Employment & Skills Guide

Vocational Services
QEF Vocational Services specialise in training
people with disabilities, for sustainable employment.

achieving goals for life

Why you should choose us
Welcome to QEF Vocational Services Employment & Skills Guide. This
guide will provide an outline of what we do here at Vocational Services
and detail how we can help you to achieve your full potential. In reading
this guide you are taking the first step into long term employment.
QEF Vocational Services has 75 years experience
of helping people into work or self-employment.
We strive to deliver excellent service and be
the best at what we do. Our aim is to provide
you with employment opportunities. We will
give you the skills and support needed to gain
employment, while at the same time provide
a safe community for your development.

Our team has a wealth of experience of

guiding trainees into employment, all of which
is conducted with your individual needs in
mind. Over the years we have had countless
success stories with many of our trainees
achieving success in long term employment.

Welcome note
from Garry Billing
I hope that by picking up this guide you will discover how
we at QEF Vocational Services might help you to realise
your dreams. We hope to have the opportunity to work
with you to design and deliver a programme that meets
your individual needs - this is not conveyor belt learning.

Our aim is to deliver a personalised programme

and we are very happy to discuss alternatives that
best fit with your personal circumstances.
I believe that this is an outstanding place, with very
talented people. I look forward to you visiting us soon.

You will be guided and supported throughout your

journey by friendly, caring and expert staff who are
the most fantastic people I have ever worked with.
Being supported by QEF does not mean you have
to commit to full-time residential attendance.

Garry Billing
Director of QEF Vocational Services

Being here has enabled me

to realise a dream. I now have
skills, knowledge, know how, and
confidence. My confidence levels
are up and I know I can do what it
takes to compete in the job market.
This has helped change my life.
Gary, Maintenance Operations Programme, Trade Skills

Vocational Services | Employment & Skills Guide

75 years of Success
i
For further information and
details of our continued success
please visit our website at
www.qef.org.uk or contact us by
ringing 01372 841100 or emailing
vocationalservices@qef.org.uk

QEF Vocational Services has over 75 years

of experience in designing and delivering
nationally recognised training courses. Our goal
is to achieve long term employment for you.
The team offers a personalised service
starting from an initial skills assessment and
programme design, through to employment
and further development in the workplace.
We will take pleasure in seeing you progress
and develop during your time with us.
Some highlights of our provision include:

Flexibility in programme design

We can tailor programmes to meet your
specific developmental needs. When you
become a trainee at Vocational Services
you will be given access to professional
trainers and advisers who will work with you
to design a plan for your individual needs.

Employer recognised units

of credit
We have a wide range of programmes
including employability skills, business,
technology and trade skills so we
have something for everyone. All of
our training is accredited through
awarding bodies (City and Guilds,
OCR, Edexcel, NOCN and CISCO) and
reflects specific employer requirements
in line with industry and business.

www.qef.org.uk | achieving goals for life

Flexibility in delivery
We consider ourselves a specialist provider
of training. We also recognise that you will
have different needs to the next trainee
and vice versa. We can offer you flexibility
not only in programme design but also in
delivery. We have a rolling intake and offer
a wide range of long and short programmes
to suit your requirements. We also offer
residential provision if the daily commute
is too far or difficult for you to make.
Distance learning may also be possible.

Wealth of advice
We have a host of advisers to support you
during your time at Vocational Services.
We have a medical team who run an
open surgery as well as welfare officers
who can provide support and also advice
on financial matters as required.

Rural yet accessible surroundings

Vocational Services are based in
Leatherhead in beautiful, rural Surrey.
We have superb facilities, both for
training and for social events. The best
way to discover our range of facilities is
to come along to one of our open days,
details of which can be found on page 4.

Contents
Open Days

Employer
engagement

Overview of
programmes

Your working
environment

Employability skills

Business skills

Technology skills

10

Horticulture &
Construction skills

11

Projects

12

Accommodation
& Leisure activities

13

Steps to applying
& How to find us

14

Begin your journey

Vocational Services Open Days

Trainees

Professionals

The next step in your pursuit of long term

employment is to attend one of Vocational
Services open days. We hold open days
for trainees on a regular basis and these
are a great way to meet our team, and
to discover how we can help you.

If you are a Disability Employment Adviser,

Incapacity Benefit Personal Adviser or any
other professional working with disabled
people then you will find attending one
of our open days hugely beneficial. We
hold open days for professionals on a
regular basis and these are a great way to
meet our Employment Services team and
other key staff at Vocational Services.

