Adult work experience

Emily is a Bolton at Home tenant who was being supported by a Disability Employment Advisor at the Job Centre to find work when we met her.

Emily felt she needed to complete an Adult Work Experience Placement: "I really wanted to work and had been job searching for years. It was becoming very despairing for me, as I felt that I had now gotten myself better but was becoming more isolated. I felt left-out of society, and I have always been a hard-worker. I was feeling that nobody would believe this anymore, because now I had a health condition.”

After chatting with Emily and her advisor we thought that one of our long-standing opportunities with Bolton Community and Voluntary Services (CVS) on reception would be a great fit.

Emily met the staff at CVS and was nervous but happy to start. Emily was concerned about how she’d manage her diabetes and how this would be accepted by staff in a work environment: "During my placement everyone was very accepting. But importantly, it was the right environment for me and the right people to be around, for which I am so grateful."

Alongside the work placement, Emily received life coach sessions, CV support, application support, and given one to one preparation for an interview she’d secured: "This opportunity has helped me get a job and it’s helped me to build my confidence. I now know I can hold down a job with my health conditions. I feel less isolated and less vulnerable after volunteering and working with Niki, Volunteer Coordinator for Bolton at Home."

Emily secured a role with another Bolton at Home initiative which continues to support her. This is a part-time paid 18-month contract as a Peer Navigator.

We caught up with Emily three months into her role: “I’ve been busy getting stuck into projects, including trying to improve some of the housing estate's grounds and green areas locally to me. What’s really exciting is that my health is continuing to improve and I’m not getting too tired! Also, for the last four weeks I’ve had enough energy to walk without my stick.”

After being taken ill by a strange virus leaving her close to death, battling long term health conditions, and being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, Emily’s worked so hard to rebuild her strength: “I’ve gained so much confidence, which being so unwell strips you of. I’m hopeful again and looking forward to what the future may bring! Before becoming sick, I had jobs that were dead-end and low-paid, which made life difficult. I’m not entirely sure what I’d like to do next, just that I’d like a good salary and to have a job that I enjoy with future career prospects.”