Jobs are advertised online, in newspapers and in other public places such as libraries, community hubs and more. You can also meet potential employers who are recruiting at local jobs fairs. There are many job fairs run nationally and locally across the UK. For example: by Jobs Fairs, or by your local council (see their website for details).
In Kent and Sussex, you can attend one of the jobs fairs run by our teams. Our advisors also have access to exclusive vacancies which they can offer to people who are in receipt of our support. You can register for support (if eligible) by contacting us.
If you are based in Kent and Sussex, you can register for support with our teams who will then be able to offer you advice on finances as well as finding work. You can also visit the Money Advice Service for free advice at
If you are out of work (OR if you are on a low income), you may be able to claim Universal Credit. Benefits calculators like: TURNTOUS or ENTITLEDTO will be able to help you estimate what you can claim. When you move into work you may still be eligible for Universal credit depending on your salary. You can find out more by visiting universal-credit , or if you are based in Kent or Sussex, contact us or email [email protected] for free advice on benefits and to help you find a new job.
Remember you don’t necessarily need to include all of your experience in your CV. If it is only relevant to put certain jobs on there, do that. Or, when stating the dates of previous employment/jobs on your CV, write only the year and omit the month. This helps keeps gaps to a minimum.
You could also use the space to show other activity e.g. voluntary positions, managing budgets for the household etc. For more advice if you live in Kent or Sussex you can contact us or elsewhere, you can visit the National Careers Service.
If you are not currently in work and are aged 16-65, living in Kent or Sussex, one of our advisors will be able to meet with you to help you develop your CV, provide other advice and help you to find work. You can also find online CV supporters at Reed and LiveCareer.
Most employers will ask if you need an adjustment to the recruitment process to enable you to be considered for the job, and this includes the interview process. If they do not ask you can tell them what support you need when you apply or when you are invited to interview.
An employer must legally make adjustments if they’re reasonable, for example allowing people who use a wheelchair to have their interview on the ground floor, or allowing people with dyslexia for example, to complete a written test using a computer or laptop.
Competency based questions are interview questions which ask you to give an example of a time you have demonstrated a certain ‘competency’, otherwise known as a skill or personality trait.
Examples include:
- Tell me about a time that you worked as part of a team.
- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decisions
- Tell me about a time when you had to be a leader.
The trick to answering these questions is to have a list of answers you know in advance and can refer to, and to use the STAR method.
- Situation – Describe the situation and give context
- Task – Describe what you had to achieve
- Action – Describe what you did
- Result – explain the outcomes/achievements from your actions
Interview questions vary widely depending on the type of job you are going for, however some of the most common include:
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What are your strengths/weaknesses?
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Why are you interested in working for our company?
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Why should we hire you/what will you offer to this role that no-one else will?
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Where do you see yourself in 2/5/10 years?
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Why do you want to leave your current company?
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Can you please explain what you were doing during this gapin employment between XXX date and XXXX date?
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How did you hear about this position?
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What would you look to accomplish in the first 30 days in this role?
Interviewers are also often using competency based interview questions now.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, it is a legal requirement for employers to offer an interview for someone who has declared their disability and has met the minimum requirements for the job. Therefore it can be beneficial for you to declare your disability, especially if you are confident you will perform well at interview.
However, it is your decision as to whether you do or don’t declare a disability when applying for a job.
There are 1000’s of different job roles out there. Finding the right one can be challenging. Our advisers are on hand to help you assess your skills and the job market in your local area. If you live in Kent and Sussex please get in touch here to find out more.
Firstly, remember that there are many people out there who struggle to find work, you are not alone. Secondly, there are many organisations out there who can help. We are able to offer free advice and support to people across Kent and Sussex. Across the rest of the UK, other similar organisations are out there to help you. Your council will usually have a list of organisations on their website. Some organisations that deliver across the UK include:
Princes’ Trust – Offer free advice across the country for people aged 16-30 who want to find work
Papworth Trust – Support to help people with learning disabilities find work
Prime – Back-to-work support for people aged over 50
For more detailed information on the service please contact us on 03452688489 / 03456088753 or [email protected] or visit https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply. DWP assessment reports are completed in association with quality assessors from Royal British Legion Industries.
To get an Access to Work grant you must:
- have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that affects your ability to work.
- be over 16 years of age.
- live in England, Scotland or Wales (there is different support for Northern Ireland).
In addition one of the following criteria must also apply:
- you have a paid job.
- you are self-employed.
- you have a job interview.
- you’re about to start a job or work trial.
- you’re starting work experience.
rant funding from Access to Work can be used for adaptations to your current equipment, special equipment, fares to work if you can’t use public transport, or a support worker or job coach to help you in the workplace. It can also provide a communicator for a job interview.
Access to Work is an initiative run by DWP to help individuals overcome work-related needs linked to a health condition or disability. It can offer a grant to pay for practical support to assist an individual with a disability to start a new job, stay in work or move into self-employment. RBLI are a provider of Access to Work across the UK. If you have any questions please contact [email protected].
Some employers will have their own facilities, programmes or services to help people with disabilities and health conditions to succeed in the workplace. However, if your employer doesn’t have its own programmes or they do not fulfil your needs, you can apply to get funding for the reasonable adjustments you need via the Access to Work Programme.
As defined on gov.uk, you are: “‘disabled’ under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
‘Substantial’ means more than minor or trivial, eg it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed; ‘long-term’ means 12 months or more, eg a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection. There are special rules about recurring or fluctuating conditions, eg arthritis.”
Please note: The Equality Act 2010 doesn’t apply to Northern Ireland.
Reasonable adjustment is not a fixed term, and depends on various factors, including: your disability, the size of the employer, if the change is what is needed to overcome a disadvantage. Employers have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments no matter how big the business is.
