The type and level of in-work support that is needed will vary according to the needs of individual clients and employers. Some clients will only require a minimum level of support, while others will need more intensive and longer term help.

The capacity of SME employers to provide in-house support to new recruits will also vary, depending on factors such as the size of the business and the experience of those responsible for managing staff. In order to be able to meet these varying needs, it will help if you are able to offer a range of different types of support to both clients and employers.

• Regular phone contact – for clients who only require a ‘light touch’, you could arrange to telephone them on a regular basis for an agreed period of time to check how the job is going.
• One to one meetings with client – clients who need more intensive initial support may find it useful to be able to meet with you on a personal basis, in order to discuss how they are managing the transition to work and any problems or difficulties they are facing. This type of support will also be useful for smaller employers who may lack the capacity to provide in-house one-to-one support for a new employee.
• Three way meetings with client and their manager – both clients and employers may find it very useful to meet with you in order to discuss how the individual is progressing and to devise strategies for dealing with any difficulties that have arisen.
• Named contact – you should ensure that both clients and their managers have a named person within your organisation who they can contact to discuss any issues or difficulties that they are having during the initial stages of employment.

You should try to be flexible in the ways that you provide in-work support and be prepared to use a combination of methods and to tailor support according the stage of employment.

For example

A client who needs intensive one-to-one support for a short time at the start of their employment may be able to move to regular phone contact for an agreed period of time as they grow in confidence.