downturn. In the South East there have been 6048 notifications of redundancy in October 2010, we deliver rapid response services to ensure that these individuals do not become long-term unemployed.
• ESA Claimants: Ixion delivers support that embeds health screening and support, whether it is a physical, learning or mental disability.
• Local Training: Some customers are put off by having to travel long distances to attend support workshops or recruitment days and therefore we aim to hold all workshops in areas that are local for customers. To encourage people to come along, and also link our delivery to local GP services and Health Units.

How we Helped Diane gain employment

Diane is 45 years of age and prior to gaining employment Diane had been unemployed for 3 months. Her previous experience had been in retail, factory work, tailoring and as an assistant manager in the licensing trade. Upon enrolment Diane was interested in changing her career to working in the Health and Social Care sector; her experience in this area had been looking after family members.

Diane is in good health. She has a husband and older children, some of whom live at home, but did not foresee any problems with regard to being able to attend training or commencing work. Diane felt she needed to work to keep her brain active.

Diane already had an NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service that she gained in 2006, but no other formal qualifications.

Diane gained full time employment on 20/09/09 at Greenlands Care Home as a Care Assistant, however whilst she was on the project Diane gained Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Level 2 in Health and Safety in Health and Social Care and a certificate in Emergency First Aid.

Whilst working at the care home Diane has attended further courses; these qualifications are valid for three years and some are linked to NVQ units. Diane has gained the following qualifications whilst working:

• Social Care Common Induction Standards: Health Emergency ( NVQ units HSC 22C and HSC 32C)
• Safe use of equipment (NVQ units HSC 32a 5), 7), 8), 9) and HSC 32b 1), 2) 6)
• Hoist Awareness Workshop
• Medication Level 1
• Infection Control
• Social Care Common Induction Standards (Health and Safety)
• Social Care Common Induction Standards (Moving and Handling)
• Social Care Common Induction Standards (Food Hygiene)

Diane has now worked at Greenlands for almost 12 months and commenced her NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care in July 2010.

Diane has said she is really happy that she enrolled on the course and feels that this has given her a new lease of life.