Thirty-nine-year-old Stephen from Wigan has always loved caring for people, so when an opportunity came up to train as a carer with a local company, he was eager to apply. And thanks to support from Ingeus’s Restart Scheme he was in a strong position to instantly succeed.
Ingeus’s Restart Scheme was set up by the Government to offer tailored support to people, like Stephen, who are struggling to get back into work after the pandemic. Referred to the scheme by his local Jobcentre Plus, Stephen was put in touch with Ingeus Restart Advisor Chelsey.
“Chelsey was brilliant!” enthuses Stephen. “The support she gave was invaluable. Restart was a massive asset in my job hunting, and I definitely wouldn’t be working for this company if I hadn’t received its help.”
Stephen, who previously spent 10 years working as a personal assistant to a disabled person, lost his job during the pandemic. With finances and proof of identity forming barriers to the job-hunting process, Chelsey was able to offer practical advice and support – from money to cover transport costs, to filling in forms for a passport.
Stephen recalls, “Finances were a big worry for me, but Restart helped me so much. Chelsey walked me through all the form filling and made sure I had enough money to be able to travel to and from work. She was a great support.”
Now, almost at the end of his initial shadowing of a fully qualified carer, Stephen is looking forward to progressing his career. He’s already been asked if he’d consider studying for further qualifications and is looking forward to seeing what the future holds.
“I’m really enjoying my work,” says Stephen. “It’s incredibly worthwhile, I feel like I’ve achieved something at the end of each day.
“Getting the job has made such a difference to my finances and what I can look forward to. Top of my list of things to save for is a car – I wouldn’t have been able to even think about getting one before.”
Ingeus is the lead provider of the Restart Scheme in Greater Manchester and Central and West London, and partners with Serco to support the Restart Scheme in Central West Midlands. The scheme is commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions.
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