Tús

The Department of Social Protection chooses who can take part in the Tús programme in our area.

The people that they choose:

• Have been out of work and getting a Jobseekers payment for a minimum of 12 months
• Are living in an area where we work

If you are chosen to take part in the Tús programme, you will:

• Have a quality work placement for 12 months
• Work 19.5 hours per week
• Get quality work experience that will help your chances of getting work
• Continue to get your social welfare payment
• Get a minimum payment of €225. 50 per week
• Get 81 hours annual leave over the 12 months
• Contribute your skills and experience to a community organisation
• Get ongoing support from the community organisation that you are working for
• Be signed off the live register and your social welfare payment and become an employee of Northside Partnership on work experience
• Have ongoing support from one of our Tús Team Leaders

All of the work experience available is of benefit to both you and to the local community. Some examples of the positions available on work experience include:

• Care assistants
• Childcare assistants
• Maintenance
• Security
• Sports coaching
• Caretaking
• Administration and clerical work

Where necessary, Garda clearance will be required.

• If the Department of Social Protection choses you to take part in Tús they will contact you and let you know. They will ask you to respond to the offer.
• If you agree to take part they will send us your details.
• When we get your details we will contact you and ask you to meet with us. We will talk to you about Tús, your previous work and education experience, and the types of work experience you are interested in.
• We will look at the work experience positions that we have.
• We will identify which of these match your skills, personal qualities and areas of work that you are interested in.
• We will then invite you to meet with us and the community organisation which is offering the work experience.
• If your skills and qualities are a good match with a placement offered by a community organisation then you may be offered the work experience.
• If your skills and qualities are not a good match for a placement offered by a community organisation then we will continue to look for a more suitable placement for you.

For more information about Tús

• Contact your local Social Welfare Office
• Read about the Tús programme on the web at gov.ie
• Email us: info@nspartnership.ie

Toward the end of your work experience we will invite you to meet with us to:

• Discuss and agree supports that are available to you to progress into further work or training
• Give you final feedback on how you have performed on your work experience
• Hear your views on the programme

When you have finished your work experience we will refer you back to the Department of Social Protection.

William is from Artane and started on the Tús programme in 2019.

Background

In 2012 I started on Job Seekers Allowance. I remained on it for 1 year. But during this period, I attended a meeting in my local office and was placed on a course for horticulture in Colaiste Dhulaigh. I was transferred onto VTOS payments the following year. I remained in study till 2015. I then went on to further education in the Institute Of Technology in Blanchardstown and continued my studies from 2016 till current. During this period, I was in receipt of Back to Education but due to a family issue I had to defer for a period of 2 years and in 2019 was placed back onto Jobseekers Allowance. While I was being transferred back, I attended a meeting in the Civic Centre to check on my progression plan. I explained how, even with the courses I had done, that without practical experience I couldn’t find work. At this point I was informed about the Tús programme and the ability they had to place you to gain experience.

What happened on Tús?

The organisation I worked with was Not So Different. My role was the driver for a mobile unit that went to all the sites and worked with the teams that were already based on these sites. This consisted of soft landscaping such as grass cutting, hedge trimming, weeding, pruning and planting of shrub’s. After a period of time I became the supervisor on two of the sites and I was now helping to train other participants on health and safety and proper use and care of the machinery they were using as well as sharing my knowledge of horticulture. My role changed with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the sites were closed during the Covid-19 lockdown I saw how the Northside Partnership had stepped up to help the local community and I was proud of what they were doing and I wanted to be part of it. So I asked if I could stay on and work during the lockdown as they needed drivers. I did food collections for Meals on Wheels in Raheny and Ballymun as well as delivering meals to residents in Coolock. Also, during the lockdown, my Tús Leader, James Hill, and I remained to look after the sites for Not So Different.

Outcomes

There were several benefits from being on this work opportunity. I have been able to put into practice everything that I had learned in the classroom into real world application. I have become more confident in everyday interaction with management, staff and participants which I have now realized I was lacking. In my role on this placement I have now found the confidence to trust in my abilities and my own knowledge to be able to run a team on site. I was delighted to be given the opportunity to become qualified as a first aid responder and complete the manual handling course. I was also thankful for the Covid-19 training which has aided in how I was able to protect myself and other participants on the Not So Different sites.

Did it make a difference to you?

The most important part of my journey as a participant on this work placement was to be given the opportunity to learn from and to work alongside great people from all the Northside Partnership offices and Not So Different which allowed me to grow in confidence. The one thing that made the difference for me was to be a part off the Northside Partnership during Covid-19 and to be a part of the community spirit they created and the help they gave to different community schemes which helped provide the best aid to local residents during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Any not-for-profit, community organisation operating in our area, who can offer suitable work experience can take part in Tús.

The work experience position you offer should be of value to the local community and meaningful to the person who takes up the role. We are open to considering any role offered within your organisation. Some examples of work experience positions we currently offer through Tús are:

• Care assistants
• Childcare assistants
• Maintenance
• Security
• Sports coaching
• Caretaking
• Administration and clerical

Your organisation can expect:

• To benefit from the skills and experience of the person who is placed with you
• To contribute to the personal and professional development of the person who is placed with you
• To develop and deliver your service with additional resources
• The Human Resource administration of the person on the work experience placement, including wages, annual leave, sick leave and time sheets will be done by Northside Partnership.

We ask all organisations taking part in Tús to:

• Work with us to choose a person who matches the skills and qualities that are needed for the role in your organisation
• Provide a quality work experience in a meaningful role within your organisation.
• Nominate a named person to give ongoing supervision and support to the person on work experience placement

If you are interested in providing a quality work placement to a person who has been chosen to take part in Tús, please contact us on the details below.

We will visit your organisation to:

• Tell you about Tús
• Assess the suitability of the  work experience role you are offering
• Help you to write a job description for the role
• Work with you to identify and choose a person that matches the role and your organisation