We caught up with Becky Wellington to talk about her journey working with our Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team.
“I was referred to IPS by my care co-ordinator when I was a service user with community mental health service. I was in a pretty bad place mentally and my job at the time, that I had been doing for 12 years, was contributing to my misery.
“I felt stuck in a rut and I saw no way out; I’d done middle-management and stepped down as felt it was too much to handle. Then my role changed to become something I did not sign up for.
“I decided to try looking for other jobs out there. I tried and was unsuccessful in gaining a new role outside the field of work I was in. When you’ve been doing something for so long, it felt hard to get a fresh start despite transferable skills that I offered.
“I left my employment with no job to go to; I couldn’t face it anymore. I left to preserve what little good mental health I had left. My care co-ordinator offered to refer me to the IPS service and introduced me to Lisa, the IPS lead, so I could learn more about the service and how they could help me.
“First I met with Lisa for a quick chat and explained my situation and I cried with relief when she said that the IPS service could help me. I’d become rusty at job-seeking and undertaking interviews. It had been so long since I’d done anything like that. Selling myself at interview when my confidence was low is so difficult.
“I received a lot of support from Amanda, who was my Employment Specialist. She did a lot for me; from simple things like forwarding me links to job adverts, phone calls to check in on my progress with the job hunt, to helping out with interview techniques and most importantly, selling myself.
“She suggested that I could sign up to Tukes as a member and she would try to get me a placement helping with Tukes admin. I helped out on reception at Navigo House, and helped with general administration duties just once a week. It not only helped fill my time with something positive but it helped lift my confidence being in a very positive working environment.
“I really enjoyed my time helping out as a Tukes member. The team was so supportive. Amanda would check in on me when I was at work to make sure I was doing ok and I appreciated that. Amanda encouraged me to apply for an admin assistant post that came up with Tukes.
“It helped me to re-focus and gain experience in a role that I wanted to do. Amanda and Lisa encouraged me to try new things and gave me some really helpful advice with writing applications and then answering interview questions. Things like using examples of experience when answering questions or talking about how transferable skills would benefit a team or organisation.
“Tukes really helped build my confidence in the world of work and I felt like my spirits lifted by being part of a positive workplace and part of a great team.
“I was successful at interview and got the post of admin assistant with Tukes based at Navigo House”.
We believe everyone who wants to find paid work can do so. If you want to find paid employment, are committed to achieving your goals and are engaged in mental health services, we can work with you.
The IPS service is open to service users currently receiving care from Navigo. Ask your care coordinator if IPS would be a suitable service for your needs. If it is, they can refer you to us.
