Shaw Trust Avis 

My name is Lucille and my support manager, up until today, was Matt Owen (Southend-on-Sea). He has been a wonderful support manager to me over the past year. He has helped me get my Personal License (for hospitality), and given me some brilliant online courses to do. This was all paid for by The Shaw Trust. He also helped me with my CVs & jobsearch. Matt has been supportive, kind, patient, understanding and inspiring. 6 months into the Shaw Trust program, I landed a job as a PA in an estate agent. 3 hours a day. Due to my condition, 3 hours is perfect for me, personally. Although this job recently ended, it has made me believe that the right jobs do exist. Without Matt Owen’s support, I’d never have landed such a job. He also gave me invaluable in-work support. I now move on to the “rapid response” department in The Shaw Trust, but I shall remain forever grateful to Matt for all he did for me. Thank you Shaw Trust, and thank you Matt Owen!

was coming here regularly and thought I was getting on rather well with the lady here, we would have a laugh and joke most times, lady asked how I was getting on with jobs and I was explaining to her my struggles and on how I thought I was doing well in interviews but would never hear back, she asked if why I thought I wasn't hearing back and then said "do you think its down too your weight?" she knows I suffer with mental health and now shes planted that seed - great now am gonna be worried even more so about interviews and applying for jobs. support my ass.

A totally pointless ngo: Failed to meet any of my needs, I managed to do more by myself, went back to my JCP work coach for specific help as Shaw trust failed to provide the adequate help and assistance, and find out that there is better support with the jcp if you ask the right question.
Being told that Shaw trust have to send your file back to say you are no longer on the program: Here's the BS, Shaw trust won't return you to the JCP even though they FAILED to provide adequate or correct, support but will arrange for you not to be contacted as the contract is for 15 months from the time you started: You money grabbing B-----d's, not in any business have I heard such BS, I've worked in HR,and ran my own business, if things fail it gets terminated. You failed to meet my needs, So Close my Participation, send me Back to JCP who can actually help me better and meet my needs. 12weeks wasted.

I was referred to the Shaw Trust by the JC. I am ex forces with PTSD and a qualified electrical engineer who can no longer work on the tools due to a back issue. I didn't need help with my CV nor did I need condescending attitude advice from someone half my age. What I needed was either a teacher training course or a recognised training in a programming langauge so I could utilise my transferrable skills. The Shaw Trust is a psuedo charity run by cynical grifters taking money from the Govt. to help only themselves. Why does Chris Luck CEO require a £200k salary? Is he more important than the Prime Minister?

I handed in my notice after 8 years to start a new post with the company I was contracted to by Shaw trust. Due to raising a grievance my position became untenable and I was forced to leave.

I received a variation to my contract and found out I had been underpaid and on a trainee wage for 7 years. I raised a grievance with Shaw trust HR, but they ignored my emails. HR only responded at the point I said I would email my grievance to Chris Luck CEO, the same day. I also told my manager I was raising a grievance, she previously told me I was on the same paygrade as the rest of the team, this was infact an outright lie. She indicated her manager directed her to do this. My now ex-manager left the same day and never returned.

Twelve months later, Shaw Trust are still stalling, avoiding any culpability and now passed the deadline day for my promised outcome.

HR now want me to raise another grievance about said managers, and will not give me an outcome to my original grievance, (underpayments of 7 years) unless I either raise another grievance against the managers or omit them from my original grievance. The person dealing with me grievance has simply stopped responding.

The same managers were bullying, and harassing me, conducting 2 to 1 meetings in an attempt to illicit information about my grievance and who else was involved, and what I reported in my grievance.

They employed a new person who was paid more than me with no experience of the role. They expected me to train him up. I refused. I might add both males in my team are paid more than I am for the same role. Although one has a quarter of the cases I have, but paid more. The Women in my team are paid less than the males for the exact same role, irrelevant of our experience.

My union are involved and astounded at the incompetence of everyone concerned.

I'm reporting Shaw trust to the charities commission to raise issues regarding data and the conduct of managers involved in that data. I'm reporting Shaw trust to the ICO regarding other sensitive data. I'm also now requesting a letter of deadlock to send to the ombudsman.

My experience is a warning to others, just because a company calls itself a charity and evokes sentiments of care, it does not follow through it actually pursues its said values. Shaw trusts mission statement is merely a corporate logo with little regard for integrity or truth of purpose.

