Journey to stability - Diego’s story

When Diego was referred to the Restart Scheme, he was sceptical about the support on offer and how we could help him find work in a job he wanted to pursue. Diego’s main concern with finding employment was his difficulty obtaining the necessary right-to-work documents.

Our team of experienced Employment Advisers support participants every step of the way, from financial support and wellbeing to skills development, training, and overcoming barriers to employment.

During his initial appointment, he met with Employment Adviser Luke, who got to know Diego and his background of experience. Luke prioritised arranging an appointment with the Home Office for Diego, to obtain the relevant documents required to start applying for work.

Luke shared: “We covered Diego’s transport costs for his Home Office appointment, as well as the travel costs for each appointment he attended with us, ensuring that financial barriers did not hinder his progress toward returning to paid employment.

“Diego remained hopeful and continued to engage positively with the support we provided. He attended every appointment, every job club, and every workshop, motivated by the belief that something positive was just around the corner.”

The Restart Scheme delivers many in-house courses and workshops that cover all areas of employability, to give participants the chance to build on their skills and confidence before entering employment.

As a result of attending the in-house jobs club, Diego met with one of our Recruitment Managers who suggested an upcoming role that closely matched what he was searching for. Diego worked with Luke to update his CV, applying the skills and techniques he had gained from our CV workshops, and applied for the job.

Luke said: “In preparation for the interview, we helped by getting Diego onto the interview skills workshop again and delivered mock interviews. Diego found this job to be perfect for him and didn’t want this opportunity to pass him by.”

Park Holidays invited Diego to interview for a Security Warden role, and he was successful!

“The next step was to work out how Diego would commute each evening for his nightshift role. We discussed this with the employer and successfully negotiated for Diego to be offered onsite caravan accommodation as part of the job. This removed all his previous concerns around bills and rent, and he is now settled into a role that he genuinely enjoys.

“I am incredibly proud of Diego and how far he has come, and I am truly pleased to have been part of his journey.”