Achieving independence – Sarah’s story

When Sarah was referred to Better Working Futures by her Work Coach at Jobcentre Plus, she initially felt nervous and wasn’t sure if she had the confidence to attend. During her initial appointment, she met with Employment Adviser, Rebecca, who got to know Sarah on a more personal level.

Sarah discussed her concerns about going back to work - she had very little confidence and didn’t know where to begin, as she hadn’t been in paid employment for such a long time. She explained how she had recently been volunteering in local charity shops, to try and improve her confidence.

Sarah was able to speak to Rebecca whenever she needed and sought support from our Health and Wellbeing sessions to help her deal with anxiety and low moods.

Rebecca shared: “Sarah was keen to overcome her confidence barriers and she did this by attending some of the courses and sessions that we offer. Further along in her Better Working Futures journey, she took part in our CV, Interview Preparation, and Smart Job Search workshops.

“The courses and sessions were all within our office, which meant as Sarah had developed confidence in coming to her appointments and meeting myself and the team, she felt comfortable in meeting new people in the sessions whilst being in familiar territory.

“Gradually this helped Sarah build up confidence in herself, and she was constantly applying for different roles, independently at times too. At first her applications were unsuccessful, but this didn’t stop her, and she finally got the news she was waiting for!”

Sarah was eventually successful with a job application, and she was invited to interview for a cleaning role. Rebecca was able to support Sarah by providing vouchers for interview clothes, to give that extra boost to her confidence on the day.

Rebecca said: “The employer really took to Sarah and was keen for her to start the job as soon as possible. She now works at a local school and has since gained more working hours.

“Sarah has expressed how much she is enjoying her time working in a team and meeting new people and feels that she has finally gained her own independence, which was her own personal goal.”