First Step Trust - Our Mission
First Step Trust (FST) offers people with enduring mental health problems,
learning disabilities and other disadvantages the chance to work; experiencing
the challenges of working in a small business, trading with the local community.
Workers at FST take on the responsibilities and pressures of real work in an
environment that is supportive and understanding of their difficulties. This
enables them to overcome their problems, become less dependent on health and
social care services. Many go on to make the transition to paid employment.
Since 1995 First Step Trust has:
First Step Trust was set up in 1994 to provide opportunities for people with mental health problems and other disabilities or disadvantages, to move towards open employment and to challenge some of the prevalent attitudes about disability.
Since FST started we have Successfully
developed work projects for people with mental health problems and other disadvantages
in Sheffield, Lambeth, Bexley, Scottish Borders, Barnet, Haringey, Manchester,
Birmingham, Enfield, Salford and Broadmoor Hospital. The Lambeth project includes
a restaurant open to the general public
We have demonstrated that the model works not only with people with mental
health problems but also with people with learning disabilities and people
with drug and alcohol recovery problems.
FST has proved its effectiveness with people receiving forensic psychiatric
services with an established project in Broadmoor and projects in development
in 2 medium secure units following successful feasibility studies.
We have adapted the model successfully to operate in a rural environment in
the Scottish Borders Extended the range of work from primarily manual work
into service industries and white collar work with a social club, office work
and database design and management.
FST has an employment agency placing workers with other employers to assist
move on into paid employment
We have provided training in Health and Safety at work,
First Aid, Food Hygiene computer skills and a range of work related skills
Out of a total of 36 salaried positions across the whole organisation, 11 are
held by people with mental health problems and 1 by a person with a learning
disability.
Within past 4 years, 150 people have successfully moved on to salaried employment
with other employers or to college.
All First Step Trust Projects:
Employ people with mental health problems as managers and salaried workers.
Ensure that people with mental health problems and other disadvantages hold
keys to buildings, run the accounts, drive the works vans, have authority
as managers to run their sections, carry out estimates for work and take
on contracts.
Are deliberately designed and managed to ensure that we only employ people
without mental health problems or learning disabilities when there is a skills
gap which cannot be filled from within the Trust or one of its projects.
Generate substantial income through the commercial activities of the workforce.
This protects the rights of the workforce and ensures that the long term
security of the projects is a shared responsibility for all.
Growth and Development
From an initial grant of £37,000 the Trust has developed in 6 years
to a
turnover of more than £1.3m with 380 workforce members across 11
projects.
Converted a traditional Industrial Therapy Unit into a busy work project.
We are currently running a work project in Broadmoor Hospital as well
as working with 3 medium secure units to pilot ways of developing the First
Step Trust model to aid the rehabilitative process within forensic psychiatric
settings to create pathways of discharge related to work opportunities.
We are also aiming to develop the Employment Agency across all of our
projects, providing move on to paid employment.
Our Values 
The Background to First Step Trust
FST Board members
John Storey and Dr Sian Goddard along with FST Joint Chief Executive, Carole Furnivall), visit the FST Projects in North London at Enfield, Haringey and Barnet.
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Charity No1077959 Company Reg 3730562