One size does not fit all - it's an individual approach that gets Work Programme customers back to work
By CEO Teresa Scott
The Work Programme is about getting the hardest to help back to work. We’ve been delivering it across the South East for four years, and other welfare to work pre-employment training programmes for twenty-five.
Many customers who come to us via the Work Programme face complicated barriers to getting back to work, others have experienced circumstances such as health problems or redundancy that result in a crippling lack of confidence. What matters for all that we work with is that we provide the right individualised help and support to allow them to develop the confidence, motivation and skills they need to make that crucial step back to employment.
We know from experience that one size does not fit all when it comes to Work Programme customers. We take time to listen and develop a meaningful relationship. Our job is to help them move forward, making them aware of their employability skills and what they have to offer in the work place.
Two examples have been brought to my attention from our Hemel Hempstead centre. A former construction worker in his 20s, Mark had developed health issues that prevented him from doing the work he had loved. When Mark arrived in one of our local offices he was clearly stressed and anxious. Over time our relationship with him developed, his motivation grew, and within a short period of time we found him a job in construction recruitment that utilised his previous experience. Mark now regularly pops back to see our staff and couldn’t be more grateful for the service we provided.
Another customer, Paul, a well-educated professional in his early 50s, came to us having been made redundant from a major IT consultancy where he’d worked for 30 years. Having struggled to find a new job, Paul had lost confidence and feared he’d never work again. Kennedy Scott helped Paul work through his frustration by identifying his transferable skills. He was given support to rewrite his CV and we helped him to reflect on what he wanted from his career. Paul secured a temporary job at Homebase, and enjoyed the work so much he stayed. He is now a developing his career as a kitchen consultant and is clearly fulfilled by his new life.
Whatever the barriers our customers face, Kennedy Scott is there to help. It’s just great to see change that occurs in their lives as a result of the Work Programme. We receive a lot of very nice emails expressing gratitude for the help Kennedy Scott have provided along the way. It’s these individual success stories that makes delivering the Work Programme so worthwhile.
[The names of our customers mentioned above have been changed to protect their anonymity]
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