FST Merseyside
Location: The Scott Clinic, St Helens, Merseyside
- About the project
- Business Services
- Work placements
- Work-related skills and qualifications
- Referrals
- Our funders
- Contact us
About the project
In 2002, FST Merseyside was set up in the Scott Clinic, a regional medium secure unit for 50 patients for Merseyside and Cheshire. The project provides a working environment which is distinct from the hospital’s, where people are treated as members of the workforce rather than patients and given opportunities to contribute to the success of the business and develop new or existing skills.
We work with internal and external customers providing a wide range of services from painting and decorating to car valeting. Our latest venture is into the production of a range of home-made chutneys which are not only delicious but fully comply with the latest food labelling and hygiene regulations (no mean feat!) Workforce members are involved in every aspect of our business including financial and administrative support.
Business services
• Painting and decorating.
• Car valeting.
• Hard landscaping.
• Hanging baskets and seasonal planters.
• Snack bar.
• Home-made preserves.
Work-related Work placements
FST Merseyside provides a number of work and training opportunities in the following sectors:
• Painting and decorating.
• Car valeting
• Hard landscaping and horticulture.
• Retail.
• Food catering.
• Office administration.
Last year, 20 people (almost 70% of patients available to work) took up the opportunity to work at FST Merseyside, building up their experience and developing a range of skills.
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 FST Merseyside
“FST gives me work satisfaction and makes me feel happy and content at the end of the day.” Workforce member
Work-Related Skills and qualifications
FST Merseyside offers workforce members the opportunity to 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
Car valeting, painting and decorating, working with power tools and grounds maintenance.
Catering
Preparing and serving food internally and externally.
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
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (Health and Safety in the Workplace Certificate Level 2), British Safety Council Awards.
• Breath of Life First Aid Course (in development).
• NVQ in Car Valeting (in development).
• NVQ in Office Administration (in development).
• Food Hygeine.
FST Merseyside will support workforce members achieve higher levels of qualifications where appropriate.
Referrals
• Self-referral.
• Occupational therapists.
• Ward staff.
• Clinical team.
Why I refer to FST Merseyside
“As Clinical Director with clinical and managerial responsibilities, I have been well placed to see at first hand the excellent benefits for service users provided by FST within our organisation. Involvement in meaningful and rewarding activity has had a major impact, both on the individual, but also on the service as a whole. FST has become well established and well respected within our service and is very well accessed by service users.” Stephen Noblett, Clinical Director of the Mersey Forensic Psychiatry Service
Our funders
FST Merseyside would like to thank our funders, North West Secure Commissioning Team, for their continuing and generous support.
Contact us
Project manager: Geoff Andrews
Assistant manager: Michelle Ellison
FST Merseyside,
Scott Clinic,
Rainhill Road,
St Helens,
Merseyside WA9 5BD.
Tel: 0151 431 5128
Fax: 0151 431 5122
Email: Please use our enquiry form
Visitor information
You must arrange your visit in advance and bring photographic ID.
By bus: 10A plus a 2 minute walk.
By train: Rainhill then a 10 minute walk.
By car: car parking available.