Available employment support for young adults

The Government’s Access to Work grant scheme provides support to enable people with disabilities or health conditions start a new job or stay in work. The support offered is based on individual needs, and could include a grant to help cover the costs of practical support in the workplace or for those working from home.

An Access to Work grant does not need to be paid back and could pay for a range of different support, including:

• Support workers
• Specialist equipment
• Help with travel costs to work and back
• Mental health support

If your health condition requires you to work from home sometimes, Access to Work could also help with adjustments needed at home to help you stay in work.

To check if you are eligible and how to apply visit Job help where you will find further information on Access to Work.

Find out more at GOV.UK.

• Access to Work Easy Read information
• Access to Work Factsheets

This confidential service delivered by Maximus is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and is available at no charge to any employees with depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues affecting their work.

If you or your colleagues would like support, you can call now on 0300 456 8114 or email a2wmhss@remploy.co.uk.

National Insurance General Enquiries

• Telephone: 0300 200 3500

Right to Work Documents – employers will ask to see evidence of these documents to prove you have the right to live and work in the UK

Order a replacement birth certificate – Southampton Registration Services are only able to supply certificates for births, deaths, marriages or civil partnerships that took place within the Southampton City Boundary since 1 July 1837.

Apply for a CitizenCard – proof of ID endorsed by the Home Office, Police, SIA and retailers.

UK NARIC – can help you to evidence the level of your overseas qualification for employment, study, professional registration or another reason

National Minimum Wage Rates (2023/24)

The hourly minimum wage rate changes every April. You must be at least:

• School leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage
• Aged 23 to get the National Living Wage – the minimum wage will still apply for workers aged 22 and under

Use the government’s minimum wage calculator to check whether the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage is being paid.

You can also check your pay.

Find out what to do if you’re not getting the National Minimum Wage and think you should be.

It’s a good idea to have a bank account set up so employers can pay your wages. A fee-free basic bank account will allow you to pay and receive money without any costs. Find out more about setting up a free bank account.

No fixed address bank accounts

HSBC are working with UK charities to allow people without a fixed address to set up a bank account. To access this service, you must be experiencing housing or homelessness difficulties and be receiving support from one of HSBC’s charity partners (in Southampton this is Two Saints or Society of St James).

Find out more about the HSBC No Fixed Address Service.

Southampton Library Service is more than just books. They can offer you a space to work on job applications, IT and printing facilities and much more!

Join a library – Membership of Southampton City Libraries is free and open to all. You can join the library online or at any branch by presenting proof of your name and current address.

Learn online – the digital library can help you to access language courses, driving test practice, online training and research.

Computers, Wi-Fi and Printing – You can use one of the library computers free for four hours per day. Printing, photocopying and scanning (charges apply) facilities are available at most libraries. All of Southampton’s libraries have free Wi-Fi.

The Disability Confident scheme aims to help employers attract, recruit and retain disabled workers. Many Disability Confident employers will show the Disability Confident logo on their website and job adverts to show that they are committed to equality in the workplace.

The government has produced a list of all the employers signed up to the scheme: List of Disability Confident employers.

Most employers will contact you by email, so it’s important you have one and check it regularly. You can also email your CV to yourself so you can access it on any computer you use to job search – this means you won’t need to worry about keeping hold of a memory stick or USB. Common free email providers include:

• Outlook
• Gmail
• Yahoo
• iCloud
• AOL

When creating an email address, make sure you use a professional email address – don’t use silly or inappropriate names as this won’t look great to an employer.

It might be worth setting up an email specifically for job searching, especially if you get lots of emails already. If you’re going to do this though, make sure you regularly check your new email account – you don’t want to miss emails inviting you to interviews!

If you have a smartphone, you can also connect your emails to your phone using the email provider’s app in the App or Play Store.

Social tariffs are offered by mobile and broadband providers to help people who may be struggling to afford these services. Some packages are only available for people receiving government benefits.

You can find an up to date list of social tariffs on the Ofcom website.

It can also help having a phone when looking for work. It doesn’t have to be all-singing-all-dancing, as long as you can make and receive calls and texts. an old pay as you go brick phone will do.

VOXI have a tariff especially for jobseekers which gives you Endless Data (+ calls & texts) at £10 a month for six months. There’s no contract or credit check and you can leave at any time. You will need to prove that you are in receipt of JSA, ESA or Universal Credit to be eligible for this offer.

