Anna initially came into our service motivated to go into work and had been applying for roles with animals. However, after the first few meetings it became apparent there were a number of barriers in place and Anna was not ready to go into work. Ten months on, Anna is now volunteering with the Women’s Centre, RSPCA and has secured a Work Start Scheme unpaid Trainee Receptionist placement.
Anna was referred into our project via the job centre, she was on the work related group for ESA. Anna suffered with anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder. During the first meeting Anna reiterated that she did not feel these would stop her going into work. However it soon became apparent that there were more barriers than Anna was letting on. Going through the initial paperwork when we got to the financial question Anna revealed she had got a lot of debt through credit cards and she was being chased for money. Working through these barriers Anna is now engaged in volunteer work that she thoroughly enjoys.
Anna came into the service portraying a very proactive individual in trying to find work. However soon into my support Anna revealed the reason she wanted to find work quickly was due to being in thousands of pounds worth of debt. She had got used to using credit cards and store cards to purchase items and was now at the point where she could not pay any of it back and they had started to chase her for money. This situation heightened Anna’s anxiety causing her not wanting to go out, too anxious to go into a shop and finding it hard to know how to move forward. Anna believed that if she could find work it would fix everything. But once we talked through everything it became apparent that Anna’s anxiety was severe and she was really struggling with her mental health. Going into work straight away may not have given her the support she needed right now.
Once Anna had explained about her financial difficulties we went to see Citizens Advice to ask them what we could do to help Anna. They took down all her details about her debts and it totalled over £7000. This meant that Anna could possibly apply for a Debt Relief Order. Citizens Advice have made her an appointment and worked out that after bills she is left with less than £50 each month meaning she is able to apply for a DRO. This consolidates all her debts and within a year will be sorted. This was a big decision for Anna and CAD went through all the pros and cons of a DRO and Anna felt it would be her best option. This would mean that for 12 months Anna’s income could not change significantly or it would invalidate her DRO and reinstate her debts.
This first step of helping Anna with her debts took a weight off her shoulders. However Anna still suffered with her mental health and at one point felt really low. We tried to engage with Hafod, she had asked her mum to contact them for her but she wouldn’t. Her home life was a big part of how she was feeling mentally and did not receive support from home. We contacted them in one of our meetings but when Anna went to see them they advised that she was not severe enough to work with them and to engage with the Women’s Centre for support there. This was a blow for Anna as she felt they hadn’t listened to her and had made her feel like she was not important enough. But we followed their advice and got in contact with the Women’s Centre.
Anna attended her first meeting with the Women’s Centre and arranged to go back again to see them. She found them easy to talk to and they suggested trying to get her on their counselling course ran by them. Anna is happy to work with them to help her anxiety and hopefully help to build her confidence. Within the first week of attending, Anna went into a retail shop on her own, this was a huge step for Anna as previously her anxiety would take over and it would not be possible for her to do.
Through working with the Women’s Centre, Anna gained enough confidence to start volunteering on their reception desk. At the same time her DRO was in progress and she was working towards finding her own accommodation to allow her to move into a better environment with less negativity. Anna was extremely nervous about volunteering but through the support from the Women’s Centre and myself, she gained a huge amount of confidence and was happily answering phone calls and the door to new visitors during her shifts. Due to Anna’s DRO restricting her ability to find paid work we focused on developing her skills and experience. Anna became a regular volunteer with the Women’s Centre and also started to volunteer at the local RSPCA. This huge step gave Anna so much confidence and she began to take control of her own situation. She began chasing housing, visiting estate agents and also working with the housing department to secure accommodation. Through determination and persistence Anna managed to secure the funding for a deposit for a flat of her own, allowing her to move out of her parent’s home which had started to really affect her mental health.
Anna spent 6 months with the Women’s Centre before we found a Work Start opportunity for an unpaid Trainee Receptionist within Russell House. This was a huge opening and an excellent opportunity for Anna to gain more skills and build on what she has already learnt. We applied and Anna was successful in the pre-screening and was put forward for interview. Anna completed the recruitment process and was successful in securing the position! Her duties entailed working with the homeless department and also social services. Directing the public when they enter the building and sometimes dealing with difficult situations She is extremely excited to start and gain more knowledge and skills. Anna wants to go into work as soon as she is able to with her DRO end date so this will give her excellent skills for her C.V and also a brilliant reference. During the same week as securing the placement she has also secured accommodation of her own and will hopefully be moving in before Christmas. Anna has come a long way since starting we started working together and her confidence in herself and independence has significantly grown.