Kerry's journey to employment

Kerry hadn’t worked since 2018 having experienced low confidence and issues with anxiety. As a single parent, Kerry was keen to provide financial stability and secure employment.  

Kerry was referred to Enable Works by her job coach at Job Centre Plus. Her Employment Coordinator carried out regular one-to-one meetings to under Kerry’s interests and strengths. This allowed them to create an action plan to help Kerry gain employment. 

As a parent, Kerry was supported to explore career opportunities which aligned with her personal circumstances and interests, creating a positive work/life balance.  

Kerry engaged with services such as completing workshops and sessions to increase her confidence and core skills and, after a period, she chose to take part in the Health Care Academy, delivered in partnership with NHS Tayside, Enable Works and Discover Work.  

This work brought Kerry out of her shell where her confidence grew.  

She describes finding the placements ‘an eye opener’ but she ‘loved every minute of them’.  ‘Everyone was really nice and encouraging,’ she said. Initially she found online aspects of the programme tough but with the support of her Employment Coordinator, Kerry increased her skills, confidence and was thriving by the end of the six weeks. 

A standout moment for Kerry was showcasing how far she had come when she delivered her final group presentation. She shared her experiences on the programme with her peers and tutors.  This demonstrated how much Kerry’s self-belief and confidence had grown through tailored support.  

Following completion of the Academy, Kerry received further one-to-one training on interview techniques and preparation, as well as sessions to increase her IT literacy to increase her success with upcoming interviews.

Kerry applied and secured an interview with the NHS for a Health Care assistant role where she was successful. Kerry has now started her new job which is going well. Kerry shared with the team that she ‘couldn’t be happier’ and feels ‘none of this would have been possible without the support she has received from Enable Works’.  

Kerry will continue to receive in-work support for up to 52 weeks, with the team watching her continue to progress and develop new skills.  

Kerry’s story shows that no matter how long you have been out of work, with the right support, everyone can thrive and secure a high quality job that is right for them.