SOFEA

In recognition of Social Prescribing Day, we are taking the time to understand the important work that Social Prescribers undertake. While not medically trained, Social Prescribers work closely with both medical and non-medical staff to supportively signpost people to organisations that can give them the help they need with various social, emotional, and practical challenges. In a study conducted in the London borough of Merton, Social Prescribing reduced the number of GP appointments by 33%, A&E visits by 50% while their wellbeing scores improved by 77%. To understand more about Social Prescribing, read our latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/eSxyQUZJ

The March edition of the SOFEA Newsletter is now available on our website. To read it, click the link: https://lnkd.in/erFb6ttd

SOFEA is looking for an IT Senior Lead to work at our Didcot and Milton Keynes sites. The main responsibilities of the IT Senior Lead are to manage the IT systems, oversee the Getting Oxfordshire Online (GOO) project and instruct our learners on IT matters. For more information on the vacancy, click the link: https://lnkd.in/gzWgcXrZ To apply, download an application pack: https://lnkd.in/eNkx9Ykm

From everyone at SOFEA, we'd like to thank all the volunteers from Premier Foods who came to support our food redistribution warehouse in Didcot.

Yesterday, Nichola Smith (SOFEA's Therapeutic Team Lead & Transition Wellbeing Practitioner) and Suzi Butler (SOFEA's One-to-One EHCP Lead) attended SEND Together, a free event designed to provide valuable information, advice, and networking opportunities on key SEND topics. Reflecting on the day, Nichola Smith said, "Thank you to Oxfordshire Parent Carers Forum for putting on the SEND Together event today! It was a brilliant opportunity to network with other professionals and meet new parents of SEND young people in Oxfordshire."

A massive thanks to the volunteers from Britvic plc who came to support our food redistribution warehouse in Milton Keynes yesterday!

Ed Jamieson (right), the RWE Didcot Station O&M Manager, presents SOFEA's CEO Richard Kennell (left) with a cheque for £1000 to assist with the ongoing flood repairs at our Didcot site. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our partners at RWE for their continued support.

Here's all the amazing volunteers from Sage who came to support our food redistribution warehouse in Didcot!

SOFEA's Autism Advocacy Group were lucky enough to be invited to the Didcot Job Centre to deliver some training to the work coaches. Charlie and Max wanted to share their lived experience as Autistic people seeking employment, aiming to improve acceptance of Autistic people's needs and reduce barriers for the community. "Everybody really enjoyed the training yesterday; we’ve had really positive feedback, and it’s prompted some really important conversations within the Job Centre about how we communicate changes with customers. Special thank you to Max and Charlie for sharing their individual experiences; it’s great to hear first-hand how we can support people in a more effective way." - Danielle, Didcot Job Centre.

We have a brand-new SOFEA SESSIONS SHORTHAND episode out now! In this episode, we welcome Alice Piggott (Didcot Community Manager, SOFEA), and Ben Drabble (CEO, Didcot TRAIN - Inspiring Young People), who share how they have been working in partnership to improve the wellbeing of Didcot's young people. They talk about the new partnership: The Didcot Wellbeing Web which is a new initiative of local charity partners, statutory services and businesses that are working towards the same goal. If you have a direct query about the Didcot Wellbeing Web email: Alice@sofea.uk.com Or if you would like support from Didcot TRAIN - Inspiring Young People, contact: info@trainyouth.org.uk