Congratulations are in order! Richard had spent eight years out of work due to ill health but was desperate to come off benefits and gain paid employment once again.
Despite two slipped discs and arthritis, he was feeling pretty good, so he turned to Pluss’ Hopeful Families to see what support they could offer, to help with his return to work.
One of the first things Hopeful Families completed for Richard was a ‘Better Off In Work’ assessment to make sure he knew how much he needed to earn to be able to come off benefits. He also needed to find the funding to obtain the relevant skills he required to get a job.
Richard was hoping to get a D1 licence which would allow him to drive a minibus, along with a Driver CPC (The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence) – a qualification that lorry drivers need to hold, in addition to their driving licence, if they intend working for hire or reward.
Hopeful Families supported Richard’s training through one of their specialist partner companies, L & T Transport and he worked incredibly hard, studying for his test alongside practical lessons.
And now, as the picture shows, he’s able to rip up his L-Plates!
“Without Hopeful Families and the support they provided, I would not have had the relevant skills and qualifications I needed to secure the type of job I was searching for,” says Richard.
“I had been volunteering at the youth centre in Ryhill for a couple of years and thanks to my commitment to the role – and Hopeful Families – I’ve now secured a 30 hour per week paid position and I could not be happier!”
Richard says his future goals are just to keep going and to feel positive about how his life has changed since being off benefits and back into paid employment. We wish him the best of luck!
Hopeful Families offers opportunities to build hope, confidence and skills for people who are not in work. It is funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund.
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