Tailored support into work
Restart Scheme supports Atinuke to return to work
Atinuke Olutunfese from Greenwich had been out of work for over a year when she was referred to the Restart Scheme in October 2021.
Atinuke, 36, was struggling to find flexible work due to childcare responsibilities as a single parent. She had also lost her confidence after being unemployed for a long period.
In Greenwich, Maximus is working with Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB) and with their help, Atinuke was supported to return to work.
After joining the Restart Scheme, Atinuke was matched with Employment Support Officer, Olaocha Eze.
Olaocha noted that Atinuke needed tailored support at the job searching and application stage, and helped her to tailor her CV to highlight her career aspirations.
To help her prepare for returning to work, Atinuke was also referred to multiple Community Partnership Network (CPN) organisations. The CPN brings together a network of over 200 public, private and third sector partners – experts in their field that can provide specialist support to participants on the Restart Scheme.
One of these organisations, Global Solution Services (GSS), supports Greenwich residents to prepare for work through a series of webinars. Atinuke was referred to GSS and joined a series of interactive webinars that provide advice for jobseekers including how to complete applications, identifying transferrable skills, and interview preparation.
Smart Works, a UK charity, also provided Atinuke with free interview clothing and confidence building workshops. Smart Works recognise that interviews can be a barrier to success and aim to empower women to succeed through the power of clothing and coaching.
Jobcentre Plus is one of the charity’s biggest referral partners, having worked with them since 2015.
After developing her confidence, Atinuke was successful in securing a position as a Health Referral Administrator and has been enjoying her new role since June.
She said: “I faced some barriers to finding work before joining the Restart Scheme. My Employment Support Officer, Ola, was very helpful and professional – I am really pleased with the service I received on the Restart Scheme.”
