Restart Scheme
Steven* had moved to a different area to be with the love of his life, who he used to date at school. They spent a wonderful 18 months together until she passed away suddenly. They had been living in rented accommodation and, as well as having to deal with the grief of losing his partner, he also had to move out of their shared home.
Steven moved back to Kidderminster and ended up sleeping on the sofa at various friends’ houses. He was feeling very low and couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.
When Steven met his Job Coach – Helen from Seetec Pluss – she could see that he was not in a good place as he was disengaged and unapproachable. Using a few different coaching techniques, Helen managed to get Steven to open up and explain what had happened. She then set ‘the ball rolling’ with steps on how to help him.
Firstly, Helen helped Steven apply for a council house. Then she organised shared accommodation with a friend who was also on the Restart Scheme. This gave Steven a permanent place to sleep and took him a step closer towards rebuilding his life.
With accommodation now in place, it was time to focus on what type of job Steven would like to do. During earlier conversations with Helen, Steven had said that taxi driving was the best job he’d had, and he would love to do this again, however, he had some old criminal convictions and thought this could restrict him. He had also lost all his official documents so didn’t have his birth certificate, driving licence or national insurance number which were crucial to him getting a job.
Helen helped Steven by assisting him in reordering the documents he needed. She also collected the information about his criminal convictions so they could plan how this could be presented to a Council committee to challenge the decision if the licence was refused. She also advised Steven to contact his ex-employees from the taxi firm he had previously worked for to ask about possible job-sharing opportunities.
Steven was then invited to a licencing committee meeting, with 14 counsellors reviewing his application. They had his fate in their hands as they decided if Steven was a fit and able candidate to have a taxi licence. With Helen by his side, Steven held himself well and explained how much he had enjoyed doing the job in the past. He also spoke about the support he had received from the Restart Scheme and how much that had helped him. Steven found out the same day that his application had been successful!
Steven is now back working as a taxi driver, and he feels like he now has a purpose in life and a clear direction to get himself back on track and into a property of his own. He has been speaking with Helen weekly since being employed as she is still helping him with his housing application. Steven is now qualified, certified and insured to drive a taxi and has a positive outlook on life.
*Pseudonym
