“Thank you for pushing me, I’m so happy I got the job!” – Olivia’s Story
Background
Olivia* is age 18 and from Cheadle in Stockport. After the pandemic, Olivia struggled with her final year of high school and when she started college things became even harder. Within a few months she had stopped attending and eventually lost her place. She was spending time at home, anxious about going out and feeling very unsure as what to do next.
Olivia’s mum had raised concerns about Olivia’s anxiety with both school and college, but no referral was ever made. She decided to fund a private assessment where Olivia was diagnosed with ADHD. Olivia was also experiencing significant struggles with her mental health and was referred to Beacon Counselling, but online sessions weren’t effective, leaving her, once again without ongoing support.
Building Confidence with Groundwork
Olivia was introduced to Deborah, an Employment Coach at Groundwork through Stockport Council’s SK3 Horizon’s programme in Cheadle.
Olivia explained to Deborah that she felt uncertain about her future and would like to work in a café but didn’t know how to approach this with her anxiety. Deborah explained that she could help by starting with smaller steps to build her confidence over weekly 1:1 sessions.
Each week, Olivia met with Deborah at her home and here they agreed some small, achievable goals which they could work through together. These included tasks such as walking to the end of her street on her own, something Olivia had always relied on parents or friends to do with her. Over time, this built up to longer walks and more independent tasks.
With Deborah’s encouragement, Olivia began pushing herself further. She handed in her CV to a local café independently, started ordering food and drinks when out with friends, and even felt comfortable going to the toilet on her own in public places.
Growing Independence
Over the summer, Olivia’s confidence flourished. She travelled abroad with friends, passed her driving test, and gained the independence of having her own car. With Deborah’s support, she also completed a Customer Service Level 2 qualification and Health and Safety in the Workplace Levels 1 and 2.
Working together, Olivia and Deborah applied for several café and retail roles, as well as a position as a before and after school worker. Olivia was successful at interview and is now thriving in her new role.
Olivia commented,
Thank you for pushing me and being patient, I know I can be a nightmare. I am so happy I got the job, thanks for helping me.
Her mum added,
She has really enjoyed her first day at work. It is so good to see her happy again.
*Name changed and stock image used to protect identity.