Community Options
Community Options is a programme for young people (up to 25 years old) currently being offered at Parklea Branching Out and at venues within your local community.
The Community Options programme aims to help young people with additional support needs to thrive and achieve. We provide training and work experience focussing on developing both skills and confidence, to help young people get ready for training, employment, or other future opportunities. People will be supported to work towards gaining both formal and informal certification including SQA qualifications.
The main component of this programme focusses on horticulture, gardening, landscaping, and maintenance. Support is also given to improve soft skills including communication and teamwork, alongside life skills such as independent travel and budgeting. Those clients who access the community options programme will also get a chance to work on literacy and digital skills with support from ourselves and the Inverclyde Community Learning and Development Adult Literacies team.
We work closely with our partners, including Enable and Skills Development Scotland to make sure young people have access to as wide a range of support and opportunities as possible.
Community Options has recieved some additional funding as part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up fund.
People and Skills theme – Intervention S35 “Support for local areas to fund local skills needs. This includes technical and vocational qualifications and courses up to level 2 and training for vocational licences relevant to local area needs and high-value qualifications where there is a need for additional skills capacity that cannot be met through mainstream funding.”
This programme will enhance PBO services by enabling provision of a more diverse programme of personal development and skills development opportunities for vulnerable people. Young people will be supported to improve practical, employability, life and social skills. This will target young people with autism and/or additional support needs and support progression to further education, training and employability options.
“My son learned a variety of skills and experience. The support he received from Calum and the staff there was absolutely outstanding. He worked alongside Stan who was a great mentor to him. I also felt reassured that he was in a safe environment, and that they looked after him and cared about his welfare.
I will be forever grateful to Parklea and the staff there , my son has got his self worth and confidence back and has now got a Horticulture apprenticeship with Inverclyde Council and attends Langside college in Glasgow. ”
“I just wanted to email you to let you know that the opportunity you guys provided for Jordan and Chris to come and volunteer at Parklea has paid dividends. I put both of them forward for Path for All volunteer award as both had given up time during their summer, well Jordan has won the overall category and Chris has come Second!! They will attend an event at the Scottish Parliament in September.”