Carolyn's Christmas present is a permanent contract
Carolyn from Harrow joined the DWP/ ESF funded Work Programme at the end of 2014 following years of unemployment, a limited CV, few IT skills and no recent work experience since 2003. Due to exhaustion, anxiety and depression, Carolyn lost her confidence, finding it difficult identify how she could be an asset to an employer, leading her to be doubtful of her ability to re-enter the workplace.
Following a thorough skills and employability assessment resulting in a personalised employment action plan Carolyn had regular confidence and motivational activity appointments with her Employment Consultant, Sophia, which boosted her confidence and relieved her anxiety and depression by connecting her with other community support available locally.
As part of her plan Carolyn’s Kennedy Scott Regional Manager, Kieran suggested that she may enjoy a two week Christmas work placement with Marks & Spencer that we could arrange in partnership with Remploy. She was worried she may not be able to manage the pressures of retail at Christmas, but was reassured, that as long as she tried her best, she should be proud of her achievements, regardless of the outcome. Sophia said “Carolyn was incredibly popular with staff and customers alike due to her warm personality and was offered a temporary paid Christmas role and was invited to attend the shop Christmas party”.
Carolyn was incredibly popular and her manager was more than happy with her work, and when her Christmas placement came to an end, Marks and Spencer were reluctant to let her go. They extended her temporary contract from January 2017 until March 2017, when Carolyn was offered a permanent contract.
Ecstatic at her new permanent contract Carolyn immediately called Sophia and Kieran to let them know the good news. Kieran said, “Carolyn was so happy with her achievements that she came to thank us for the support we gave during her transition into employment and said she now feels she is a different person because of her experiences with us”.
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