This project is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.
Participant's story
Here, an Employment Officer from NIACRO tells us about a client who joined the Working Well programme having been referred by his probation officer.
"This client had been working with another charity where he gained a Level 2 Catering qualification, but this project came to an end.
Initial assessment
"At the initial assessment we established that the client required support with disclosure, which was completed at a very early stage. The client was interested in completing a work placement in a restaurant kitchen to test and improve his existing skills in a busy kitchen. He had been living in temporary accommodation since his release from prison and was subject to license conditions for a historical offence for which he was previously convicted. These factors posed barriers to his employment as he had a curfew, and hostel fees made working full-time unaffordable. The client had a positive attitude from the start but did need to build his confidence.
"Following his initial assessment, I began exploring options for a voluntary placement based on the client’s interests, but the nature of his offence limited the places he could work or volunteer. I requested support from our Employer Engagement Officer who looked into placement options with local restaurants.
"The client and I met with the manager of a local homeless drop-in centre and he was offered a voluntary role, which he started soon after. The role involved helping in the kitchen, cleaning, and assisting with organizing donations once a week. The following month, my line manager approached the owner of a local restaurant (who had previously hired another NIACRO client) about the possibility of a work placement. The client, my line manager and I met with the head chef and restaurant manager, and we agreed an eight week placement which started the following week."
The Employment Officer continues:
"The client excelled at the placement and received consistent positive feedback from the head chef at every placement review I conducted. The head chef said he could not ask for anything better, stating that the client was “a real team player”. The client felt he learned a lot and his skills and speed had improved. I noticed an evident improvement in his confidence, and he even attended a team-building day with the kitchen staff only three weeks into the placement. Having completed his eight week placement the client was offered a part-time job that he started soon after.
Increased confidence
"The client reports he has gained more confidence in his own abilities and is enjoying having more routine. His license has come to an end and he feels he has more freedom to come and go as he pleases. He intends to continue working up to 16 hours per week in the restaurant and volunteer once a week. His long-term goal is to save enough money to afford a private let, move out of the hostel and start working full-time."