Coronavirus
Signposting to up to date information about benefits, employment and business support around Coronavirus (COVID-19)
NHS Guidance – www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19
Coronavirus and Claiming Benefits – www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/coronavirus
Guidance for Employees – www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees
Guidance for Employers – www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-covid-19
Support for Businesses – www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses
Support for Self-Employed – www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
SO:Linked – advice, support and signposting to local COVID-19 support services: www.solinked.org.uk
Southampton Partnership Information
Working together to provide the best service for you.
Click the links below to find out more…
Accountancy Beauty Therapy Business Administration CAD/Design Childcare Construction Cookery Creative
Customer Service Dental Nursing Electrical Engineering Finance Hairdressing Health and Social Care
Hospitality IT Management Marine Mechanics Plumbing Retail Sales
Sports and Fitness Teaching Warehousing
The Zone
The Zone is a network of IAG professionals who are supporting people in and around Southampton to find education, employment and training. 
The Zone has a mailing list for organisations to promote their training and personal development courses that are running in Southampton to IAG professionals who can refer people to this provision.
If you are an Information, Advice and Guidance practitioner who would like to join the Zone mailing list, please email thezone@southampton.gov.uk
If you are a college or training provider who would like to advertise your courses on the Zone, please email Daniel.Stickland@southampton.gov.uk
Universal Credit Support Website
DWP has launched a new website to help people understand what Universal Credit means for them: www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk
- This site provides customers with support to direct them to claim the right benefit, whether that is Universal Credit or one of our other existing benefits.
- With clear content and easy to follow navigation, the site will be a valuable source of information for both customers and organisations.
- Customers should still continue to claim Universal Credit at www.gov.uk/universal-credit. There are links to this page and support for how to fill out the claim on the new Understanding Universal Credit website.
Childcare Choices
Information website for government help with childcare costs for parents. Whether you have toddlers or teens, you could get support.
Support for the Armed Forces Community
As a Council, we recognise the contribution and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces Community, and the unique skills and attributes they bring to our workplace. We are committed to ensuring better access to employment opportunities, support, mentoring and work placements for transitioning personnel, reservists, veterans and spouses/civil partners of those serving personnel and veterans.
Find out about the employment support and advice available in Southampton in this document
Safer Places Scheme
The Safer Places scheme is part of a wider ‘Respect me’ campaign which aims to improve the experience of disabled people in the community.
A ‘Safer Place’ is an ordinary business or shop that has agreed to offer support if someone has a negative experience when out in their local community. A person can enter the premises and receive help in contacting a trusted person, or the Police if they have been the victim of a crime. The venue provides a safe place for the person to wait for their trusted person, or the Police, to arrive.
People are invited to complete a card which the shops recognise. It gives their name and the number of someone they trust who can be contacted. Locally you can get a card from the Police or by phoning 023 8083 4854.
This map shows all the Safer Places in Southampton and it is updated regularly.
The ‘New Style’ ESA Claimant Guide Update
The ‘New Style’ ESA claimant guide on gov.uk has been updated and republished.
The new guide includes a table of scenarios to help claimants understand when they may wish to claim ‘New Style’ ESA on its own, or with Universal Credit, or just Universal Credit.
It also includes a link to a leaflet in PDF format which can be printed out locally and handed to a claimant to reinforce a discussion on ‘New Style’ ESA.
Mental Health Support Resources for Parents
Business in the Community Mental Health Toolkit for Employers
Business in the Community has partnered with Public Health England to produce a free, online toolkit to help every organisation support the mental health and wellbeing of its employees. It will help employers take positive actions to build a culture that champions good mental health and provides a greater understanding of how to help those who need more support.
This toolkit will help employers pick out the most valuable resources, and help to develop an approach that works. For larger organisations, the toolkit is also a useful resource to share with businesses in their supply chain and across their network.
Every organisation has an opportunity to support and develop a mentally healthy workforce and it doesn’t need to be complicated – this toolkit will help you understand and act, step by step.
Business in the Community Mental Health Toolkit for Employers
Support for Refugees
The Universal Credit Communications Team have been working with The Home Office and The Refugee Council to develop a product that will help refugees get the support they need at the appropriate time. The new product encourages refugees to act quickly to ensure accommodation and financial support is in place at the end of the ‘move on’ period. The product outlines how important it is that refugees take appropriate action once they have received leave to remain in the UK.
View and Download the leaflet here
You can also find a flat-text version of the leaflet here on www.gov.uk.
Support in Southampton is also available from CLEAR Project and EU Welcome
Southampton Agency Directory 2017
Enabling appropriate education, employment and training referrals for young people in and around Southampton, includes a signposting guide to help point young people in the direction of organisations that can help.
Agency Directory 2017 (the PDF is best viewed at 70% zoom)
Southampton Health and Support Services Directory 2017
A legacy of the important Solent Jobs Programme.
All information and contact details are correct at the time of publication, however some details may be subject to change.
Health and Support Directory 2017 (the PDF is best viewed at 70% zoom)