All of the above is my personal opinion.

We are honest;
We are authentic, accountable and transparent in all we do.

I beg to differ.

I would put no stars if that was an option.

I have worked for Shaw Trust for 2 years now and the company has no duty of care towards their staff. It is not a happy place to work, i sure didn't notice this at the beginning of my employment but i started to see the way certain members of staff were treated and i felt uncomfortable. Now it happens to be my turn... If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. No incentive to hit target, no reward, no team days to boost morale, no appreciation.
No support if you get signed off with depression, this will only get held against you on your sick record.
A few ex employees have told me how much better they get treated within their new job at a different company and how they are much happier than before.
Constant demanding and box ticking in order to keep their contract running and to be funded, even if it is 'bent' and they make it look like actions being taken to look good on paper.
They do not care about participants well-being, they just want a job to make up numbers.
There is no way this place can be called a charity.
Currently trying to line up other work to get out of the company as my family and partner have noticed how it has stripped the life out of me.
Avoid at all costs.

Looking at the reviews and the low star for ST I can confirm they should be a zero star. The replies by its so called customer service is a joke and it should be embarrassed. Avoid at all costs either to use as a service or to work for it, vile horrible people on all levels and get more vile when they are challenged. They are not a charity at all but a nasty crew from lower management all the way up, only people are the poor frontline workers at the front end who do their best to help with a bullying lower/higher management and upwards, this they do to cover up the shambles of an organisation, the government should step in and close it down but i suspect it is connected to senior figures so they done care

I'm so pleased to came across you guys, because there's a big quantity of people, like me, that to re-establish themselves they,us needs to feel the human contact,not just an annoyed sight of place like JC. Maybe I'm lucky myself to meet this fantastic person ,Simon friee, I'm sorry for not remembering correctly the surname,but when we ahave the phone reviews, it's become a pleasure seeing so much inspiration, right mood always,and wow I'm so grateful to participate in all this path , that's is life of mine,with so much enthusiasm.
Honestly I'm so glad about the future you will have,with the goals of all the team including us.
Thanks for letting me take my time

Don't go near if you have poor mental health. If referred by Jobcentre, be warned these people do not know what they're doing. If you can, avoid them and take Doctors advice.
All Shaw Trust will do is refer you to different places for help that they seemingly pull out of a hat.
As far as help with getting work goes they will continuously phone you with jobs nobody else wants. The ones that are always advertising with the really bad reviews that can't keep staff.
Wondering what kind of incentive the staff get for pushing the mentally ill in to any job.
Their website claims they don't have a 'One size fits all approach'. They do!
If you're feeling low and want to feel lower & pressurised like meat being pushed through a grinder, join Shaw trust.
Otherwise just stick with JC. Much better for you.

Looking forward to their default response. Why the hell would I contact you of all people? Rest assured I've made contact but not with you.

On the social media it said “ help anyone getting work “

I don’t even qualify even tho I’m not on uc or working at the moment

Support just shut me off without even taking note I wasn’t on UC and needed a bit more support so i guess i will go without and go elsewhere

I would like to echo the sentiments of many others on this site by saying that this "service" is awful in my opinion.

I was referred by the Job centre a few months ago and I am having a bad time with the so called support manager who is threatening me with sanctions if I dont apply for the jobs that he scrapes up, jobs that I have no experience in.

The "Shaw trust" treat everybody the same, are prescriptive, pressuring and treat you like you are a feckless layabout or an idiot which affects your mental health.

Thus far I have seen no benefit of being with "Shaw trust" apart from a new CV they did for me that was full of spelling mistakes and errors.

They are just adding to the pressure of finding a job and are not supportive.

Having been unemployed for a couple of years and with caring responsibilities for an elderly parent, which is a job in itself, I am actively job hunting every day.

I am convinced that they are just chasing bonuses and targets instead of concentrating on the needs of their customers. For example I have over 20 years of retail and customer facing experience but they are trying to get me into cleaning jobs because they have contacts in that industry.

I would very much like to be disengaged from "Shaw Trust" but I am concerned about the repercussions and worry that I will be sent somewhere worse.

I was with the shaw trust for a short time.

Sadly this company have little empathy or real knowledge of how to help people find employment.

Not enough time to help you ( Every two weeks phone call). Offering nothing but NEW CV and clothing if needed.

