DFN Project SEARCH is a supported internship programme that prepares young people with learning disabilities, autism and/or sensory impairment for competitive employment.
Each year Whipps Cross Hospital gives young people the chance to learn valuable job skills by becoming interns. The programme is unpaid and based fulltime in the hospital workplace.
We welcome applications from young people aged 17-24 with learning disabilities, autism, and/or sensory impairment. You must:
- Have a desire to work
- Be committed to attending Project SEARCH every day
- Be seeking paid employment as a goal
To join the programme, you will need to have an Education, Health and Care Plan in place for September.
This course will lead to:
- Employment
- Apprenticeship
The entry requirements for this course are:
- Aged 17-24
- Have an Education, Health and Care Plan in place for September
- Have a desire to work
- Be committed to attending Project SEARCH every day
- Be seeking paid employment as a goal
The programme runs over an academic year (September to July).
Interns are expected to attend Monday to Friday, between 8:45am and 3:45pm
- Following a Barts Health NHS Trust induction, interns complete three 10-week rotations across different departments giving them the opportunity to try different job roles and to build up a range of transferable skills to be ready to apply for a job.
- Over the course of the year, interns work towards an Employability Skills Qualification.
- Interns are supported throughout by the Project SEARCH Team and workplace mentors.
You will be assessed via:
- Interviews
- Practical task analysis/skills assessment
