Creating routine – Emma’s story

When Emma joined the Restart Scheme, she was unsure about where to begin with her job search journey. With a history of overcoming addiction, Emma knew she had the determination to find the right career path.

During her initial appointment, Emma met with her Employment Adviser Jordan, who assessed her previous experience and transferable skills, helping Emma to identify suitable job sectors to pursue. Jordan suggested volunteering as an opportunity to gain further experience, prepare herself for employment and to create a routine to adjust to.

Restart Scheme Employment Advisers will discuss job readiness, which helps to identify the participant’s strengths, needs and proximity to entering and sustaining employment. Transferrable skills identify existing skills and how they can be applied to current labour market opportunities.

Emma discussed her potential barriers with Jordan, and that she had overcome previous addictions and struggled to find career direction or motivation to find a suitable job. Jordan worked closely with Emma to create an action plan, starting with the application for Right to Work documents and building a CV. With financial support from the Restart Scheme, Jordan was able to provide a mobile phone for Emma and assisted her in setting up an email and account with multiple job sites.

Emma managed to secure a placement as a volunteer at a local homeless charity, which gave her routine and further experience working with people, to prepare her for going back into paid employment.

Using her new CV to highlight her skills and experiences, Emma felt confident and ready to begin applying for job roles in hospitality online. In the meantime, Emma enrolled onto several of the in-house courses whilst at the Restart Scheme, focusing on job applications, digital skills, transferrable skills, and interview skills to improve her industry knowledge and boost confidence.

Our Employment Service team can establish bulk vacancies and sector routeways, and we have local Recruitment Consultants to source roles that meet local participant needs and skill sets. Each of our fixed offices hosts an Employment Hub, offering participants the opportunity to use job search facilities, PCs, phones, and job boards.

On completion of the in-house courses, Emma felt empowered and was independently applying for jobs with confidence. It wasn’t long before she was invited to interview with a local holiday park. Emma completed a sector taster day with the employer, which was completed over three days, with an interview on her final day.

Jordan was on hand to financially support her with vouchers to purchase new interview clothes and travel reimbursements, to ensure her journey back into employment didn’t leave her out of pocket. Whilst waiting on the outcome of two jobs, Emma accepted a job offer at a café in a local hotel.

Emma has recently been in touch to let us know how happy she is in her new job and to thank the team their support. We wish Emma the best of luck in her new job!