Paul
Ever since his last cleaning job came to an end some 15 years ago, 42-year-old Paul had harboured a dream of getting back to work but lacked the confidence he needed to make it a reality. Now, with the support of the dedicated Inclusive Employment Consultants at ECL, Paul has found his perfect role and has never been happier.
Fast forward three months and Paul now works three hours a week.
A regular attendee at ECL Ashleigh Centre, Paul Lanaway often talked to the team about his desire to re-enter the world of work, but a lack of confidence and recent experience was holding him back. To help him realise his ambitions he was put in touch with Inclusive Employment Consultant Lauren, who spent time understanding his goals and needs before creating a bespoke support and training plan for him to follow.
“As an Inclusive Employment Consultant with ECL, I work with lots of customers just like Paul who may feel that finding a route to work is beyond their reach” says Lauren. “Our ultimate aim is to equip people with the skills and self-confidence they need to secure their dream job, allowing them to gain a new sense of independence, form lasting relationships and, importantly, bring home a wage - something which many will not have had the opportunity to do before.”
Prior to submitting a job application, Paul undertook some refresher training to ensure he had the practical knowledge he would need for his preferred cleaning roles. Once his CV was ship shape, it was time to get to grips with the interview phase. Working with Lauren to hone his technique and build his confidence paid off, and before long Paul had been offered a job with Monthind Clean. In preparation for his new start, he was provided with an easy-read document outlining the tasks he would be asked to complete and offered on-the-job coaching until he felt comfortable going it alone.
Fast forward three months and Paul now works three hours a week. He says, “This job has given me the chance to meet new people and earn my own money which is great. My confidence has grown and I find making places clean and tidy so rewarding. I hope I will be able to take on more days during the week because I really enjoy coming to work.”
In fact, Paul enjoys his job so much that he has been able to reduce his attendance to ECL’s Day Services by 75%. He now attends just one day a week while he completes his Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) qualification and intends to cut that back further still once he gains his certification.
“Paul’s confidence has really grown throughout this process” added Lauren. “He has been wonderful to support and seeing him go from strength to strength with every interview is lovely to watch. I am very proud of everything Paul has achieved so far and I’m sure the best is yet to come.”