Step Forward

Step Forward into Volunteering and Employment is currently closed to new referrals.

We will open our referral page again on the 8th September 2025.

In the meantime, here are some links that you may find useful to support you.

https://cumbriacvs.my.canva.site/step-forward-signposts

Who?

Step Forward is a supported employment and volunteering service. We support individuals with severe mental health experiences.

We are hosted by Cumbria CVS and a unique NHS integration.

We are funded by the North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board via the wider NHS Mental Health Transformation Fund.

Why?

Step Forward supports individuals with Mental health experiences to access volunteering and employment placements.

We recognise the positive impact these bring for long-term mental health management and recovery and celebrate the value lived experience adds to placements, be they volunteering or employment.

Where?

We work within the North Cumbria footprint of the North East and North Cumbria ICB.

This covers Carlisle, Eden, Allerdale and Copeland.

What?

Step Forward is a holistic, strengths-based, person-centred, needs-led, therapeutic, hopeful and aspirational supported employment service that values lived experience.

We work with individuals who live alongside severe and enduring mental health experiences, reducing stigma and misconceptions.

Over 9 months, we work through a 3-step model to move individuals forward into volunteering or paid employment.

We put interventions in place to support our clients with forward movement, this could be supporting them to access services meaningful to them, e.g. talk therapies, grief services and confidence building.

Once in a work or volunteering placement, we deliver 3 months of in-work/ in volunteering support to ensure our clients retain, maintain and sustain their placements.

Through Employer Engagement, we support our clients to articulate and navigate conversations and dialogues with placement providers. We want our clients to thrive within their placement.

How?

Step Forward is always guided by the individual; however, we do use resources from our 3-step process as guidance.

The first sessions are all about creating a Plan.

We then take the plan forward to Prepare.

The final steps are all about Practice.

What else do we offer?

Workplace Wellbeing Training
Library of Lived Experience (LLE)
Better Mental Health in the Workplace Toolkit
Wellbeing Advice and Guidance
Explainer Videos
The Holistic Employment Meetings
Conflict Resolution and Mediation Services
Trauma-Informed Awareness Training
Decider Skills Training
Promotion of services
Social media tips and tricks

If you would like to explore any of these with the team please email stepforward@cumbriacvs.org.uk

Taking the first step forward …

Here at Step Forward, we understand that everyone’s experience and circumstances are unique to them.

That’s why we are guided by the individual, specifically responding to their needs, delivering a person-centred approach.

So, whether you are looking to:

Self-refer to the service

Make a referral for someone else who would benefit from our support

Find out a little more about the support and wider services that we offer.

You can contact our Step Forward team on 01768 800350, or email stepforward@cumbriacvs.org.uk

Alternatively you can make a referral online using our referral form here

If you want to get notified when new resources are added to our Better Mental Health in the Workplace Toolkit, you can sign up for our quarterly Newsletter here

We are also on Facebook, sharing resources, opportunities and updates. You can find us, follow us, and give us a like here

Looking for more immediate help with your mental health and wellbeing? You can find numbers, text chat and websites that can offer support here