Client: Factory worker, redirected into mental health support role
Location: Manchester
Product/Service Provided: Redirection Program
Overview:
“Deborah” was referred onto our Vocational Redirection Program, she had previously been employed in factories doing manual jobs, but due to a health condition was not working. She joined the course keen to seek a new role that she would find enjoyable and fulfilling and identified that this would preferably be in a counselling or mentoring type role. Deborah was also on the government restart scheme, so we worked closely alongside this.
Action taken:
As part of our redirection program, our employability specialist supported her in finding suitable learning opportunities, and she completed her level 2 in maths, English, and mental health first aid. Deborah also worked with our employability specialist to create a personal action plan with SMART goals to help identify the next steps in achieving em-ployment in her desired role. Our employability specialist also supported her in finding and applying to relevant volunteering opportunities. Deborah was successful in applying for a volunteer role with the Samaritans, and she completed their initial training for this, as well as additional embedding training which enabled her to work on the helpline for prisoners. She also contacted Age UK to volunteer as a befriender. During the program she worked on CV building, which she then took to career fairs with mental health sup-port workers and related companies in attendance, where Deborah sought employment opportunities.
Outcome:
By the end of the course Deborah had completed several relevant qualifications and had acquired experience through volunteer roles. She is now looking for paid work related to those roles she identified at the beginning of the program, and for which her passion is still strong.
Please note all names have been changed in the interest of anonymity