Dan had been out of work for over 10 years, having been a full-time carer for his children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). As his children became settled in school, he felt ready to return to employment. However, he had low confidence, had not attended an interview for around 15 years, and found job applications particularly difficult due to dyslexia. He preferred a manual, active role where he could stay busy and physically engaged.
Support began with developing a vocational profile to identify Dan’s strengths, preferences and ideal working environment. He was supported with job searching and was given the opportunity to complete a warehouse trial shift. Although he was offered the job, Dan recognised that the repetitive work and lack of management support made it unsuitable for him. He was encouraged to reflect on the experience and confidently decided not to accept a role that would not be sustainable for him.
The search then moved towards a more suitable opportunity. Dan was supported with an NHS Housekeeper application, with adjustments made to make the process manageable alongside his dyslexia. An informal visit to the workplace was arranged, followed by mock interview preparation and funded interview clothing. After receiving a conditional offer, he was supported with ID checks, documentation and the onboarding process.
Dan successfully completed the interview despite feeling nervous and secured a Housekeeper role within the NHS. He is currently awaiting his start date. The experience has significantly improved his confidence, resilience, communication, decision-making and ability to advocate for his own needs.
Key impact
The biggest success wasn’t simply getting Dan a job, it was helping him become confident enough to recognise what type of employment would actually work for him. Rather than accepting the first opportunity, he assessed the warehouse role, identified that it wasn’t suitable, and pursued something more sustainable.
He also moved from feeling overwhelmed by applications and recruitment processes to successfully navigating an NHS recruitment process. Without the tailored support, Dan indicated that he may have withdrawn from the application and onboarding process.
