John was referred to the Restart Scheme with our delivery partner in Cornwall, Reed in Partnership. During his initial meeting with his Employment Adviser, John highlighted that his mental health was his biggest barrier to achieving sustainable employment.
During his time on programme, John took full advantage of the training and support available to him, provided by the Employment and Skills Trainer. He attended courses and workshops such as, Interview Skills, Self-Awareness, Transferable Skills and Completing Application Forms. In addition to this, John also attended the ‘dress for success’ week, which was one week of training and financial support for interview clothing, resulting in mock interviews prior to a jobs fair.
Prepared for success
With the support from Reed’s Recruitment Manager, John’s Employment Adviser identified local job opportunities in the retail industry; a sector that John was particularly keen to venture into. They worked together to match his skills and worked on feedback from mock interviews to make sure he was ready for interview. Soon after, John was offered a role as a Retail Stock Assistant!
One door closes, another one opens
Sadly, due to the company reducing their available hours, John fell out of work one month later. He met with his Employment Adviser soon after for support and guidance and he was made aware of some new courses that had been introduced on the Restart Scheme such as ‘First day at work’ and ‘Workplace Ethics’ which John was eager to attend. He also utilised the sessions from the Pluss Health & Wellbeing team, focusing on comfort zones, resilience and the importance of growth.
Reed’s Recruitment Manager shared John’s CV with another local retail company and following an interview offer and support prior to his interview, John was offered a role that suited his circumstances! When Reed asked John for feedback on his time on the Restart Scheme, he said, “When I first started my journey on the Restart Scheme, tasks such as using public transport were difficult because of my anxiety. The amount of progress that I’ve made has been amazing. I feel that I’ve come a long way and I’m very grateful for the support I’ve received from Reed.”
If you’d like to find out more about how the Restart Scheme can support you back into work, speak to your Jobcentre Plus Work Coach, or click here for more information.
Reed in Partnership are a delivery partner to Seetec Pluss in Cornwall.
The Restart Scheme is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
