"I am feeling better than I have in years. It’s been so good to have all these services under one roof."
Andy, 45, joined Ingeus’ Pathways to Work programme in April 2008 as a voluntary client. He had been out of work for four years, and was suffering from depression and anxiety a well as back problems.
When Andy met his Ingeus advisor, Lee, he explained that he was qualified to work in horticulture and was keen to find work that would allow him to use these skills once again without exacerbating his health conditions. Lee also arranged for Andy to meet with Ingeus’ in-house health specialists to discuss how he could manage his health issues while he looked for work and once he found suitable employment.
Andy met with Ingeus’ mental health specialist, Jo, who conducted held regular one-to-one meetings with him to help him overcome his social anxiety and negative thought patterns. Jo arranged for Andy to attend Ingeus’ ‘Motivational strategies’ workshop, which also gave him an opportunity to mix with other people and improve his social skills.
With Jo’s support, Andy stopped avoiding situations that he felt may provoke his anxiety. He reconnected with old friends and started to socialise more, which in turn increased his confidence even further. In addition to his mental health condition, Andy had suffered from lower back pain for many years, so Lee set up an appointment with Ingeus’ physiotherapist, Rob.
When Andy told Rob that his back problem had intensified in recent years, Rob explained the relationship between exercise and mental health, and together they devised a simple exercise plan that Andy could do at home. After only three weeks of his new exercise programme, Andy told Rob that he was feeling much better already – he had noticed improvements to his mobility and a reduction in his back pain.
Rob made use of Ingeus’ gym referral scheme to arrange for Andy to attend Water Meadows Leisure Centre, where he continued to follow the exercise routine Rob had established for him. As Andy’s mental and physical health continued to improve, his motivation to look for work increased, and he regularly made use of Ingeus’ Job Station facilities to find and apply for gardening work.
Andy’s hard work soon paid off when he was offered permitted work as a part-time gardener at a local golf course. Both Jo and Rob met with Andy to discuss how he could manage his health when he was in work, and he started his job with a new attitude and a bright future in a job he loves.
Andy says, “I am feeling better than I have in years. It’s been so good to have all these services under one roof. Thanks.”