From Setback to Success: Karen’s Employment Journey

Rebuilding Confidence After a Career Setback

Karen’s local Job Centre referred her to us as she was looking to return to work. Despite being on limited capability and not required to look for work, Karen eagerly pursued getting back into employment. Her Key Worker at CEIS Ayrshire, Ian, offered the support and advice she needed to help her on her journey.

During registration Ian and Karen discussed her current situation in depth. Karen lost her previous job and faced an unjust report to the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council). This left her traumatised, significantly impacting her self-confidence and making it difficult for her to continue working in the field she had enjoyed for many years. The thought of making a career change at this stage in her life left her feeling stressed.

Ian and Karen decided during the registration process that a referral to a couple of our partner organisations would be beneficial: Salus for mental health support and CHAPS for financial advice. These were major concerns for her, and she managed to get appointments for ongoing support from both organisations.

Exploring New Job Opportunities and Sectors

Karen and her Key Worker, Ian, worked together to create a new CV that better reflected her skills. This helped her feel more positive about herself and the possibility of changing career. While the issues with the SSSC were being resolved, Ian and Karen thought it would be best to look for work in other sectors as a short-term solution. Looking at other sectors made her realise that she has a wealth of skills she could offer employers, improving her confidence. Ian assisted her with registering and uploading her new CV to online employment websites and how to use the websites to apply for jobs. This made it easier for Karen to apply for suitable vacancies.

To strengthen Karen CV’s, it was arranged for her to take part in online employability training and accredited courses. The courses helped her increase her confidence and learn new skills within new sectors.

Regular 1 to 1 meetings were arranged to assist Karen in job searching. Her Key Worker was able to help her look at different areas of work that she was able to apply for. She kept trying to apply for jobs in the care sector but was unsuccessful due to the outstanding issues with her previous position.

However, Karen’s determination paid off. She applied to a local care home and was offered a position even though she was still awaiting a decision from the SSSC. Before she started her new job, she received a decision from the SSSC and was cleared of all allegations and no action would be taken from them. With a clean bill of health, Karen was able to re-enter employment within her desired sector.

Clients Comments

How would you rate your initial contact with CEIS Ayrshire staff?

Excellent

How happy are you with the support offered on the programme?

Excellent

What skills have you gained/improved upon, whilst on the programme?

I’ve learned to be more confident about myself and believe in my self

If you could change anything about the programme, what would it be?

I won’t change a thing without CEIS I don’t think I would have got a job without the team

Do you believe CEIS Ayrshire has improved your chances of finding employment?

Yes definitely.

Do you feel you were supported by your advisor(s)?

Yes definitely.

Contact Us for Employment Support

We have experienced staff who can help you with building your confidence, gaining new certifications, improving your interview skills, and much more. If you need any help with getting into employment, contact us by using the form below.