When St Giles first met up with Julie, she was struggling to find work and support her adult daughters.
Living in an outer London borough meant she was impacted by the living costs of more central boroughs but had none of the opportunities and services.
Due to long term health conditions such as arthritis and asthma, finding a job has been a huge struggle. These health conditions are often debilitating and this has also had a huge impact on her mental health.
Julie was referred to our Pathways 2 Work project through her DEA (Disability Employment Advisor) looking for help with finding work.
St Giles Trust assisted her with understanding of education, training and employment skills including tailoring her CV, writing an appropriate cover letter and helping her focus on an effective job search.
Julie was overjoyed to be successful in applying for a job in a field that suited her of being a delivery driver. Unfortunately, she was unable to take it due to her car breaking down on the day of the job.
Sadly her physical health has since deteriorated and she is currently receiving support from St Giles Trust to address her benefits in which she could hopefully receive some more financial support, due to her lack of mobility.
St Giles has been with Julie every step of the way. Our support was initially based on employment-based outcomes but this has now changed to benefits as well as mental health support and social encouragement. She currently is very isolated as she cannot get out of her house due to physical health conditions – but her caseworker is determined to support her.
Julie says:
“My caseworker has given me so much support, he’s been amazing, he’s always on the phone for me. If I’m having a bad day he sticks with me and talks through any questions I might have”
St Giles hope to secure her more benefits through an appeal and continue to support her with her physical and mental health so that she can look forward to a positive future.