Paisley man secures dream local job despite health condition and recent redundancy, thanks to the support of Fair Start Scotland.
Brian, 49 from Paisley, has worked his whole adult life – working in construction, in security and a number of roles in the health and safety sector.
A few years ago, Brian became ill and was diagnosed with a spinal condition known as Discitis, resulting in prolonged back pain. Whilst Brian continues to go about his daily life largely unaffected, the diagnosis meant he would no longer be able to do jobs involving manual labour.
At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brian was working with an agency in a Security role. Unfortunately, as the pandemic continued into the spring, he was made redundant.
Employment support
Brian first heard of Fair Start Scotland through a friend of his, someone who had also recently joined the employment support service. On his friend’s recommendation, Brian made a referral to Fair Start and shortly after was introduced to Joanne and Kirsty from Enable Scotland, one of the Wise Group’s partner organisations.
Fair Start Scotland offers job seekers 12-18 months of pre-employment support. For Brian, this involved assistance with local job searching, completing online applications, a CV refresh and in house training covering confidence building and interview preparation.
Local job
One such application that Brian and his Work Coach completed was for a Child and Youth Care Worker role, a position that Brian had been chasing for the last few years. The application, coupled with the one on one training completed, set him in good stead and he has since started working with a local charity.
Brian said – “The support from day one was awesome, Joanne and Kirsty have been so helpful and helped me to stay positive. The Fair Start team helped me rewrite my CV, sent away for my PVG and helped me get clothes to start my new job. Now I’ve managed to get a position that could be a job for the rest of my working life, all going to plan, and I’m very grateful for all of their help.”
In addition to helping people find the right job for them, Fair Start offers its’ participants up to 12 months in-work support to ensure job sustainability. Brian continues to be supported by his dedicated Work Coach, checking in regularly and offering their expert guidance – whatever he needs to stay happy at work.
Let’s talk
Could we also help you in your search for work? Arrange a call with one of our team and start your journey back to work today. To make a referral for yourself or on behalf of someone else:
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