Issues for trainees

Below is a list of issues that have arisen with our first group of 26 trainees.

These are not uniquely related to a service or department, as the same issues can affect trainees whether they work in a housing project or in finance.

However, patterns have emerged that indicate that some issues are more likely to occur at certain points in the 9-month traineeship than others, so we have divided them by time period.

Issues can also occur by themselves or as a cluster, e.g. an increase in drinking may mask other problems.

Months 1–3: The 'settling into the job' phase.

Months 4–6: The honeymoon period is over.

The trainee realises that s/he has to get up every day and come into work. There is exhaustion from working full-time or over-working, coupled with anxiety about performing well enough in the job, and pressure not to let themselves, GROW or Thames Reach down.

Months 7–9: Anxiety about getting a job intensifies.

Issues for trainees
Issue	Solutions	Months	Case studies
Recognising this is the wrong job	Able to find another role in a different department. This may need to be an exceptional response, to avoid future candidates applying for jobs they don’t necessarily want but hope that once they are employed they will be transferred to a job that matches their interests	1st – 3rd	Jessica
Lacking capability – described as ‘a bridge too far’. E.g., not using own initiative in planning and prioritising time	Ensure that the competency framework is implemented so trainees understand in which areas they are progressing and in which they need to improve Conduct structured supervision sessions and three- and six-month reviews Monthly briefing about the trainee’s progress sent by placement supervisors to life coaches Ensure the life coach is involved in the six-month review where the trainee’s career path is discussed and decisions are made on how the organisation can best support the trainee to progress into a job they are better suited to	4th – 6th	Derek Flo Nicky
Unidentified/unaddressed literacy/dyslexia issues	A robust written test set at the right level at the recruitment stage Commitment on behalf of the organisation to support employees with dyslexia issues e.g. provide assessments, adaptations of workplaces, and additional literacy support Commission Personal Assessment Report for the trainee	4th – 6th	Jack
Team working – making decisions on their own without considering the impact on the team	Address through supervision	4th onwards
Struggling to come off benefits and live on a low income	Ensuring trainees have accurate information on all in employment benefit entitlements – through written handouts before and during their induction month, and access to on-line benefit calculators Time off in the first two weeks of employment to sort out their benefit claims Weekly salary cheques paid in arrears for the first 6 weeks to ensure they came off of benefits (or majority of benefits) smoothly	1st – 3rd	Dennis Jessica
Dealing with debt	Life coach provides trainee with information about debt counselling service based in the community	1st – 3rd
Asking other members of staff for loans or for salary advances	Support from life coach on living on a low income/budget Guidance from placement supervisor about inappropriateness of request, making reference to Code of Conduct? Advice for staff on how to respond to such requests	1st – 3rd
Stress related to moving house at the same time as starting employment	Ensure upcoming potentially stressful life changes are discussed at interview Encourage trainees to discuss upcoming events with their placement supervisor and book annual leave Life coaches ensure that trainees have a good support system during these periods of change	1st – 6th	Jessica
Increased alcohol intake or drug/alcohol relapse due to life and work stresses	Conduct an induction training session on Dealing with Stress at Work, including relapse prevention plan; access to confidential counselling service Ensure a trusting relationship is established between trainees and life coaches in order that trainees seek appropriate support (sounding-board or referral person) when required Expect that there may be some trainees who relapse. Ensure that managers are prepared with information on how to implement the sickness policy Encourage trainees to maintain existing professional support throughout the traineeship	1st – 6th	Jessica
Lack of social networks	Incorporate w ell into placement team. Encourage attendance at Peer Support groups Life coach to support trainee to develop new social networks in free time
Difficulty in developing a new identity as an employee	Help trainee develop sense of belonging in organisation, e.g. meeting CEO Meeting with other former service users who have made the transition successfully, e.g. during induction	4th – 6th	Derek Jessica
Mental health relapse	Encourage trainees to maintain existing professional support		Abjinder Olivia
Longer term sickness	Differentiate holiday from sickness entitlement at induction Make provision for returning to work on flexible or part-time basis		Olivia
Pressure to succeed	Involve the life coach in reviews Establish fortnightly supervision, where appropriate, in the early months of the placement Offer pre-placement training on the competencies for trainees to demystify them and to establish a clear structure to trainees' learning experiences Ensure good communication between placement supervisors and life coaches, so that life coaches are made aware of possible work-related issues that may have an impact on the trainees' personal coping strategies		Spencer
Anxiety about getting a job	Encourage both organisation and trainee to accept this anxiety as normal Offer comprehensive job search package Hold trainees back from applying for work before passing successful 6-month review Ensure recruitment policy allows trainees to apply successfully for internal jobs Ensure trainees are getting honest and appropriate feedback throughout placement

Issues where trainees have moved into work
Issue	Solutions	Months	Case studies
Dealing with feeling overwhelmed by level of responsibility and volume of work	Prepare trainee for new role towards end of traineeship Provide life coaching support for 3-6 months into the new job Encourage peer support with other trainees who have gained employment – informal may be better than set up through organisation		James Spencer
Failing to pass 6-month probationary period	Prepare new employees for all eventual outcomes including extension to, or failure of, probationary period Explaining to new employee that there are further thresholds to cross before being confirmed in employment		James