Getting back to work

Background

Earlier this year, we met Rob who lives in Rochdale.

Rob had been referred to Groundwork after taking part in the NHS’s Talking Therapies programme, where a member of the team had recommended Groundwork’s IPS programme to him.

Rob had been going through a bad patch with his mental health and felt the IPS approach would be worth trying out, so he agreed to meet with one of the Groundwork team.

Initial meeting

Rob met with IPS Employment Specialist Lauren in a library in March, and immediately felt a positive connection. Rob is autistic, so connection and familiar faces are important to him.

Lauren agreed to meet with Rob weekly and began working with him to develop an action plan which would help him return to work, in turn helping his health and wellbeing.

Rob hadn’t been in work since August 2022 and initially had some concerns due to his mental health challenges.

Lauren and Rob developed an action plan which made the journey back into to work more manageable. In their weekly check in’s Lauren would share interview techniques with Rob, help him on his job search and signpost to other support services.

Dream job

It wasn’t long until Rob shared that his dream job was to work on the railways.

Recognizing the value of quality work, Lauren helped Rob source and apply for interviews with several train companies, providing support, guidance and feedback around the interview process.

In September 2024 Rob was successful in his application to be a Train Presentation Officer for Northern Rail and is extremely excited to start his role soon.

Ongoing support

Rob felt that Lauren went above and beyond supporting his employment journey; supervising him at medical reviews and seeking out subsidized travel passes for his first few weeks at work.

Although Rob remains on medication for his depression, he feels that overall his mental health is better and he is much more optimistic about the future and excited to start his new career.

He added,

I can honestly say that Groundwork Greater Manchester is the best provider in helping anyone with getting back into work. I strongly recommend their IPS Employment Specialist programme. Lauren, the Specialist who is working with me is absolutely the best, 5 Stars in my opinion!

Lauren added,

It’s always amazing and very rewarding for me personally to support participants on their journey to achieve their employment goals, especially with their dream employer. Rob has worked extremely hard in overcoming barriers to employment and I am looking forward to the next stage of his support, where we will see him flourish in his new role.