I finally felt like someone saw my true value

Jade* had left her job and received an ADHD diagnosis.  She wanted to work but needed support to find something that was right for her and all the training and skills she already had.  Jade was referred to Twining Enterprise via her NHS Talking Therapies counsellor and met Monisa, her dedicated Employment Specialist.  Jade and Monisa instantly clicked, and Jade felt like someone finally saw her true value.  This created the basis for an amazing working relationship which led to Jade starting up her own online business and securing a new job she loves!  Here she tells us her inspirational story in her own words…

I was referred to Twining Enterprise as I’d left my job, and I hadn’t realised the impact it would have on me.  I had also been diagnosed with ADHD, but my doctors weren’t particularly helpful in supporting me with it.  However, via my NHS Talking Therapies counsellor I was recommended Twining and that’s how I found the employment support Twining provides.  Everything people offered me, I tried it!  I like to try and seek information to help myself, rather than medicate.  I’m a ‘why’ person, because it helps me to understand the whys.

Once I started working with Twining I was matched with Monisa, my dedicated Employment Specialist.  A lot of the schemes and organisations I’d been through up to that point treated you in a certain way, and what I found so helpful with Monisa was how she actually acknowledged the wealth of experience I had.  This immediately made me engage with her.

We had such a good rapport right from the beginning. It never felt like a ‘tick box’ process we were working through.  We could relate to each other on so many levels.  At first that really kept me going.  I needed something that wasn’t pushing me, that wasn’t overwhelming, but something that was just supporting me.

We always discussed and planned things in the session.  If I had problems with things, I knew I could be honest with Monisa in my next session, and she kept me focused too.  This was really important for me – especially with my ADHD – I needed to be accountable to someone.  It was so helpful to have someone I knew to go back to and give them an update on things.

In my time working with Monisa I made one of my hobbies a business – not the first time I’ve done this – but this time I had clear goal posts and milestones.  I knew I had certain blockers with business plans etc. but after months and months of job searching, we decided to pivot and changed our focus to my own business blockers and my own aspirations.  We worked on business plans and self-employment.  We also had a few meetings with her colleagues about self-employment – to get an idea on the gaps I needed to fill.  Monisa never pretended she was the expert on everything, and she was always happy to seek extra support for me from colleagues, and I really appreciated that cross collaboration with different experts.  I can now see my products for sale online and it feels really positive.

I was also open to getting an employed job.  So, we worked towards both – being self-employed and employed.  Then suddenly in amongst all of the work we were doing on both, I got offered a job!  I hadn’t even remembered the application… but suddenly the job came up and it’s my first job where I’ve just shown up as me, who I really am.  I’m not putting on an act or trying to show off anything that I’m not.  I’m OK with just showing up as me, which is a huge achievement!

It’s been such a whirlwind, but a really positive one.  The job is everything I was looking for; a good job and a good salary and I’m so pleased.  They’ve also offered me three days per week, so I still have time to spend on my online business too.

Monisa was just so wonderful.  I wouldn’t normally give feedback for something like this, but I really think it’s worth sharing.  I wanted to really big Monisa up.  She did such a good job, she’s really wonderful!  I couldn’t have asked for more or less – more would have felt too pressured and less would have felt like she didn’t care.  She provided the perfect balance! It all meant so much to me. I didn’t really know how helpful her support would be when I was at the start, but it became something that was sometimes the only thing I would do in a week.  I was able to be so open and honest with her and I knew it would be OK.

Some of the back to work services that exist don’t see you as a human being; yet it takes so much courage to ask for help.  I’m educated and I’m not stupid and I knew I could do all the jobs some job searching agencies were sharing with me, with my eyes closed.  This is why it was so refreshing to meet Monisa who treated me with respect and saw the value I had to bring.

Even if I had just done the self-employment work with Monisa this would have been fantastic in itself… but to get a great job too was just amazing.  I really got so much from our experience together.  Thank you so much Monisa.

*Picture of model to protect client anonymity

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