More specifically, attending an

open day will allow you to:
Talk to trainers about our programmes

and how they can be tailored to

meet your personal needs
Talk to key staff in our team about the

application process, job prospects,

welfare issues, medical queries, etc.
Meet with other trainees
Have a tour of the training facilities,

accommodation, and social areas

More specifically, attending an

open day will allow you to:
Gain an understanding of the work we do

i
For Open Day and Professional
Day dates please contact our
Sales and Marketing Manager
Shirley Clark on 01372 841152 or
email shirley.clark@qef.org.uk
For Employer Engagement
please contact our Employer
Engagement Manager, Ash
Khan, on 01372 849876 or
email ash.khan@qef.org.uk

at Vocational Services and how we can

help your clients into employment
See the employment and skills

programmes in action
Meet with our current trainees and hear

how Vocational Services has benefited

them
Have a tour of the facilities so that you can

provide your clients with a fully informative

service

The talk and

accompanying
presentation was very
informative and my
experience of the day
only enhanced my
decision to come to QEF.

I found the open day

very useful. It means
I can visualise Vocational
Services when I am
discussing programmes
with clients.
Liz, DEA, Sutton Job Centre

Gam, Book-keeping & Accounts

programme, Business Skills

Vocational Services | Employment & Skills Guide

Employer engagement
Who we work with
The Employment Services team will work with you to help you to secure
and achieve your ultimate goal of permanent employment. We treat
every trainee as an individual and therefore we will put together an
employment action plan to meet your specific needs. Work experience
is an integral part of all of our programmes and the very important step
in gaining valuable industry experience that employers demand.

KBR
Bristol Zoo
Leatherhead Theatre
Torquay Boys Grammar School
Mackenzie & Ebert
Pioneer Computers Ltd.
English Landscapes
Steyning Grammar School
Greenfields Community Housing
Brockham Computers
Kingston PCT
Epsom Hospital
Ramada Jarvis
Jurys Inn
Quadrant Housing Association
Esher College
The National Trust
County Councils
Surrey University

Engaging with employers is a hugely

important aspect of the services we
provide. Building strong relationships
with employers not only ensures we
deliver the relevant skills base to
our trainees but also allows us to
remain current with the changing
needs of the core skills required
within business and industry.
Over the years we have built up
an extensive range of employers
who support us with work
experience placements, working
interviews, job vacancies and
progressive development schemes
such as Apprenticeships
Jennifer Fyson, Deputy Director, QEF Vocational Services

www.qef.org.uk | achieving goals for life

Explore your potential

New flexible programmes that meet your needs
Here at Vocational Services we will help you to develop to your full
potential, gain independence, develop your employability skills,
and most importantly gain employment. All of our programmes
involve real work to support you to practice and gain the
confidence, skills, and knowledge of your subject or trade.

Matthews enthusiasm to become an

effective member of his team has proved
to be infectious on those he works with. He
represents an excellent role-model to others.
Richard, CTE Leatherhead Piping at KBR. Matthew, CAD programme,
Technology Skills, now employed as Design Technician at KBR

i
All of our programmes are
offered on both a residential
and non-residential provision.
If you need residential provision
please see page 12.

Vocational Services | Employment & Skills Guide

Your working environment

Real work activities reflecting employers needs
At Vocational Services we are great believers that having the
right working environment is vital to personal development.

We are situated in a 35 acre site and therefore are in a

fantastic position to provide real hands on training for all
of our programmes. We have extensive facilities including:
Well equipped training facilities
Excellent ICT equipment
Workshops designed to reflect actual working environment

We make sure that our trainees

will be gaining skills in an
environment which is as close
to the real world as possible.
Tony, Trade Skills Team Leader

Live onsite work activities

Glasshouses, nurseries, and extensive grounds

Our facilities include the latest technologies,

some of which have been donated by leading
businesses. We are especially grateful to Benchmark
and Dulux for their donation of materials and
for their technical advice and support.
We also have a wide range of sponsors who play
a vital role in what we do. These include:
Winterfold; Rotary Club of Ashtead; Seymours Hardens
Ltd., Showgreen Management Services; D&E Roberts
Ltd.; Eurodata Systems Plc.; Complete Interiors; Inner
Wheel Club of Ashtead; SitSmart; Advanced Power
Developments Ltd.; C Brewer & Sons Ltd.; Enliven
Technology Ltd.; Pfizer Ltd.; Hillbrow AV Services.

www.qef.org.uk | achieving goals for life

Getting ready for work

Employability Skills

i
Following an employment
assessment an individually tailored
programme will be designed
to meet your needs and plan a
route towards employment.
For further information on
Employability or Business Skills
please contact our Business and
Employability Skills Manager,
Jane Heady, on 01372 841133 or
email jane.heady@qef.org.uk
Further detailed information
may be found in the back
pocket of this Guide.

We can work it out

Finding work is hard these days, but with
our team alongside you, you will discover
what you are capable of and have the
motivation to follow it through. Our training
will build your confidence, help you set new
goals and give practical advice to help you
search out and achieve a new role in life.

Our Employability Skills

programmes will offer you:

A life changing experience,

new skills, found my self
esteem coupled with
new found confidence.
I have never looked
back since QEF.
Fiona, now employed as Instructor at MIT

Communication Skills
Personal Presentation
Time Management
Teamwork Skills
Self Development
Researching Employment Opportunities

Vocational Services | Employment & Skills Guide

Office life
Business Skills
Would you like to work in a Business Skills Environment? Our expert
trainers can provide a range of suitable training to give you the
confidence and ability to work in an administrative role or, if
you are keen on figures, in a financial record keeping capacity,
both offering a wide variety of employment opportunities.

Our Business Skills programmes include:

Possible jobs include:

Business Communication: using a range

Clerical Assistant

of Microsoft Office applications

Supporting the organisation of events/meetings
Effective use of business resources
Business Accounting; manual and computerised

(Sage), including Stock Control and Payroll

Spreadsheet Processing using Microsoft Excel
Customer Service

Receptionist
Office Administrator
Travel Clerk
Customer Service Advisor
Accounts Assistant
Payroll Assistant
Sales & Purchase Ledger Clerk

Daniel has been such an asset,

fits in well, great member of the
team. I ask him to do something
and he goes away and gets on
with it. He has slotted in so well.
Rachel Shared Services Manager Citizens Advice Bureau

www.qef.org.uk | achieving goals for life

It has been a great adventure

and I have learnt a great deal of
new things. I am looking forward
to working at Westergate School
where I will be using my new skills.
Christian, Office Administration programme, Business Skills

Right connections
Technology Skills
Technology is the future and at Vocational Services you can learn the skills
needed to enter this exciting sector. We provide assessment and guidance,
tailored training and practical experience to ensure you are on the right
track to a new, fully connected career. Our trainees find employment
in education and local government, as well as the private sector.

Our Technology Skills

programmes include:

Possible jobs include:

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

First Line Support Technician

CISCO Essentials

IT Maintenance Technician

BCS ECDL including Microsoft Word,

CAD Designer

Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

IT Technician

CAD Operator
CAD Technician
Help Desk Operator

This opportunity has been

one more step in the right
direction, gaining a skill
and more confidence, I feel
ready for the next step.
Martin, IT Support Maintenance
programme, Technology Skills

i
Following an employment
assessment an individually
tailored programme will be
designed to meet your needs
and plan a route towards
employment.
For further information on
Technology or Trade (Horticulture
and Construction) Skills please
contact our Trades and
Technology Skills Manager,
Graeme Lisle, on 01372 841173 or
email graeme.lisle@qef.org.uk
Further detailed information
may be found in the back
pocket of this Guide.

10

Vocational Services | Employment & Skills Guide

Growing together
Horticultural Skills
Our Horticulture programme provides opportunities for employment
in many areas. At QEF Vocational Services we have all the facilities
and opportunities to help you enter that world of work.

As well as the care of 35 acres of landscaped grounds

and a two acre nursery with glasshouses, you will
be able to carry out real work landscaping and
carrying out maintenance jobs in the community.

Our Horticultural Skills programmes include:

Soft and hard landscaping
Nursery work
Production work

Horticulture gave me a fantastic

foundation to get back to work.
They helped to rebuild my self
esteem and confidence.
John, Horticulture programme, Trade Skills, now
employed as Activity Co-ordinator at Anchor Trust

Possible jobs include:

Landscape Contractor
Local Authorities
Nurseries
Amenity Worker
Garden Centres and Glasshouse work
Self Employment

Building your future

Construction Skills
As a trainee you will embark on a programme that is designed
to take you to a level of knowledge which will enable you to
gain the necessary skills and experience for employment.
Guided and trained by staff with extensive experience
and qualifications in the industry, you will be working
to current industry standards and provided with the
opportunity to experience practical, live work on site.

Our Construction Skills programmes include:

Painting and decorating (to Dulux standards)
Carpentry
Plumbing
Basic brickwork
Plastering
Taping & jointing
Metal studs and ceilings to British Gypsum specifications

Possible jobs include:

Trade Assistant
Maintenance Operative
Painter/Decorator
Plumbers Assistant
Caretaker
Handyman
Joinery Workshop Assistant
www.qef.org.uk | achieving goals for life

11

Investing in life
Just a few of our projects
We have many one off and on-going projects at Vocational Services.
We feel it is important that everything you do has an end use and benefits
the local community. Through your programme you will be involved in
working on genuine projects, just a few examples of these include:

Horticulture
We run an ongoing project at Headley Court which is a
local defence medical rehabilitation centre. We assist
injured servicemen with planting and landscaping
which supports their rehabilitation. We also grow and
sell Christmas trees, manage a flower stall, provide
wedding flowers and plants for local schools. We have
even laid turf at a 3 million house in Richmond!

We have completed a diverse

mixture of projects, ranging from
planting a sensory garden at Anchor
Homes, to a shanty garden at the
back of Hammersmith Apollo.
Graeme, Trades & Technology Manager

Construction
We renovate the Vocational Services buildings and engage
in a variety of real life painting and decorating projects.
We also make garden furniture for commercial sale.

Business
We provide a service for The Educational Consultants, the
Horticulture Society, and a local kick boxing club. This work
includes designing PowerPoint presentations, schemes of
work and handouts, as well as flyer and poster production.

12

Vocational Services | Employment & Skills Guide

Too far to travel?

Relax and reflect in our extensive and beautiful grounds
We are able to accommodate you if you require
residential services. Our accommodation includes:
Single study bedrooms (all with hand-basins)

Wonderful room with a good view.

The duty officers were brilliant.
Michael, Trainee

TV/Common rooms with fridges, microwaves, Sky TV

Launderette facilities
On-site catering
Library
Doctors surgery

My room was very peaceful.

James, Trainee

And after work, theres

leisure time
Discover our range of sports and social facilities
Do you like organising events?
Would you like to develop your skills further?
We have a wide range of social activities on
offer in the evenings and weekends for you to
get involved in, including the following:
Quiz and karaoke nights
Live music and bands
Discos
Talent nights
Film nights

Our leisure team organise a wide variety of leisure

and sporting activities so theres always plenty to get
involved in. Whatever your ability there will be an
activity that you can take part in, that we guarantee.

Sporting facilities include:

Cricket ground
Football pitch
Tennis/Basketball court
Snooker room
Gymnasium (with disabled facilities and full induction

We also have a number of planned trips

throughout the year including:
Cinema and theatre excursions

with a qualified member of staff)

Country walks

Dart board

Swimming

Pool table and table football

Visits to London

Keep Fit and Pilates (provided by qualified trainers)

Outings to local areas

www.qef.org.uk | achieving goals for life

13

Making things happen

how to apply
Four EASY steps to follow

Step Three Assessment

It is advised to apply in good time for our programmes

as they are popular and can fill up fast!

You will be invited to meet us where you will be given

an employability assessment. This will enable us to
provide you with the most appropriate programme of
work with the end goal of sustainable employment.

Step One Information Gathering

Collect as much information as possible:
Use this guide
Visit our website www.qef.org.uk
Speak to your Disability Employment Adviser

(DEA) at your local Jobcentre Plus

Attend a Trainee Open Day

Step Two Apply for Your Programme

Contact your DEA or personal advisor. They will complete
your application form with you and send it to us.

Step Four Your Offer

Following the assessment we will write to you confirming
whether we can offer you a place at Vocational
Services and a suitable programme. All you need
to do is to accept your place in writing and we
can identify a start date. It is as easy as that!

The admissions process was

excellent. I attended a two
day assessment interview and
subsequently was offered a place.
Ian, IT Support Maintenance programme, Technology Skills

For further information please

contact our Admissions Team
on 01371 841113 or email
vocationalservices@qef.org.uk

Ready to start your future?

How to find us
Waterloo to Leatherhead or Cobham
(both have taxis available)
Victoria or London Bridge to Leatherhead
Guildford to Cobham or Leatherhead
Our address is:
Leatherhead Court
Woodlands Road
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 0BN
General enquiries: 01372 841100
Email: vocationalservices@qef.org.uk
Website: qef.org.uk
We look forward to seeing you soon,
from all at QEF Vocational Services

N
Kingston-upon-Thames &
London
Esher & A3

Kingston Road

Junction 9
Eastbound
Stoke Road

M4 &
Heathrow Airport

Cobham &
Stoke DAbernon

M25
J 10

Oaklawn Road

Woodlands
Road

Junction 9
Westbound

M25
J9
Leatherhead

Randalls Road

Guildford &
Southampton
M23 &
Gatwick Airport

The application process was

uncomplicated and went very
smoothly. I was accepted onto
my first choice of course.
Scott, Book-keeping & Accounts programme, Business Skills

14

Vocational Services | Employment & Skills Guide

QEF is a national charity that works with people living

with physical and learning disabilities or acquired brain
injuries to gain new skills and increase independence.
Whether its learning everyday life skills, rebuilding a life
affected by brain injury, acquiring the skills to drive a
specially adapted car or training for future employment
QEF supports disabled people to achieve goals for life.

Head Office
Leatherhead Court
Woodlands Road
Leatherhead
Surrey KT22 0BN

QEF Vocational Services

Leatherhead Court
Woodlands Road
Leatherhead
Surrey KT22 0BN

Tel: 01372 841100

Email: info@qef.org.uk
Website: www.qef.org.uk

Tel: 01372 841100

Email: vocationalservices@qef.org.uk

Queen Elizabeths Foundation for Disabled People

Registered Charity No. 251051 Registered in London No. 892013

OYS 3903/ 10_11

Raising aspirations and

transforming lives