Money Saving Expert update their list of the best sim-only deals every week.

SO:Let’s Connect is here to help people get more digitally connected by providing:

• Equipment
• Connectivity
• Support

Equipment – if you don’t have IT equipment already, we can loan you a laptop/tablet/desktop computer, for 6 months (with option to extend to 12 months) – we then offer a Buy Back scheme if you wish to keep the equipment at the end of the loan period.

Connectivity – we can also loan you a 4G dongle to help you get connected quickly.

Support – every beneficiary of SO:Let’s Connect is allocated a mentor (a volunteer “Digital Connector”) who will help you get connected and support you to get the best out of the IT equipment, whether it’s been provided by us or it’s your own.

Visit the SO:Let’s Connect website and call 023 8021 6050.

The National Databank provides free sims and mobile data (as well as talk minutes and texts) to people in need via Good Things Foundation’s network of local community partners. It’s like a ‘food bank’ but for internet connectivity data. Community organisations can apply to access the databank, enabling them to provide data to people in their communities who need it.

Find out more and find your nearest centre who can provide support.

Solent Mind have created a free casual course into the digital world, set in a safe and calm environment based at Mayfield Nurseries in Southampton. This course will help you learn how to:

• Navigate phones, tablets, and computers confidently
• Browse the Internet safely
• Create an email account and communicate online
• Access GP’s and mental health services online
• Order groceries and shop online
• Have fun with technology and build confidence

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about this opportunity, please contact Simon on 07966474188 or email Digitalskills@solentmind.org.uk.

Work with adults and young people, supporting them to find and retain suitable paid or voluntary employment and/or training.

Email: employment.support.team@southampton.gov.uk

Phone: 023 8091 7585

Webpage: Employment Support Team

Offer free information, advice and help to young people under the age of 26 in Southampton and Hampshire.

Email: enquiries@nolimitshelp.org.uk

Phone: 02380 224 224

Website: No Limits

Offer courses, enterprise initiatives, mentoring opportunities, and much more for 16- to 30-year-olds.

Email: SouthEast@princes-trust.org.uk

Phone: 0800 842 842

Website: Prince’s Trust

Offer a wide range of specialist therapeutic, support & prevention services to anyone at risk from or affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence/abuse or other forms of interpersonal harm.

Email: info@yellowdoor.org.uk

Phone: 023 8063 6312

Website: Yellow Door

Choices Advocacy – are a local charity providing independent advocacy and person centred planning for people living in Hampshire and Southampton.

Spectrum – provide help and advice to Disabled People on a wide range of issues, such as housing and debt issues.

VoiceAbility – support people to be heard in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing

Citizens Advice Bureau – offer impartial advice around benefits

Understanding Universal Credit – explains what Universal Credit means for you at every stage in a simple and easy to understand way

SARC – offers free, impartial and confidential advice and representation around benefits, employment and discrimination for people living in Southampton (SO14-SO19)

Welfare Rights and Money Advice – from Southampton City Council

Benefits Calculators

EntitledTo – provides an estimate of your entitlement to benefits, tax credits and Universal Credit

Turn2Us – calculate entitlement to means tested benefits and carers allowance

• Help and Advice from Carers UK
• Your rights as a young carer

Southampton Youth Justice Service

Nacro Criminal Record Support Service

Unlock Information Hub – self-help information on a range of issues that having a criminal record can affect

Unlock Disclosure Calculator – this calculator establishes when criminal convictions become “spent” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

What’s the difference between spent and unspent convictions?

Money Advice Service – give free and impartial money advice, set up by government. Call them on 0800 138 7777 Monday to Friday 8am-6pm.

Frontline Debt Advice – provide expert help to people under the burden of debt.

National Debtline – is a charity that gives free and independent debt advice over the phone and online. Use their online tool to get debt help, webchat with an adviser, Monday to Friday 9am – 8pm and Saturday 9:30am-1pm or email for advice. 

Christians Against Poverty – help anyone in debt. You can also call them on 0800 328 0006.

Southampton City Council Dealing with Debt Toolkit – will guide you through the steps that you can take to sort out your money problems. There is no easy answer but acting now will stop the situation from getting worse.

Money worries and mental health – from Every Mind Matters.

The Police – call the UK police non-emergency number, 101, if you need support or advice from the police and it’s not an emergency. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, use our textphone service on 18001 101.

