Case Study

Carol goes One Beyond in her job search

7 Jun 2024

After struggling for six months to find work, 55-year-old Carol from Rochdale began to wonder if she’d ever get a job. Carol had experience in retail and warehousing and had been interested in moving into care work but was disheartened after a number of unsuccessful job applications. 

“I couldn’t find anything,” says Carol. “I knew I didn’t want to go back to warehouse work, I wanted to work in children’s homes so applied for loads of stuff but was unsuccessful. I was starting to get a bit depressed thinking I was never going to get anywhere.” 

Carol was referred to the Restart Scheme, delivered by Ingeus, to receive tailored support in her search for a job. She was given help to revamp her CV and used Ingeus’ iWorks facility to improve her employability skills. Carol completed interview techniques workshops to boost her confidence. One key strand of the Restart Scheme sees Ingeus working closely with employers to offer a free recruitment service, lining up suitable candidates for jobs. Discount retailer One Beyond joined forces with Ingeus to recruit staff for the launch of its new store in Rochdale. Ingeus’ Employer Services Team put Carol forward for an interview, which was a success, and she is now settled in and enjoying her new part-time job.  

“It’s great, I like working here and the people are all really nice,” says Carol. “I think it’s better when it’s a new place because everyone’s in the same boat, they took a lot of people on at the launch. My interview went really well and I just knew I’d got the job. I’m working on the tills and the shop floor; I enjoy chatting to the customers and getting to know them.” 

Carol is now saving up for her driving test and is also looking forward to booking a holiday. She adds: “My family are happy for me now I’m back in work. It’s not just about the money, it’s getting back out there and getting out of the house. I would definitely recommend the Restart Scheme. Sometimes you can dread going to these places but from the first day I went to Ingeus, I felt really comfortable. It’s the best place I have ever been to for finding work, they were absolutely brilliant and really listened to me.”  

One Beyond’s Rochdale store manager Vicky is glad to have secured so many reliable staff through the Restart Scheme – and Carol is no exception. Vicky says: “Carol’s doing really well, she’s always on time and is very hard-working. The recruitment drive with Ingeus has been very successful for us, we took on 21 people. We had a full day of interviews and it was really good for us as store managers to be involved in that process. We’ve managed to recruit some really good members of staff like Carol who are able to work both on the tills and the shop floor.” 

Commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, Ingeus delivers the Restart Scheme in Greater Manchester and Central and West London and is partner to Serco in Central West Midlands.