Peter supported me to explore different opportunities

Neesa* had been experiencing anxiety in her previous job and wanted to find a new role, to provide her with new experiences in a different industry and a better work-life balance.  Her local NHS Mental Health team recommended Twining Enterprise and she was matched with Peter, her dedicated Employment Specialist.  Neesa went on to find two new part time roles, giving her time for wellbeing activities outside of work too!  Here, Neesa tells us her own inspirational story…

At my previous workplace I was feeling very anxious and started suffering from insomnia.  I felt like I didn’t want to go there anymore, and I had to contact my local NHS Mental Health team to ask for help.  At the same time, I gave in my notice to one of my part time jobs, but kept the other one, and this did help me to start feeling better.  However, this left me with no choice but to go on Universal Credit. 

I was contacted by the NHS Mental Health team and I explained my situation and that’s when their team suggested Twining Enterprise.  I wanted to try something else job wise, and to go into a different industry.  I had previously worked in childcare but wanted to try something else.  I was open to learning and trying anything else – for example, perhaps becoming a support worker or similar.

Peter, my Employment Specialist, encouraged me to update my CV and sent me example CVs to help show me how to do it.  I sent my draft back to him and he sent it straight back with some suggestions; his cooperation was always very good.  But when I started looking for new work as a support worker, it was so hard.  August was a really quiet month for me. I thought I’d need to go back into childcare – either nannying or working in a nursery - but I didn’t want to go back.

It took me several months to tell my manager that I wanted to leave.  People kept leaving and I was covering their jobs – doing the job of two to three people.  I did try to talk to my manager about it and asked to move to a different place.  However, my manager wasn’t cooperative with me.  I therefore felt I had to leave.

I just had to be patient and wait for job opportunities.  It often felt like I was just waiting and waiting.  To try and keep busy I did meditation and deep breathing, to try and take my mind off things and stay positive.  Otherwise, you just focus on the negative and then things get out of control.  I know how it can be if you stay negative.  So, I decided to focus on being positive.  It was particularly hard when I was waiting for work and trying to keep positive - but I found my way.

Peter continued to help me with my CV and looking for work and eventually, I found a family that wanted to trial me working for them.  It was such a nice family.  They wanted me for one day per week.  They were happy that I just focused on the child.  They were happy that I just rested when the child rested - they wanted me to be rested for their child.  I couldn’t believe that a family like this existed!  I feel so lucky when I think back about the schedules of my colleagues in the nursery.

I’m excited to be starting with this family one day per week.  I’ve also signed up with an emergency childcare agency to see what this is like.  I can choose my days and hours and so I’m going to trial this too.  I want to do some training for myself at the weekend, and so this still leaves me time to do this.  I really want to explore this.

During my journey, Peter was always so flexible.  At first, I was very confused about what I wanted to do, but Peter was always just so adaptable and always tried to support me in every way I needed.  We worked out together which jobs could and couldn’t work for me.  I tried customer services and support worker roles.  I also found using some of the job sites challenging – it wasn’t always clear to me which jobs had expired and which jobs were still live.  Peter never judged me about not knowing what I wanted to do.  He just sat alongside me.  Even when I was sad about things not working out, he just said “What do you want to do now?”  Sometimes we both weren’t sure about a job, but I never felt pressured by Peter.  He allowed me to just explore things.

Peter was so kind.  He even gave a childcare agency manager a call and helped to sell me into the agency!  It was so nice having Peter alongside me in the search for work.  I never felt alone in my search.

I’m now about to embark on a new chapter in my career!  I feel excited and a bit scared at the same time.  I feel confident with the new job – and I know what I’m doing – but equally I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing!  I just need to build my confidence up again.  But I feel positive about my future and all the opportunities my new working pattern will bring and I thank Peter for supporting me in finding this.

I now know how important it is to have confidence in yourself and be optimistic.  It’s also important to be patient - as patience will allow better opportunities to present themselves!

*Name and picture changed to protect client anonymity

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