"I always felt listened to and supported"

My care coordinator first told me about the IPS service and she said it would be beneficial for aiding me find a job to help with my mental health. I was looking forward to my first appointment as it was a step in right direction, and I think it is what I needed at the time. I felt that I was listened to in my first meeting and it all went at my own pace. I felt I could stop and ask questions at any point. I felt comfortable and everything was well explained. I felt confident in coming to appointments and it confirmed my positive preconceptions about the service.

I was hoping to find and secure a job which I was happy with. I secured a few jobs, but they weren’t for me. However, it was third time lucky. Rayhaan, my employment specialist, aided me in looking for my dream job and we discussed in work mental health support plans for myself which were discussed with my manager to help me keep my job. I found searching for jobs on my own to be overwhelming but in meetings with Rayhaan we would go over job vacancies on various websites at my own pace. We would go over positives and negatives of each job role and whether I would excel in such roles.

When I came to the first meeting my CV definitely needed improving and Rayhaan supported me in working through my CV to really showcase my abilities and experiences. Before working with Rayhaan, I never understood the importance of applying for jobs with a cover letter. Rayhaan thoroughly explained the advantages of having a cover letter and he worked with me to create cover letters for each of the jobs I applied for.

In work support was very effective for me because we created a support plan that my managers understood and were okay with. By doing this I feel it decreased the amount of mental health issues I faced at work especially knowing that there was a safe support plan for me. I could go to work and not feel as anxious as I knew if anything was to happen then a plan was in place to keep me and everyone else safe.

I do not feel there was any barriers to attending any appointments. Rayhaan said we could meet anywhere I felt comfortable that was close to me and he was flexible on time especially taking into consideration my working hours and other plans. If I needed to re arrange appointments, he was relaxed about it and made me feel like it wasn’t my fault. I felt relaxed being able to meet where I am comfortable and not in a medical setting/clinical setting and as a result I felt I could engage to my full potential.

One thing that IPS has helped with most and the biggest thing for me is it has helped me find my confidence again and made me realise I have a lot of potential. I never felt forced rather I was encouraged in every appointment. I always felt listened to and supported. It has helped with my confidence and believe I can succeed in any job. I have 100% achieved my job goal that I plan to stay in long term. I feel I don’t need to worry about mental health stress and don’t need to worry that I am not good enough as I have support in place.

The service has changed me so much as a person and in terms of viewing work. Before I thought I was not mentally ready to work but with IPS I have overcome so much and realise that none of that was true. Eight months ago I didn’t think I would make it and that I was not ready and thought no way that I would be at such a different stage now. Prior to working with Rayhaan I was in the same position for two years and working with this service has changed me.

I definitely feel valued because if I had any issue, big or small, I always felt listened to and it was always a relaxed environment. I found Rayhaan to be very chill.

I felt I could say if I was not happy with something at work and if we were job searching I would sometimes change my mind for roles I was interested in. Rayhaan was non-judgemental and I didn’t have to give my reasons. Rayhaan always had hope and we would move on and keep looking.

I would also like to thank my fiancé for his continued support. I would like to thank Ellie, my care coordinator, who referred me to this service. I can’t think of a single improvement to my service that could have been made.

If I was to give one piece of advice for others is that don’t be afraid to really open up about how you are feeling, and the only way people can help is if they know what’s going on. They really want to help you succeed in your job and in your life and what you say is confidential.