If you are in danger or have immediate fears for your safety or the safety of your loved ones, call 999.

Yellow Door – a friendly, non-judgemental charity specialising in supporting people who have experienced, or are at risk of domestic or sexual abuse. You can call their helpline on 023 8063 6313.

"At Yellow Door we are able to support young people who have experienced domestic and/or sexual abuse. If you need someone to talk to, please reach out. For information about counselling or our groups, contact 02380 636 312 or email therapies@yellowdoor.org.uk"

View other helplines, organisations and available support.

Housing

Join the Housing Register

Homegroup – Free virtual support and qualified advice on benefits, housing, debts, money management, accessing community services. Call 0191 731 1958 or email SouthamptonHRS@homegroup.org.uk.

Homelessness

• Homelessness Advice and Housing Options
• Society of St James
• Two Saints

Useful contacts

• 023 8083 2327 (during office hours)
• 023 8023 3344 (out of hours)
• homelessness.advice@southampton.gov.uk
• streethomeless@southampton.gov.uk

Southampton Directory of Support Services – information on Family Support and Parenting.

Family Hubs – find out about the support and training on offer.

Southampton Family Trust – seeks to provide a focus for relationship building and support in the local area.

NCT Southampton – welcomes every new parent. They offer parents and parents-to-be support, services and put on great events. Southampton NCT covers the postcodes SO14-SO19, SO30 & SO31.

PATH – provides information and support to parents and parents-to-be affected by Perinatal Mental Health. Over the next 2 years, they will be developing an online hub of resources around parenting, mental health and employment.

No Limits – are offering employability support for young lone parents in Southampton. This will be achieved through one-to-one case held support. We will be offering support to young lone parents who are economically inactive or unemployed to help them into employment, education or training. Helping them to increase confidence and remove barriers, including helping them to access childcare.

Refer a young person on No Limits.

Holiday, Activities & Food Programme (Southampton HAF) - The Department for Education (DfE) has provided funding to local authorities to coordinate a programme that is designed to provide healthy food and enriching activities during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays to children who receive benefits-related free school meals.

Breakout Youth – provide safe, confidential advice and support to LGBTQ+ young people in Southampton, Basingstoke, Romsey, Andover, New Forest, Isle of Wight and East Hampshire.

FFLAG – are a national voluntary organisation and charity dedicated to supporting families and their LGBT+ loved ones.

LGBT Foundation – have a helpline staffed by a team of dedicated staff and volunteer operators all of whom receive extensive training and support.
Call on 0345 3 30 30 30 or email helpline@lgbt.foundation.

Stonewall – provide information and support for LGBT communities and their allies. Contact Stonewall’s Information Service on freephone number: 0800 0 50 20 20.

MindOut – is a mental health service run by and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer people.

CLEAR – seeks to improve the quality of life of refugees and asylum seekers by providing free advice and supporting people to access local services.

Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group – are a group of volunteers who
befriend and support asylum seekers and refugees in the Southampton area.

City of Sanctuary Southampton – is a group of professionals and volunteers who work together to make Southampton a warm and welcome place for refugees and asylum seekers.

EU Welcome – exists to provide help and support to migrants in the Southampton area from EU and other European countries.

• My Journey Southampton Travel Planning Toolkits
• Southampton Travel and Transport Updates

Solent Go is a handy travelcard you top up as you go, making travel all over South Hampshire (including Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Havant and more) easier than ever before. Check the Solent travel map to see where you could visit today.

Bus Travel

• Bluestar Bus Journey Planner
• Unilink Bus Journey Planner

Southampton residents over 5 years of age who have a long-term eligible disability can apply for an off-peak travel concessionary bus pass.

Train Travel

• National Rail Journey Planner

All 16-17 years olds can now benefit from a 50% discount on rail travel with the new railcard for just £30.

Cycling

• Southampton Cycle Networks
• Cycling Safety

Cheap and Discounted Bikes

• Monty’s Bike Hub
• New Forest Bike Project

Ferry Travel

Red Funnel – operate two services to the Isle of Wight. High Speed (foot passengers) to West Cowes takes 25 minutes and the Vehicle Ferry to East Cowes takes 55-60 minutes.

Hythe Ferry – operate a 10-15 minute journey between Town Quay and Hythe Pier for foot passengers and cyclists.