One Ambition’s participant had moved to Cornwall with her partner and his family and was setting up a new life for herself. They had big ambitions and their new home was essentially a renovation project with no bathroom facilities. Living in a building site put a strain on the relationship and the stress of the situation pushed the couple apart. Ultimately the couple split up and our young person found herself homeless.
Our young person came to the RIO for help. She had a range of qualifications and practical skills, all mixed with a “can do” attitude. However, it was identified that she had episodes of feeling depressed in the past. Swift help was required to prevent her current situation from spiralling out of control.
Initial discussions with the participant about her career plans were quickly superseded by the need to get some basic living support in place. Therefore, activities in the opening stages revolved around setting up Universal Credit and contacting Cornwall Housing to help get her away from living in a building site with her now ex-partner. The project also helped to provide access to washing and toilet facilities in the first instance, so she could carry out daily functions.
Providing key washing and toiletry facilities, made a huge impact on her physical and emotional wellbeing, which provided her with the motivation to begin searching for employment again. The project set her up with new interview clothing, as she had very few possessions and did not have the right type of clothes for work interviews. It was also a priority to make sure our young person was eating properly. This was achieved through making connections with the local foodbank. Finding extra advice to help her with her living situation and covering transport costs to interviews, also gave her the incentive to carry on.
Whilst focussing on getting her immediate needs met, our young person also attended boxing sessions. The sessions helped to boost her mental health and physical strength. Encouragement and positive thinking allowed her to create her CV and attend interview preparation sessions held with the coaches. Ultimately the results of her hard work came through in the form of her being successful with every post that she applied for. Her journey with RIO, although short in time, has been very intense, with her overcoming some massive huddles.
Our participant now works for a wonderful company, who provide care services across the region. The company has reasonable rates of pay and offered further qualifications to our young person, as she progresses. She is required to travel around a fair bit and even though this can be challenging due to public transport, she is managing well and is has the desire to continue with the job; her chosen career path.