Shaping up for work

Raymond takes control of his future

Confidence is key to finding work, and through the help of the Restart Scheme, Raymond rebuilt his confidence and improved his physical health to return to employment.

After being made redundant in 2019 as a result of the pandemic, Raymond was referred to the Restart Scheme in Redbridge in May.

In Redbridge, Maximus is working with Get Set UK, and with their help, Raymond was supported to return to work.

Employment Advisor, Kiran Kaur, sat down with Raymond to discuss what he felt was holding him back from re-entering the job market.

Raymond described how he had gained weight during lockdown and was worried this would put potential employers off.

Kiran understood that his confidence was low after nearly two years out of work, so worked with him to improve his self-esteem and tackle the issues holding Raymond back. With Kiran’s encouragement and support, he sought help from his GP, who referred him to a Weight Management Programme which enabled him to take control of his future.

After joining the programme Raymond quickly became more comfortable in himself. Having improved his physical wellbeing, he was ready to start looking for work.

Raymond became highly proactive in his job search, attending 4 sessions a week with Kiran where they would apply for jobs.

Kiran then introduced Raymond to Employer Relationship Manager, Mohammed Noor, who spent time getting to know Raymond’s strengths. Mohammed found that Raymond had a wealth of experience in warehousing, having previously worked in the sector for over a decade.

Mohammed secured Raymond an interview and work trial with a local warehouse. Equipped with safety boots and funding for travel, he attended the interview and work trial. The team were blown away with Raymond’s enthusiasm and offered him a position immediately, starting full -time the following day.

Mohammed described: “Raymond attended our office nearly every day just to apply for vacancies. His Employment Advisor, Kiran, offered him extensive support to build his confidence and skills, I met him at our office, and I managed to secure him a job the very next day – he was delighted!”

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