R was referred to Working Denbighshire after being unemployed for 6 months, initially engagement was difficult, however as meetings continued we identified that R struggled with his numeracy and literacy skills, was living in unsuitable accommodation for himself and his child, as well as having a very complex personal life surrounding family and financial issues. We worked together to overcome these barriers with support from the extended Working Denbighshire team and other external services. During the early stages of support, R had found employment however due to circumstances he had to leave the position. We decided at this point to look further into his various barriers before starting the search for employment again. After an intensive 1-1 support period and liaising with Family Services, R had secured meaningful employment, overcome his financial barriers and had also moved into a new home which was far more suitable for him and his family.
R had been unemployed for almost 6 months at point of engagement. He said he had been trying tirelessly to apply for jobs using his C.V and completing job applications yet never getting any responses. R had struggled throughout education, he was struggling financially and also moved to North Wales from Kidderminster with no local connections or family. He then met the mother of his child but separated 12 months later which led to him sofa surfing and under threat of being homeless. He had been supported by NACRO to find a bedsit which he was living in when we met but was desperate to move out of it as he shared the care of his 18 month old daughter and struggled to heat his bedsit or afford food.
R was referred to us by Job Centre Plus in December 2018. It was difficult to contact him at first, so I left him a message inviting him to come along to our Job Club. R attended, stating he had been advised by the Job Centre to come and see us with regards to his CV. Through conversation R’s education and skill gaps were highlighted, in particular his struggle with literacy and language skills. R also disclosed his financial situation, explaining he felt stuck and was unable to move, so together we made to SARTH to assist him with his situation. At this point, he was told that he would be put on the housing waiting list which it could take up to 2 years for him to be housed. R also spoke to Citizens Advice Denbighshire at our Job Club and a food parcel from Kings Store was also arranged for him.
During the first meeting he was keen to apply for a cleaning job and amend his CV. R was offered an interview for the role the end of that week however was anxious as he had no interview clothes, so we arranged to meet him in Matalan to purchase suitable clothing. I phoned him to see how his interview had gone and he had been offered a work trial the following Monday. We called him on the Monday and he was really pleased, the work trial had gone well and he been offered the job. It was only going to be for 16 hours per week but it was a starting point for him. It had come just at the right time with only two weeks until Christmas he was feeling the pressure to make Christmas special for his daughter. Unfortunately when we met again in the New Year R had fallen out of the job and was still desperate to move out of his bedsit as he said it was just too cramped for him and his daughter.
Following on from this, an action plan was made to slowly target his barriers and make steps towards his progression. He was referred to Talking Points who provided him with information on social opportunities both for himself and as a parent. We also discussed the benefits of volunteering and work experience placements, together we had a meeting with a local social enterprise and had arranged for him to attend his first day of volunteering the following week.
We also made contact with NACRO to see if they would be able to support R again with his housing. They invited him back in to see them and suggested he looked at private rental and that they may be able to help with a bond for the deposit. R then contacted his landlord to see if they had any additional properties available. A one bedroomed flat was offered to him at lower rent if he decorated it himself. R accepted the offer and was visibly more upbeat with prospects for him and his daughter’s future, however R was still concerned about affording the rent and the cost of decorating so we applied to DAF’s and Buttle UK to help him with his costs.
At this point forward we had worked closely with our Employment Engagement Officer to support R in practicing and developing his interview skills. The first role he was not successful for, however it was an opportunity to discuss what had worked in the interview and how he came across. Further opportunities also became available with Iceland and McDonalds so we applied for both roles, R was successful with McDonalds and was offered a full-time permanent position.
R has since updated us that he is thoroughly enjoying his new role, and is the happiest he has been in a long time. R’s involvement throughout the project demonstrated how committed and determined he was to change his situation for the better. R’s case was very complex from the initial meeting, with lots of intervention from external services to provide him with support. The support that R received has allowed him to secure a more suitable home for his daughter, build on his skillset and finally find meaningful employment to help him keep his life on track.