Case Study

Julie had lost her confidence, her licence, her career and most of her teeth... now she’s got them back

13 Feb 2025

Few things faze Ingeus key workers when it comes to supporting jobseekers. Barriers are there to be overcome and they have the expertise and resources to make a real difference to people’s lives.

So when Julie arrived at the Working Well: Work and Health Programme office in Oldham the first thing key worker Janice did was to listen to her story.

Julie had been unemployed for a long time. She’d had two brain operations to cure aneurysms and, apart from relinquishing her driving licence as a result, she was unable to continue her work as a carer due to tendonitis in her arms.

She had also lost most of her teeth, sapping her confidence when it came to speaking with people face-to-face.

Janice says: “When I first met Julie she seemed lost. She didn’t know what job she could do because she couldn’t drive and would struggle with any task that required lifting.

“She’s a single mum who had brought up three sons and led a normal life until her brain surgery, which affected her mental health. 

“I reassured her it could all be fixed and we wouldn’t put her forward for jobs until she was ready.”
To get to that point, Janice drew up an action plan that included:

• referring her as one of the first participants to benefit from the groundbreaking Roots to Dental scheme that offered free dental treatment at the University of Manchester School of Dentistry where, over 12 months, she had six teeth removed and new dentures fitted
• encouragement to re-apply for her driving licence once given the all-clear by doctors
• support to claim Personal Independence Payments to boost her income
• covering the cost of her DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) paperwork essential for jobs in the caring sector
• help with job applications – something she hadn’t done for many years
• advice on the sort of questions she might face at an interview
• vouchers to buy clothes for interviews.

A chance meeting with a friend alerted Julie to a vacancy as a reablement support worker, visiting people to help them regain their independence after leaving hospital.

Armed with new-found confidence, knowledge and smart clothes she secured the job.

She says: “Janice encouraged me right from the start. She gave me the confidence I needed. Without Ingeus’ support I wouldn’t have found a job.

“As well as a regular wage and a sense of purpose it has given me a social life and the dental work gave me confidence to meet and talk to people. It was a big moment when I was able to eat a kebab without having to cut it up into pieces!”

Janice adds: “Julie is thriving now. She is so bubbly and active: going out with her friends, going on holiday with her family... so different to before when she felt isolated. Her life has changed.”

The final word from Julie: “I might even think about dating again!”