Gamesmaster Café - www.gamesmastercafe.co.uk
Punky Dory - Alternative Clothing
Silver Lining Gifts
We can enlist and work with a wide variety of employers to suit the interests of the young person, but we also have our
own shop! Punky Dory alternative clothing!
Punky Dory
Punky Dory is part of Silver Lining Internships, established to provide support and work experience for young adults who need help achieving independence. We offer our interns real-life, paid employment and learning through work. It all began with “Silver Lining Gifts” – our Model Railway/Collectables and Gifts shop. We then opened “Gamesmaster Café” – a board games café, to provide a more challenging experience for our interns. In 2023, we replaced “Silver Lining Gifts” with “Punky Dory” – alternative clothing and accessories. In 2024, we moved both businesses into one building at 39 Silver Street TA19 0DW, Ilminster, Somerset.
This kind of exciting retail is most relevant to our interns and still the most effective start on their journey to independence. We use our lounge/activity offices and other community venues where we provide life skills and social support, We also work with various external employers to support taster sessions and other kinds of paid work experience; to target skills increase confidence and promote ambition. Our placements are funded via ‘Access to Work’, or we can be part of the provision for an EHCP (education, Health and Care Plan). For further information about our placement, please see the website.
This kind of exciting retail is most relevant to our interns and still the most effective start on their journey to independence. We use our lounge/activity offices and other community venues where we provide life skills and social support, We also work with various external employers to support taster sessions and other kinds of paid work experience; to target skills increase confidence and promote ambition. Our placements are funded via ‘Access to Work’, or we can be part of the provision for an EHCP (education, Health and Care Plan). For further information about our placement, please see the website.
The shop has a specifically designed - visual ‘EPOS’ System which operates as a till, but also provides accessible tools to assist with understanding stock control and product profitability. We have a website with a fully functional shopping cart, students can learn about web design, and operation of an on-line shop. We have a Facebook presence which can be part of the young person’s training for I.T., social media management, business studies, accounts and all of the processes involved in running a retail business.
Applicants and their parents are welcome to come to visit. We also welcome visits from schools, colleges and post 16 providers who may consider placing young people for work experience and/or supported internships (by appointment only please).
Other work placements and employer’s involvement
Many young people need hands on, practical experience to understand the concept of a role. Decisions about future career paths are eased by taster sessions in different environments. We may work with other employers who offer multiple internships, shared jobs or rotate between different job roles. Occasionally interns aspirations change during the programme or an internship placement simply does not work out for either the intern or the employer. The intern may wish to move to another employer placement or a different role within the placement.
Most employers are able to provide space so that learning takes place in the work setting. Interns normally stay in a single job role which may be developed and extended over the period of the internship. Employers are treated as key partners in the supported internship; it must work for them as well as the intern.
We require a clear commitment from employers to enable interns to complete their supported placements and to consider the opportunities of real jobs for students who are able to work independently, going forward.
We can potentially work with interns in any area, this is achieved by teaming ‘Silver Lining’ with an accredited local support service; and/or the named placement from Section I of the EHCP.
We can establish the details of the package and make arrangements with suitable employers who are willing to work with our young people.
Most employers are able to provide space so that learning takes place in the work setting. Interns normally stay in a single job role which may be developed and extended over the period of the internship. Employers are treated as key partners in the supported internship; it must work for them as well as the intern.
We require a clear commitment from employers to enable interns to complete their supported placements and to consider the opportunities of real jobs for students who are able to work independently, going forward.
We can potentially work with interns in any area, this is achieved by teaming ‘Silver Lining’ with an accredited local support service; and/or the named placement from Section I of the EHCP.
We can establish the details of the package and make arrangements with suitable employers who are willing to work with our young people.
Our own Supported Interns are funded by Access to work, and do not require an EHCP; however they may run along side an EHCP where there is an element of educational or social care support required. A placement (named in section I of the EHCP) may use our service to provide work experience. We work with many employers, from a variety of different sectors. These can be sourced to provide opportunities close to the home or named educational placement of the young person. We use information and awareness events, mailshots and visits to get suitable employers on board for each student.
Interns may begin work at our own shop and then extend their experience to other employers once they have gained more confidence and understanding of their potential and ambitions. Once professional profiling has been completed; each young person will be assigned a ‘Silver Lining’ key worker who is responsible for matching the appropriate work placements and other services required to support the young person – the key worker will liaise directly with employers, educational placements and the support team to prepare and agree the detailed proposed package report. This can be used for Section F of the EHCP if supported by the educational placement or other suitable professional reports. The programme itself has a clear structure tailored to each individual’s experience, their career aspirations and the support they need.
When the Internship or work experience commences the young person will have an experienced job-coach to support them on a one-to-one basis from the outset, and throughout the programme until the employer and all team members are satisfied that the intern can work without assistance.