"I now have an improved structure and routine in my life. My mental health has definitely improved and I am not as anxious as I was before."
At 52, Derek had been out of work for twenty years due to severe depression, and had been unsuccessfully trying to find a job for the last ten.
Derek was not confident that he would ever return to the workforce, but when he received some information in the mail about Ingeus’ Pathways to Work programme, he decided to see what help was available to him.
Derek met with Ingeus’ employment advisor, Sally, and explained that he felt unsure about his employment prospects, given his health condition and the amount of time he had been out of work.
Sally told Derek that the Pathways to Work programme could assist him to develop the skills he needed to find suitable work while helping him learn how to manage his health issues, and together they developed a strategy for getting Derek back into work.
Sally helped Derek to create a create a CV that focused on his skills and knowledge rather than his work history, and showed him how to use the Job Station facilities, including email, the internet, and newspapers, to find and apply for jobs.
Derek also met with Ingeus’ in-house health specialists, who worked with him on a one-to-one basis and in group workshops to ensure that he had tools and information he needed to manage his depression while he was looking for work and once he found a job.
Sally arranged for Derek to attend workshops on interview skills and to participate in mock interviews with a number of Ingeus advisors, so that he felt comfortable with the application and interview process.
Derek put a great deal of effort into his search for work, and applied for a range of positions in his local area. He attended a number of interviews and was delighted to find a job as a role as a park patrol officer with Westminster Parks.
Derek says, “It’s like I’ve never been out of work. I now have an improved structure and routine in my life. My mental health has definitely improved and I am not as anxious as I was before. It has really boosted my self-esteem.”