2022 ESF case study - People 1st 3
The Community Family Support Programme (CFSP), delivered by People 1st, is for families wanting help and support to address any health, social and economic issues that impact their daily lives. It is aimed at people aged 16 or over who are not in education, employment or training and is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.
Participant's story
People 1st tells the story of a participant who came to their project lacking confidence and with financial fears. The participant was unable to find work with current endeavours. Furthermore, her husband was gravely ill, and she was unable to provide for him and her family, which negatively impacted her self-esteem and motivation.
People 1st, CFSP carried out a comprehensive assessment for the participant and began assisting with financial management and developing a strategy to help her find work. They also made it possible for her to participate in a range of support groups, such as employability workshops and confidence and motivation sessions.
Using local resources, the family was provided with a food parcel at Christmas. This helped relieve financial strain during winter when other essentials such as heating and utility bills surge.
Boost to confidence
The participant’s confidence, self-belief and motivation began to flourish from the support provided by People 1st, CFSP. A strategy was devised, and objectives set to investigate local labour markets to view job availability that met her requirements.
She stated:
“the impact of support is incredible, and the hamper at Christmas made such a difference to me and my family. I am so grateful for all that CFSP have done for me and my family”.
CV guidance
The next steps was the creation of a new CV and exploring interests in various professions near home that fitted with work-life balance, travel and childcare. After conducting job searches and locating two retail positions, the participant applied for and received interviews for both positions. She then took part in interview preparation, and was able to secure work with hours that suited her needs and work-life balance.
Referring to the assistance provided by the project, the participant said:
“…support with my cv and job searching helped greatly and the preparation for interviews gave me increased confidence to answer the questions. Plus, the help I received has been life changing and without the support from CFSP, I would not have been in the position I am in today.”