One thousand people have been placed back into work across Coventry and Warwickshire thanks to the a successful return to work programme.

The programme, which is run by employment specialists Working Links, supports those that are unemployed and receiving health related benefits into sustainable jobs.

Working Links have been supporting people who are on a health related benefit, start their journey to find work. Customers are eligible to join their programme after being out of work for more than six months. And they support the belief that through helping people on a health related benefit overcome their barriers to finding a job, it will reduce the gap between disabled and able bodied people in the workplace.

All one to one support offered to customers is tailored and includes a Condition Management Programme which aims to educate, support and advise people how to manage their condition in the workplace. And the focus is on the type of job that someone can do rather than those that they can't.

Commenting on the 1,000th milestone, Working Links Delivery Manager Laurie Scott said: "We are really pleased to have reached the 1,000th milestone and helped so many people overcome their personal barriers to work.

"From our experience it is essential to focus on the ability rather than the disability of our customers. Giving them the right support provides them with the critical self-esteem and confidence boost they need to even consider returning to work."

Coventry man Dave Gardiner helped Working Links through the milestone, becoming the programme's 1000th person back to work.

After suffering a knee injury in a previous job, he came to Working Links for help fulfilling his dream of becoming self-employed. Now, he's his own boss after launching Gardiner Brothers - a handyman services firm covering Warwickshire.

Dave said: "For me self employment is the ideal way to return to employment whilst being able to manage my health. Through attending Working Links I was able to understand in work benefits and access business support through Enterprise Coventry. This gave me the added incentive, skills and motivation to begin my business.

"I had always enjoyed doing bits of DIY and landscape gardening for friends and family so it's an ideal business for me to start. So far, my business is going really well. I have picked quite a lot of work through word of mouth so hopefully it will continue to grow."

David Gardiner was helped on his journey by Personal Consultant Lesley Stevenson, who said: "David has done fantastically well.

"He was unemployed for ten months and concerned that returning to his previous employment would have a detrimental effect on his health. We were able to explore his ideas for self employment, how this would allow him to manage his health, provide financial support and look at what would make him financially better off. 

"In order to make sure David's plans were achievable he was signposted to Enterprise Coventry, where he was able to attend business start up workshops, have his own business mentor and develop a business plan."      

For more information on the programme please call 0800 917 9262 or visit www.workinglinks.co.uk