Out of work for 14 years, hardly able to read or write, low on confidence and convinced he’d never find a job – that was Barry* 18 months ago. Today he has a job he loves, earning a wage that means he doesn’t have to receive benefits and, he says, is “living the dream”.
When Barry was referred to the Restart Scheme, aimed at supporting long-term unemployed people into work, he told his Ingeus Restart Advisor Geoff he had little confidence in the outcome. “I said, ‘You will never find me a job,’” says Barry.
However, Geoff and the team at Ingeus’s Hyde office in Greater Manchester are not in the business of giving up on people, however big the challenge might seem.
Barry left school hardly able to read or write but found a job in a factory before being made redundant when it closed. He filled some of his spare time by volunteering in a ground maintenance role in Manchester and it was that commitment, and the skills he picked up, that Geoff seized on to help Barry compile a CV.
He also took part in confidence building sessions and, crucially, was provided with a reading pen that turns text into the spoken word. “This had a massively positive impact on Barry’s confidence, self-esteem and mental health,” says Geoff.
A potential employer was identified from local businesses that might benefit from hiring Ingeus’s Restart Scheme participants. The Ingeus Employer Services Team secured Barry an interview for an external cleaner and littler picker at a retail park, having made clear his relevant experience.
He was given coaching for the interview but said: “I was really nervous; I’d not done anything like this for years. But when I was offered the job I was so happy. I like working
outdoors and I’m proud to have proved I can get and keep a job that I love. It has changed my life.”
Geoff says: “Supporting Barry into sustainable employment has given me a sense of immense pride. It proves that we believe in everyone. It is success stories such as Barry’s that make my role as a Restart Advisor so rewarding.”
[*We have changed the participant's name to respect his privacy]
