A job to fit around my family – Richard’s story

When Richard was referred to the Restart Scheme, he was initially struggling to attend his appointments due to childcare. As a single parent, childcare was a key barrier for Richard starting employment, and he struggled to find something suitable to fit around him and his family routine.

Richard and his Employment Adviser, Astrid, worked together to create an action plan of where to start with his job search. They started by looking into the cost of childcare and how many hours Richard was entitled to, leading to the completion of a ‘Better Off Calculation’, which gave Richard an insight into the financial aspects of being back in work.

Providing support and guidance along the way, Astrid was able to assist Richard with his CV and in his job search, sending regular job posts as and when they came up. It was not long before Richard was invited for an interview at a local shop, and Astrid helped Richard to prepare for it by practising interview techniques and asking mock interview questions.

Astrid shared: “Richard was the sole carer of several young children but really wanted to get back in to work, this was something that Richard took on board right from the start. Successful in his job interview, he began his new role in retail just a few days later.

“Richard has flourished in his new role and has the full support of his manager, Rob. Richard has expressed to me that the Restart Scheme has really helped him in many ways, and he came into our office after his first shift to thank me and the team for all our help and support.”

Following his visit to the Restart office, Richard told our team:

“I couldn’t ask for anything more than the help I received at the Restart Scheme, they’ve helped me a lot with my employability skills and finding a job.”