FST Ardenleigh
Location: Erdington, Birmingham
- About the project
- Business Services
- Work placements
- Work-related skills and qualifications
- How to be referred
- Our funders
- Contact us
About the project
FST @ Ardenleigh operates as a small-business within a medium secure unit which provides mental health services for adolescents and women. We provide work placements to patients to give them the opportunity to develop the skills and experience they need to find work or go on to further training when they leave. Service users are seen as workforce members and colleagues.
Our team provides a range of business services to staff, visitors and the unit’s community, including a shop and a popular car valeting service. Workforce members are also involved in running our office which provides financial and administrative support for the business. The project’s success is demonstrated by high levels of patient involvement. All the young people in the children and adolescent service who are able to work with us, do so. Within the women's service 85% people are either involved with us or awaiting referrals to join us.
Business services
• Shop.
• Car valeting.
• Painting and decorating.
• General maintenance.
• Domestic cleaning.
• Print & Design.
Work placements
Last year 41 people, from both the adolescent and women units, took up work placements with FST @ Ardenleigh. We provide a number of work and training opportunities in the following sectors:
• Administrative and clerical.
• Customer service.
• Retail.
• Car valeting.
• Painting and decorating.
• General maintenance.
• Print & Design.
• Domestic cleaning.
Our work placements provide on-the-job training. We work with people on a ‘one-to-one’ basis using a personal development plan to review their progress. This provides us with a framework to agree or establish goals, identify skills gaps and give and receive feedback.
What I got out of working at FST @ Ardenleigh
“Working at FST and gaining qualifications gave me a sense of achievement and I was very happy and proud of myself. It gave me a huge confidence boost.” D. Hamilton
Work-related skills and qualifications
FST @ Ardenleigh offers workforce members the opportunity to learn ‘on the job’ and acquire the following skills:
General
The basic skills required by employers such as timekeeping, ability to work in a team and a positive attitude towards work.
Office administration
All aspects of office administration including computer skills, data inputting, following office procedures etc.
Financial administration such as working with invoices, petty cash, processing cheques, paying suppliers, ordering supplies etc.
Practical skills
Carpentary, painting and decorating, working with power tools and grounds maintenance.
Customer service
Understanding the need to deliver high-quality service, dealing with customers, promoting business services.
Retail
Using a till and stock-taking etc.
Qualifications available
• NVQ in Business Administration.
• BCS and CIEH Health and Safety.
• Auto Smart Certification in Car Valeting.
Referrals
• Self-referral.
• Occupational therapists.
• Ward staff.
• Clinical team.
By providing a very different range of opportunities, FST complements the services run by the hospital and works closely with staff to integrate our provision into the structured day.
Our funders
FST @ Ardenleigh would like to thank our funders, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, for their continuing and generous support.
Contact us
FST @ Ardenleigh
Project Manager: Nick Cameron
Assistant Manager: Natalie Coleman
385 Kingsbury Road,
Erdington,
Birmingham B24 9SA
Email: Please use our enquiry form
Visitor information
You must arrange your visit in advance and bring photographic ID.
By bus: 114 which stops outside the unit.
By rail: Erdington railway station plus 30 minutes walk.
By car: Car parking available.