Employers must make adjustments to your job role/job application if:
You are disadvantaged by something because of your disability/health condition, AND it is reasonable to make the changes required in order to avoid that disadvantage, AND your employer knows (because you have declared it), or can reasonably be expected to know (because of their own observations for example) about your disability, and the disadvantages that can be associated with it.
Whilst there are many military charities across the UK, RBLI works closely with other service charities to ensure money goes to the right places, ex-service personnel are supported by the right organisation for them, and there is no duplication of services. As a member of Cobseo (Confederation of Service Charities) we are part of the powerful voice that lobbies on behalf of all service charities and the entire Armed Forces community.
RBLI’s Head Office is in Kent, however we deliver support to ex-service men and women across the UK and also to families of serving personnel abroad in locations such as Cyprus and Brunei.
LifeWorks is RBLI’s flagship employment course which helps ex-service men and women back to work. In 2016 it was independently evaluated by the Learning and Work Institute and it was found that 83% of Veterans supported were in employment within 12 months – an exceptional result compared to other similar employment programmes.
The programmes are also delivered to the spouses and partners of serving personnel and to Veterans who are in prison. You can find out more here.
RBLI is a separate charity, both in governance and finance, from the Royal British Legion. RBLI has a distinct and consistent focus on service delivery, particularly in providing employment, care and housing to the Armed Forces Community. We also deliver our core capabilities of employment support for Veterans and people with disabilities into the wider community, and are committed to halving the disability employment gap. We also receive no funds from the annual poppy appeal and fundraise ourselves to deliver our own unique and wide ranging services for veterans and their families.
Yes, an increasing number of people are setting up legacies. Every legacy left to RBLI will make a vital difference to the lives of Britain’s Bravest. Remembering RBLI in your will means we can ensure we are able to develop our services and provide support to those we help for the next 100 years.
You can find out more about fundraising for RBLI by clicking here, or by contacting our fundraising team on 01622 795916.
In every pound, 88p is spent on direct services for our beneficiaries. Of course, at this time, as we work hard to expand and co-ordinate a national outreach programme our administrative expenditure is particularly vital. We cannot scale up our work, maintain and monitor our outstanding delivery quality, and reach veterans in villages and towns from Stirling to St Ives without excellent administrative support functions.
Your support directly helps a special group of people; many of whom were prepared to give everything for this country, and very nearly did, and perhaps suffer from life-changing injuries, disabilities or on-going mental health issues as a result. At this time our priority is to raise funds for Britain’s Bravest to fund our LifeWorks courses which help any ex-service person who is struggling to find work. We are getting fantastic results, helping people get back on their own two feet and build a new life, not just for themselves, but for their families too. In order to expand the LifeWorks programme every year until 2019, our special Anniversary year, we need to raise almost £3m.
However if you want to donate to a particular project or donate in another way, please contact our fundraising team.
WHAT ARE RBLI’S CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES?Our charitable objectives are:
- To support current and ex-service personnel of the British Armed Forces, their relatives and dependants.
- To support those in need who are struggling due to ill health or disability, both mental and physcial.
- To help people move into employment, including support to find employment as well as employability advice e.g. through our LifeWorks courses
- The advancement of education and training, especially that which supports people to become more independent and find employment.
- To promote equality of opportunities for people with disabilities and health conditions, particularly in relation to their access to employment.
In order to achieve these objectives, our current focuses are: promoting social value and the expansion of social enterprises, including Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company; promoting our LifeWorks courses to ensure more Armed Forces Veterans can benefit from free employment support and are not struggling on civvy street; looking to expand LifeWorks to deliver to people with disabilties and health conditions across the UK; and expanding our housing and accomodation to ensure it is fit for the next 100 years by developing a new Centenary Village.
Yes, RBLI is a registered charity with Registered Charity (England and Wales) number 210063. Additionally, RBLI is a Company limited by Guarantee Registered in England and Wales under number 00158479.
Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) has a proud heritage as a Veterans’ Welfare Charity supporting Britain’s Bravest. Established in 1919, we provided treatment, training and support to servicemen returning from the Great War.
Known first as Industrial Settlements Inc., RBLI began by taking ownership of Preston Hall in Kent, and provided exceptional care and employment opportunities for ex-servicemen with tuberculosis.
Over the years, this has advanced and we now provide a range of services for the Armed Forces community. We also use our expertise developed over the last 100 years to provide support to people with disabilities and those who are out of work.
We improve lives by helping people who are struggling to find work or find a home, particularly Armed Forces Veterans and people with disabilities.
In 2016/17 we supported over 10,000 people. Here are just some of the essential support services that we provide:
Training and employability courses for Armed Forces Veterans and the families of serving personnel. Our outstanding LifeWorks courses are helping unemployed ex-service personnel to get back on their feet and create a new life for themselves on civvy street.
Employment in our factories gives Armed Forces Veterans and people with disabilities the opportunity to do practical work and be part of a team. Our incredible social enterprise, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, transforms lives through sustainable employment. Over 70% of staff employed in our factories have a disability or are ex-forces, and they work together to produce a range of high-quality and competitively priced products.
Housing and Nursing Care is provided via our homes in Kent to those with a connection to the Armed Forces Community. As well as a range of family housing, we offer single-persons accommodation and assisted living for all ages. For more information on the homes and support we provide click here.
We support Britain’s Bravest – members of the Armed Forces community, including Veterans and spouses and partners of current serving personnel. We are also particularly passionate about supporting those who are out of work, and support 1000s of disabled people and others who are unemployed every year.
Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) is a national charity supporting the Armed Forces, people with disabilities and people who are unemployed. We improve lives every day by inspiring those we help and supporting them to find work and lead independent lives.