A consistent force in my career

Anthony had a long history of mental health conditions, making settling on one clear career path difficult to manage.  However, his relationship with Twining Enterprise has been a consistent force in keeping him on track, up to date in his job searching skills, and helping him to refocus following periods of time out of the workplace.  Here Anthony tells us in his own words about his career path and how he is now working with Anoushka, his Twining Employment Specialist, who will also be providing him with in-work support…

I have a history of mental health issues and I’ve been with my community mental health team at St Annes hospital for almost 12 years now.  I’ve been in and out of hospital about eight times during that period which has made it hard for me to really establish myself in a career.

However, during that whole time, Twining Enterprise has been a consistent force in my career path.  I would go into hospital, but when I came back out, I would always get back in touch with Twining.  I knew that I could always come back to the team at Twining, it’s a brilliant service with some amazing people.

Over the years I have had support from various care coordinators and a number of Twining Employment Specialists.  Two Twining Employment Specialists helped me to get two different job roles and one of them helped me to get a series of job interviews.  The service has been so useful. They have given me good guidance and support in terms of getting me back into the workplace after long periods in hospital, including developing my CV, supporting me with the interview process and support actually returning to work.  I’ve been through all of this with my most recent Employment Specialist, Anoushka.

Whenever I have turned to Twining for help, I have received good, consistent employment support.  I have always known that I can contact my Twining Employment Specialist and things will start moving in a positive way.  I’m able to brush up on my CV and interview technique and this just helps to put me in a job ready state of mind following periods of not being able to focus on my working life.  Twining has helped me to refresh my job searching tools, but also refresh my mind.

This time around I’m also making the most of the in-work support Twining offer.  I’m now working around four days per week so it gives me time to see my Twining Employment Specialist and really make the most of that opportunity, which I haven’t done before.  I even messaged her this morning to try and set up my next meeting!

I’m going to start in my new role tomorrow, which I’m really excited about.  As well as supporting me to find work, Anoushka also shared this new role with me.  It’s well within my parameters in terms of what I was looking for and what I’m experienced in.  The role is consistent with work I have experienced in the past - managing programmes with line management responsibility - but it’s a bit different because it’s not working within the mental health sector.  Broadening my industry experience a bit will be good for me and my CV.

I did two interviews, the written applications and submitted my CV – and I was successful!  This felt amazing having felt quite rejected in my search for work in the past – so I’m so pleased that I persevered with looking – and Anoushka really helped me to stay on track with this.

Twining has been really useful to have a different sort of person to get support from.  Twining is good at providing practical job seeking support – but also fully take me and my wellbeing into consideration.  It feels like their advisors consider me as a whole person, and provide impartial useful advice that suits me and my individuality.