Paperworks opens new city office to train the disabled for work

A YORKSHIRE-based social enterprise that provides business support services to fund skills training for people with disabilities is to open a new office in Leeds this autumn.

Paperworks has been operating in Harrogate for 18 years and will soon offer its work preparation programmes from a newly acquired site in Killingbeck.

Manager Damien Handslip said the Leeds office would fill a need for structured and professional work experience for people with learning disabilities and other health-related barriers to work.

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Although Paperworks is a social enterprise – a business with social objectives whose profits are reinvested in the business or in the community – it has had to work hard to develop business relationships in order to generate an income and support its training initiatives.

Mr Handslip said: “We differ from similar organisations in that our objective is to find permanent employment for our trainees beyond Paperworks and we work closely with local businesses to find them work placements.

“We’re also very commercially focused – if we didn’t offer a highly professional service to our business clients they wouldn’t use us.”

Direct mailing, printing and order picking are some of the services provided, chiefly to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) in Yorkshire but also to organisations throughout the UK, including Thames Valley Air Ambulance and BBC Children in Need.

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Mr Handslip said he hoped to develop new business partnerships and relationships in Leeds.

Trainees have a wide variety of needs, from physical disabilities to mental health problems, and each follows a tailored programme of training and mentoring.

For some trainees, Paperworks will be their permanent place of work, but the majority will complete training courses and work placements.

They will receive support in writing CVs and preparing for interview that will help them secure employment.

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The move to Leeds has been supported by TNT Post, which has a long association with Paperworks, and recruitment social enterprise Resonate.

Paperworks Leeds will have four permanent staff, who will be supported by volunteers.