Taz shares a typical day in her busy working life helping her young clients get the advice and support they need to realise their employment goals.

9am: I plan my day and send text message reminders to all my young clients who are due to meet me today.  I then spend an hour getting caught up on emails and referrals.

11am: I have a meeting with my client who has recently started barista training and is currently on a 7-week paid training program. I travelled to the café and catch up with her over coffee. This client has hidden disabilities and mental health challenges.  I was amazed to witness her growth in confidence and all the hard work she’s doing.  She says she is really enjoying the role.

12.00pm: After traveling back to the office, I had a virtual meeting with a client who shared brilliant news. She has successfully applied for a role within the police force. This is a career path which the client was keen and passionate on pursuing. Whilst receiving good news, I also support this client with in-work support, as she is experiencing a variety of challenges in her current role. As my client suffers with mental health challenges, we discussed potential adjustments that I could support her with to manage her mental health at work.

13.00pm: I have another virtual meeting to check in with a client.  It is a catch up call and we also do some job searching.

13.30pm: I have an introductory meeting with a client who is being transferred onto my caseload. The client has hidden disabilities and mental health issues so it is important to ensure that the transition to my caseload is smooth. I briefly discussed the client’s current employment status and we have arranged another meeting to go through an action plan and future goals.

14:45pm: I meet with a client at her supported accommodation. As she has no photo ID we completed an online application for a provisional driving licence which St Giles will pay for.  This will help her apply for employment. She has mental health issues and has found it challenging to choose a career path.  I worked with her to do a mind map of the potential career options she chose for herself. We also discussed attending an employment fair where she can explore more options and opportunities.

16.00pm:  I travel back to office and do my updates for all the meetings.  To end the day, I finish off by securing a meeting with a potential referring service, this will help the project to generate more referrals.