Gateshead Council: Positive Steps

The Positive Steps project will help to reduce levels of economic inactivity through investment in bespoke, intensive employment support for some of Gateshead's most disadvantaged residents. 

• Positive Steps will focus on specific groups facing labour-market barriers. These will include but are not limited to: 

  • people with multiple and complex barriers to fulfilling and healthy working lives 

  • those who are homeless or vulnerably housed 

  • ex-offenders 

  • people with substance misuse challenges 

  • people who have experienced domestic abuse 

The project will be delivered by a dedicated job coach within the council's Working Gateshead employment support service. 

Contact

Christine Elliott 
0191 433 3776
christineelliott@gateshead.gov.uk
Working Gateshead

Case studies

Participant 'E'

"E" is a single person who has been unable to work for 10 years due to ill health. E suffers from what she describes as debilitating depression and anxiety, Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, diabetes and hearing loss. E is estranged from her family members and has had no contact with them since moving from Brighton four years ago.

E referred herself to the programme after having heard about it from a Facebook post.

E was contacted via telephone and arranged to meet in Costa coffee shop in Trinity Square. E asked if I could sit outside with her as she was not keen on sitting inside as she felt everyone was staring at her. When we first met it was clear to me E was struggling with anxiety and communication was difficult. E rarely made eye contact and spoke in short, hesitant sentences. I knew I need to create a space where E could feel safe and supported. Rather than pushing for the reason E wanted support I began talking with light topics and asked her about her hobbies and interests so it wouldn't overwhelm her.

Over time E explained that she was interested in healing crystals and spells like modern-day witchcraft. I explained that I didn't understand how this worked and we joked that I only thought witchcraft was make believe. E then started to explain her hobbies in more detail and it became clear that she was more comfortable with our conversation. After a while E then started opening up to me, she explained that her struggles with mental health began as a child and had made it increasingly more difficult for her to hold down a job. E explained that there were days she couldn't leave the house and the idea of even looking for work was overwhelming.

After several weeks of gentle conversations and also meeting E in different places I was able to build up trust with E and we started discussing what E would like to do.

E explained that she had once taken responsibility to become a liaison person for the residents in a block of flats she lived in, in Brighton. She said she supported residents to report faults etc to the landlord. She said she enjoyed this and wouldn't mind looking into the possibility of volunteering in a role where she could be supporting other people.

I supported to E to look into volunteering and whether or not it would be the right move for her. We looked into what experience she would gain from volunteering and also how she could volunteer hours that would suit her. E showed an interest in a volunteer receptionist role at Gateshead Citizens Advice centre.

I supported E with looking into the role in more detail and we visited the centre so E could look at the environment before she decided whether or not the role would be something she would like to do. I put E in touch with the volunteer co-ordinator at CAG and E spoke with her in great detail on the phone. After a few weeks of E researching the role she decided to put in an application form. I supported E with completing the form as she had not filled an application form in for over 15 years. I worked with E to match her skills to the role and completed a detailed personal statement. After submitting the form E was invited to attend an induction day. Again I supported E with what an induction day entailed and I covered some basic questions she might be asked.

E attended the induction day and really enjoyed it. She decided she would like to volunteer two days a week.

I continued to meet with E every two weeks. She was really enjoying volunteering and has enjoyed completing the inhouse training. E came to me asking if I could support her with confidence within work. She said she has had really positive feedback from her line manager but she feels like she still is not good enough. I discussed with E the 'Women into work' course run by the Millin Charity in Gateshead. This is a course for women to help build confidence around work. I referred E to this and she started the course, once a week on a Friday.

After volunteering for three months, E was approached by her line manager and advised that there was a new full-time paid role for a receptionist being advertised. E stated that she really wanted to apply for the role but would struggle with writing an expression of interest and also didn't feel confident enough to be interviewed. I worked with E on an expression of interest. I got her to tell me what she did day-to-day in her current volunteer receptionist role. After a few hours E had written her own expression of interest based around all the skills she has gained from her volunteering role. E was really proud of herself and didn't realise she had gained so many skills from volunteering. At our next appointment I completed interview skills with E. We discussed possible answers to potential questions and I completed a mock interview with her. E explained that she was nervous and asked if I would meet her before her interview for moral support. I met E before her interview and we just talked about how well she was doing and also the fact that she had been given more responsibility in her volunteer role. I told her to talk about this in her interview as it shows how far she has come.

E was successful at interview and has been offered full-time paid work as a receptionist at Gateshead Citizens Advice. E is continuing with the 'Women into work' course but with her new-found confidence and stability she is looking at a bright future both personally and professionally.