Case Study

The perfect role for compassionate Dorina

28 Apr 2023

Since Dorina moved to London from Italy 10 years ago, she has supported many members of her community with financial issues, applications, and other administration. Yet it was the mother-of-three’s turn to receive help when she joined the Restart Scheme, after struggling to find work. The job she now has, helping others with debt, is a natural progression of her advising skills.

Previous jobs for the 39-year-old, who is originally from Albania, have included nursery teacher and interpreter – she speaks Albanian, Italian and Romanian. When she found herself unable to find employment, Jobcentre Plus referred her to the Restart Scheme, delivered by Ingeus and set up by the Government to provide tailored support to help people get back into work after the pandemic.

“I tell everyone that the Restart Scheme is the best if you really want to learn and to work,” said Dorina. “They helped me to prepare for interviews, write my CV properly and supported me a lot, building my confidence. We don’t always realise how much we can do but they told me I was amazing and I had to trust myself.”

Dorina also enjoyed using the Ingeus iWorks system which gives 24/7 access to a personalised package of online tools. 

She attended an employment event at the Ingeus office in Tower Hamlets where a debt advice charity was interviewing for vacancies.

“When I was offered a job on the Customer Care Team, I was so happy, I said somebody pinch me,” she added.

Dorina carries out initial assessments before transferring clients to expert debt advisors and has now also qualified to become a debt advisor herself.

“I love it there, I really like being able to help and I hear lots of different stories,” she said.
“When people first get in touch, they are nervous, they are desperate, they may cry or shout and we tell them it will get better, you are in good hands. If they follow everything the advisors say, it will be resolved.”

Dorina still spends a lot of her spare time helping others.

“When I moved here, nobody helped me and I had to learn how to do everything myself, like applying for a National Insurance number and local schools,” she added. “So, I have always helped people in my community with things like immigration, benefits, Universal Credit, schools admissions, everything. My new job is a natural progression of that and I’m really happy.”

Commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, Ingeus is the lead provider of the Restart Scheme in Greater Manchester and Central and West London. It also partners with Serco, to support the Restart Scheme in Central West Midlands.

https://ingeus.com/uk/what-we-do/employability/restart-scheme