Trainee Information

Joining Moray Reach Out: Your Path to Empowerment

For Professionals

What to Expect: At Moray Reach Out, we take immense pride in creating a safe and high-quality work environment across all our social enterprises. Our dedicated team, including staff, volunteers, and trainees, is passionate about the projects we undertake and the opportunities they offer.

When you partner with us, you can expect a professional and dedicated team that genuinely cares about your business. By choosing Moray Reach Out, you not only benefit your business but also play a role in increasing individuals’ confidence, self-esteem, and sense of belonging. Through your support, our trainees gain essential skills in processing, retail, and customer service, enhancing their confidence and independence.

What We Expect of You: Your opinions and feedback are incredibly valuable to us. We consider them an integral part of our project evaluation and monitoring process. We encourage open and supportive communication to continually improve the services we provide to our trainees and enhance the overall customer experience.

Eligibility Criteria: Our projects are tailored for adults with learning disabilities, and some may support referrals from mental health groups. Please note that our services are not free, and daily rates for Self-Directed Support are available from our Head Office. If your client is eligible for day services or alternatives to day services, please contact Head Office to check for vacancies.

Referral Process: For general inquiries about our projects, please contact 01542 834434 and ask for Shona.

For Parents/Carers

What to Expect: Our dedicated staff is eager to meet the individuals in your care, learn about their needs, abilities, interests, and expectations. We arrange visits to our projects, ensuring an informed choice for a well-matched experience. Our goal is to boost confidence, self-esteem, and the ability to work and communicate effectively while learning new skills.

You can trust that our staff will be patient, kind, supportive, and firm when required, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for the individuals you care for.

What We Will Expect: When your loved one joins a Moray Reach Out project, they embark on a new journey with goals to achieve. We’ll ask for your support in encouraging them to strive towards these goals to the best of their ability. We encourage questions and aim to help individuals integrate into a team setting, learn the benefits of teamwork, equality, sharing, and gain a sense of belonging. We also promote independence and advocacy.

Eligibility for Our Projects: If the person in your care has a learning disability or mental health condition, the Community Learning Disability team may have already assessed their needs and allocated a Care Manager. With Self-Directed Support, individuals can choose the services they wish to use. Local authorities and other agencies can manage Self-Directed Support budgets if you prefer. If you’re unsure of your situation, contact the Community Learning Disability team for advice.

If you’re a Care Manager, please call 01542 834434 to discuss or contact one of the Project Coordinators directly if you know which project is suitable.

For Prospective Trainees

What to Expect:

You can expect to:

  • Meet new people
  • Learn to work as part of a team
  • Be treated with respect and kindness
  • Learn new skills
  • Achieve things you did not think possible
  • Work towards ‘outcomes’ (what you would like to learn and achieve) and have fun

What We Expect of You:

We ask that you:

  • Discuss and agree on your training objectives or ‘outcomes’
  • Participate in individual and group activities
  • Always try your best in all you do
  • Treat others with respect and kindness

How to Apply:

We provide training opportunities for vulnerable adults. You can contact your Social Work office (Community Learning Disabilities Team – CLDT), Care Manager, or Key Worker to discuss accessing our projects. If you need help, you can contact us, and we will arrange for someone to support you. Many of you will have your training arranged by Moray Council or another organization. Some will choose Direct Payments. If you are in receipt of Self-Directed Support (SDS), you can contact us directly if you have a direct payment set up and make arrangements to start on a placement. Help and advice are available, so just ask your Care Manager if you have one or contact the CLDT team at Moray Council.

First Steps:

If you are interested in Moray Reach Out projects, then your Care Manager or you (or your carer) should contact us to arrange a visit. This helps us understand your interests, what you would like to learn, and what you’d like to experience. You can attend a taster, participate in activities for 2 or 3 hours or a day, whatever suits you best, before deciding if this is the right move for you. Together, we’ll build a plan for you to work towards and record your achievements. We hope you’ll enjoy your time with us and feel a sense of belonging, fulfillment, and pride. We will also help you explore your next steps and the possibilities of employment or further training.

For general information on Self-Directed Support, click here for more details.