Case Study

Mohammed rises through the ranks – and cracks down on litter

18 Jun 2024

Working in a new environment is often a large part of adjusting to a new role but for Mohammed – the latest Restart Scheme success from London – it’s literally been a breath of fresh air.

Landing his perfect job as an environmental enforcement officer following a year out of work, the active nature of his new role has transformed his health as he patrols up to ten miles a day keeping the streets of Ealing litter-free. Promoted within three months of starting work, he’s now secured two promotions and is reflecting his own good fortune by helping to find work for other Restart Scheme participants.

Mohammed, who is 49, had previously worked in retail, IT and healthcare and was a minicab driver when the Covid pandemic struck.

“I became out of work because of Covid but I’m a family man with four children so it was a very testing time financially, and very stressful,” he remembered.

The Restart Scheme is delivered by Ingeus in London on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. It offers tailored job search support for local residents, all-encompassing help with housing, debt, childcare and health problems, and aids people to transition into work with local employers.
 
After being referred to the Restart Scheme, Mohammad was given expert support by a team of Ingeus employability specialists. He was assisted with his CV and interview technique, attended confidence-boosting workshops, and used the Ingeus iWorks system and its personalised package of online tools. His advisors found several suitable roles and Mohammed was thrilled when he secured the environmental enforcement officer job.

If people are caught littering, they are given a £150 on-the-spot fine and for fly-tipping, a £400 charge.
“Some people understand and apologise, but the job can be challenging,” explained Mohammed, “but I like educating people and maintaining the environment.”

Mohammed had high blood pressure when he started work: “This job has helped me to get healthy,” he added. “Patrolling around eight miles a day, I’ve lost 1.5 stones in weight and my blood pressure is now normal.”

He is also undertaking a personal trainer course and says his job perfectly suits his family. 

To add to his success, Mohammed was promoted to senior officer and more recently, deputy manager. He is very grateful to his employer for the opportunities given to him. 

Part of his new role is recruitment and he was quick to return to Ingeus to find more Restart Scheme participants for his vacancies. 

“The Restart Scheme is fantastic and I am glad to be able to help people who are in the position I was,” he said. “Anybody can progress if they are hard-working, and the programme is great because of the help, advice, coaching, and resources provided to participants.”

Restart Scheme