Tara

Tara had been referred to the programme via Ingeus. She is 20 years old and had been struggling with the switch from ESA to JSA. Tara had anxiety issues, learning difficulties and had dropped out of school due to bullying. She had be receiving support from Rumble Tums Cafe, who offer supported training for young people with learning difficulties however she had not yet obtained paid work.

Tara attended meetings with her Work Coach initially with her mother and having discussed her aims they quickly realised Tara’s passion for food and cooking. Using her personal budget her Work Coach enrolled her on a Food Hygiene course and began to develop a portfolio about her drive to work in the industry, her achievements and recipes. This formed part of her CV which they created together.

In addition to this she has started studying Maths and English Level 2. To add to her journey she began to attend confidence classes at Nottingham Women’s Centre and felt she began to feel ready to take those next vital steps towards work.

Tara secured a trial working at the Country Cottage in Ruddington and said:

“They left me alone on the till…and I nailed it!”

They quickly offered Tara a permanent role and she continues to meet with her Work Coach to develop her confidence levels further. Her Work Coach said:

“This is not the same Tara I met just 3 months ago, this role will only help her build her confidence even more and introduce her to working life.”

The Groundwork Greater Nottingham Towards Work project is part of the national Building Better Opportunities Programme.

Jointly funded by the Big Lottery Fund & the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s European Social Fund allocation; the programme is delivered throughout Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire by a partnership of local organisations who specialise in supporting people into work.

We aim to support with those first vital steps towards gaining employment through a personalised service and support to overcome barriers an individual may face.