This will NOT have much of a positive effect on finding employment It’s just preparing you for a job your unlikely to get!

I am nearly 60 years old and finding employment is difficult. Employers want a younger workforce. I know this as I have applied for an extensive amount of jobs which I can clearly do but I don’t ‘FIT’ into their workforce.

Jobs need to be created for older people within a company but since we are not seen as ‘PROFIT’ making we are literally redundant where jobs are concerned. I can’t retire for another 8 years therefore facing a lack money and fulfilment.

Shaw Trust don’t even want to look at the ‘AGE’ issues and the advisor I had said it was my ‘MIND SET’. Ageism basically doesn’t exist. How insulting this is. You even have to eliminate any information on your CV that can reveal your age. Terrible.

Shaw Trust are ‘Out of touch’ with the real issues facing older and disabled people. They are basically a ‘Puppet’ for the government’s lack of concern for the more vulnerable in society.

These ‘Work programs’ have always been ineffective. Unless they address the real issue which is ‘ Age discrimination’ and create a solid constructive plan to do things differently, nothing will change.

They need to attack the HEAD of the snake not its tail!’

Ruth

Absolute shambles! No privacy at all.
3 desks in a 8 x 15ft room so everyone is listening to your conversation.
One of the most degrading situations to be in when your at your lowest.
Was advised by Jobcentre to go for help and support...
The bright spark in charge definitely need to think this one through again.......
Was degrading enough to push me over the edge.

Amazing support, the staff are so friendly and helpful. I honestly don’t know where I’d be now if it wasn’t for Saaed and his colleges

Please if anyone can help. How do you get off the Shaw Trust if referred by the Job Center?
They are forcing me into jobs £5 below the avage for those sectors. They are the absolute lowest paying jobs you can possibly find, you'd have to dig for weeks to find these awful jobs. I will not be able to survive on these wages, my land lord often ups the rent by hundreds, I will become homeless, because these jobs I'm being forced into will only just about take me off benefits but leave me with zero savings or expendable cash, when the next rent hike hits in a few months, that it, I'm on the streets. This is the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life, it is like a slow forced death. People could become suicidal from this. Even the job center are better. I need off the Shaw Trust immediately, it is of they up most urgency, my own job search is better and will get me 30% higher wage. This is a critical situation, I need out, I want out. The Shaw Trust will be the end of me if I can not get out. How do I get out. Help!

I feel they are only meeting their own agenda. Our new coordinator leaves us in the dark when appointment times aren't meet on her part. Perhaps we were expecting more support with someone who is autistic from an employment aspect. Very disappointed.

Hi thanks shaw trust what you do no one does.you pick me from road and give me everything I can’t imagine, I was homeless i was sleeping rough on roads hungry, I been everywhere for help knock every door no one help me.i was hate myself, I feel life alive dead body.I been every where for help no one does even my brothers and sisters never help me, people was laughing on me,I was so so down no one can imagine I swear on my parents graves,shaw trust pick me from road and give me everything I can’t believe.clothes food everything everything new bed even brand new flat roof on my head .I swear every thing shaw trust gave me i don’t know how to say thanks 🙏 . Special thanks ma’am Laura brookes, ma’am Olivia you are angels real angels I never ever forget you how you sit with me on Icy stairs God knows how many hours, I remember 🙏 everyone in shaw trust a shining star thanks everyone God always bless you thanks a lot giving me new life thanks shaw trust

They put me forward for a job but didn't think about mentioning to me that the application process would require me to travel to multiple places and the use of a car when I don't own one. I have told advisors many times that I don't have access to a car but still carried on putting me forward.

I told them as well that somewhere is too far for me to travel as I don't own a car but still go on about how they'll (Shaw Trust) can cover expenses no matter how many times I have to tell them that it is too far for me to travel via public transport.

I never will go back, due to temporailly job these support manager let me down when I want to do permanently job they offered me a temporarily theese people showing no respect while I was transfer to the agency for 2 months zero hrs contract I am upset.

Shaw Trust is government funded Shaw Trust get given goods as a donation to help vulnerable people on low incomes to furnish there home, only to have Shaw Trust charge extortionate prices for the goods, I walked into neath port talbot store to find a dinning furniture priced at £1000 bear in mind they got given the furniture, so even if they sold it for £100 to someone in need they would have made money, that's not a charity shop in my opinion