Our Hopeful Families Mentors help people who are unemployed to identify their goals for the future and provide support for any barriers to achieve these goals. The goal could be to find a job, start a college course, improve their health or just make a step towards these things however some people find that their circumstances may be preventing them from moving forward.
Our experienced team have access to a range of specialist interventions for people which help them overcome these barriers. Overwhelmingly, we see that a person’s circumstances have led to mental ill health and poor wellbeing which is why we provide interventions to support recovery in these areas.
When Jane*, a single mum of 2, joined Hopeful Families, she was feeling low in confidence and self-esteem having been away from employment and education for a few years to bring up her children and was worried about her ability to achieve her goal of joining a college course with a view to eventually getting back to work.
First things first, Jane met with her Family Mentor Haleema over a cup of tea and they talked about her circumstances, worries and goals for the future. Haleema explained that there is no rush and that before taking the step of starting college she may benefit from some sessions with our life coach, Helen. Helen works with people on an individual and group basis supporting them with all aspects of wellbeing to increase success. She started meeting with Jane to provide a bespoke programme.
Jane says: ‘I was a bit nervous at first and didn’t know what to expect, but Haleema was lovely and explained fully what the support would look like. She was so easy to talk to and didn’t judge me. I was introduced to Helen and had some one to one sessions with her, which really helped me to feel better about myself and more confident. With this and Haleema’s practical support, I decided to start with enrolling at College to re-do my Maths and English qualifications and will continue to work with Haleema through my next steps. I still attend Helen’s group session every week to help me keep motivated and to deal with any stressful moments. She’s been a brilliant help’.
Lisa Connelly, Hopeful Families Coordinator in Calderdale says: ‘We are proud to be at the forefront of delivering genuine holistic support to our participants as we believe that when people feel good about themselves, they can achieve their goals. By operating a Key Worker method alongside working with specialist partners providing good quality interventions, our model of employment support includes all aspects of a person’s wellbeing & circumstances and not just a ‘get a job’ approach. This enables a truly individual & bespoke journey for that person’.
*Name and image changed to protect identity.
You can find out more about Helen’s approach to working with people here: