Supported Internships
Supported Internships are work-based learning placements within mainstream employment settings. The aim is to secure a job at the end of the placement.
The DFN Project SEARCH programme provides real work experience combined with training in employability and independent living skills delivered in a business setting to help young people make successful transitions to productive adult life.
It is a partnership between a host business, education provider, and professional adult supported employment provider. The goal is to provide a full-time work placement for our interns in an integrated setting.
You can read more about Supported Internships on the Department for Education's page: Department for Education: Supported Internships
Supported Internships are part of our Supported Employment offer for Lambeth residents.
What are Supported Internships?
Supported Internships are for people aged 16-24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. They provide an opportunity for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism to gain work experience over the course of one year.
The programme runs from September to July, and during that time each intern will take on 3 different 'rotations'.
Each rotation is a work placement of up to 10 weeks, usually Monday - Thursday, or Monday - Friday, depending on where you do your Supported Internship.
Each rotation will give you the opportunity to develop different skills for work, and help you become ready to take on paid work in the future.
During your time on the programme, you will be supported by a College Tutor and a Job Coach. As well as helping you get to know your work on rotation, they will be helping you to find paid employment in the future.
Apply for Project Search 2025 - 2026
Please download and complete the Application Form. Completed forms are to be returned to [email protected]
Applicants will be invited to attend an Assessment Day on 25th March 2025.
Information Sessions
We will be having an Information Session at Lambeth Town Hall on Wednesday 12th March 2025.
The information session is open to anyone who wants to learn more about Supported Internships - including young people, parents and carers, and school/college staff.
There are 2 time slots: 2pm and 4pm.
Supported Internships in Lambeth
NHS England
Waterloo
NHS England exists to lead the NHS to deliver a high-quality care for all. Its main purpose is to support the healthcare services across England, ensuring excellent healthcare equally for the whole population.
This Project Search internship will allow young people the opportunity to shadow and support the various departments within NHS England, in an administrative capacity. Placements with NHS England may involve working remotely and at times independently within the office.
Delivered in partnership with:
Orchard Hill College
Kaleidoscope
King's College Hospital
Denmark Hill
King’s College hospital is a large multi-site acute Hospital; we are one of London’s largest and busiest hospitals. We provide nationally and internationally recognised treatment and care in liver disease and transplantation, neurosciences, haemato-oncology, and fetal medicine.
During a placement at King’s, Project SEARCH Interns can expect to have placements in a variety of teams, with potential placements being, catering, portering, admin, nursery and many more
Delivered in partnership with:
South Bank Colleges
Unity Works
Lambeth Council
borough-wide
Lambeth Council will be a Host Coordinator, offering placements with local employers which will include areas such as hospitability, childcare and customer service.
Lambeth will also provide the opportunity for rotations within our own council departments.
Candidates will be supported into opportunities within the areas of work they have an interest in, and supported to work with different employers, gaining knowledge and confidence within supportive organisations.
Delivered in partnership with:
Orchard Hill College
Unity Works
Internships Work
Lambeth Council are a part of Internships Work, funded by the Department for Education. Internships Work is a project which will enable 4500 young adults, aged 16-25 with additional needs, to benefit from a supported internship per year by 2025.
DFN Project SEARCH is a registered charity with over 650 licensed programmes around the world and in multiple public and private sector industries.
DFN Project SEARCH aims to support 10,000 young adults with a learning disability, or autism spectrum condition, or both, in the UK into paid employment by 2030.
The British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) is the national umbrella group for the supported employment sector. Their purpose is to support, promote and develop the principles and provision of supported employment.
BASE are part of the Internships Work progamme, delivered in partnership with DFN Project Search and NDTI, and funded by the Department for Education.
The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTI) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that has worked alongside people, communities, policy makers, support organisations and services for over 30 years.
Internships Work is a project which will enable 4500 young adults, aged 16-25 with additional needs, to benefit from a supported internship per year by 2025.