Jamie was referred from CFOe to get support from a mentor to assist with community involvement, employment, and confidence. The nature of Jamie’s conviction left him feeling vulnerable and wanting to move away from the area he lived due to fear and worry. He moved from supported accommodation to a new area at the start of the match, and worked with his mentor to find new opportunities and get involved in his new community.
The mentor met with Jamie regularly at a local café, meeting in town and then walking to their meeting place. Weekly they discussed organising Jamie’s outstanding admin tasks such as managing his debt and finances, sourcing things for his new flat, looking at different jobs, and discussing the impact of disclosure when looking for employment.
It was clear from feedbacks that Jamie felt comfortable with his mentor, and their meetings had clear goals where progress was visible week by week. As he gained confidence they focused on employment and finances, practicing for job interviews and reviewing opportunities in the area.
Appointments have taken place for over a year, with meetings happening weekly or fortnightly over that period.
Feedbacks were sent to his CFOe Case Manager and to his Probation Practitioner, within 24 hours of each appointment, to ensure all agencies were working together to achieve similar goals for Jamie.
Jamie quickly became more confident in the area he moved to with the help of regular meetings with the mentor. The mentor helped him see his skills and positive qualities, meaning he felt empowered when applying for jobs with his CFOe Case Manager. He was successful in gaining and attending interviews with local companies and showed greater resilience despite not always being successful. He has maintained a positive attitude to job searching with CFOe, and continued engaging with a number of local support services that assisted with his debts.
Jamie rang us recently asking if it was possible to pass an update on to the mentor that he was feeling well and had now started a new job locally that he was happy in. He wanted to say that it would not have been possible without the help and support of the mentor, who he felt gave him the confidence to explore new opportunities.
