Positive action measures women	X	Positive action measures – disabled people
Positive action measures – BME people
Childcare provision	X	Occupational Segregation activity
Activity supporting speakers of the Welsh language
Mentoring / Advocacy support	X	Volunteering schemes

PaCE Good News Story Template

Which Outcomes have been achieved

Job Outcome
Volunteering
Job Search
Links with Childcare Offer
Work related certificate
Qualification
Other (Please specify)

Barrier(s)

WL was referred to PACE by Families First. She is a coupled parent; non benefit claimant with a 6 month old baby. WL is Polish and moved to the UK with her partner several years ago and had been running her own cleaning business until the birth of her daughter. Childcare issues then prevented her from returning to this self employment as she did not know how to find suitable childcare; did not feel that she would be able to afford it and her partner’s working hours meant that he was not available to provide support. The language barrier made it impossible for her to address this barrier independently as she did not feel confident in approaching any childcare providers.

Support

We requested and reviewed the FIS childcare list and WL identified a local nursery that she would like to consider using. A PaCE Childcare application was submitted to provide childcare to support PaCE Adviser sessions so that we could focus on job search as well as build WL’s confidence in leaving her daughter.

WL had a background in production, specifically quality control, but felt that the language barrier would prevent her from being able to resume this career path in the UK. She was open to considering cleaning positions, but a Better Off Calculation revealed that, in the absence of any funding support, the National Minimum Wage (often associated with this type of role) would not be sufficient to cover the childcare required to support this employment.

So we began to explore alternative career paths and WL revealed that she had a long held ambition to become a bus driver. However, she had no understanding of how to pursue this career path.

I explained that she would need to train to pass LGV driving test as well as additional tests eg. CPC that would enable her to operate a passenger vehicle. WL was concerned that the fact that English is her second language would prevent her from being able to access this type of training. So we began by completing some basic English/Maths assessments. WL found these difficult, so she decided to undertake some independent online study in the evenings, whilst her daughter slept , in order to build her basic skills.

Whilst conducting online job search we identified a trainee bus driver position with a local bus company. So we constructed a strong CV and submitted an application for this role. WL was successful in securing an interview and was thrilled ,but also anxious about attending an interview , as she felt that she would be unable to answer the questions. So we worked together to build her confidence by researching the company; considering likely interview questions and constructing suitable answers that WL could practice the content as well as the pronunciation.

Outcome

Further childcare was put in place for WL to attend the interview and she was offered the job. This would involve a four month on the job training programme which would provide her with the necessary experience /qualifications and licenses in order to operate as a bus driver.

WL was keen to accept this job offer, but the long hours involved were daunting. She realised , that when PaCE support with childcare costs ended she would not be able to afford the full time childcare costs to support this on-going training for any period of time. So we identified a more cost effective option in the form of a second childcare provider and PaCE supported the costs for WL’s daughter to settle into this new provision so that WL could accept the job offer and start work.

The on the job training commenced and was going smoothly, WL was really enjoying her new role and felt she was picking up new skills quickly. However, during her first week, she contacted me to say that her daughter had been injured in the new nursery on more than one occasion and she was concerned about her daughter’s safety and didn’t feel able to take her back. But she was worried that this would mean that she would lose her job if she took any days off during her training.

I met WL after work and we identified another nursery that we could contact. But this placement would need to be put in place immediately in order for WL to continue with her training. Luckily the nursery agreed to offer a full time placement to WL’s daughter starting the next day. And the Welsh Government Account Manager agreed to the change of circumstances application being fast tracked due to the nature of the situation.

So WL left her daughter in the new nursery the next day, despite not having met the staff before and not having any sleep due to anxiety. She continued with her employment without taking even an hour off work at any point. I congratulated her on the resilience and commitment that she had shown. I don’t think that there are many parents would have been able to keep going in the face of such obstacles!

As a result, WL was able to continue with her training. She contacted me regularly to update me on her progress. The tests were difficult for her due to her language difficulties. She had to resit more than one of the tests on more than one occasion and was nervous that her employment would be ended if she wasn’t able to attain the required licenses. But, eventually she passed all her tests and was awarded her full LGV driving license and CPC. She was then told that before she could be given her family friendly, local, 16 hour a week route on a school pick up contract, she would need to complete a further period of full time job shadowing with a mentor. WL was devastated as she thought that PaCE could not pay for any further childcare and she couldn’t afford full time childcare as she had not yet been paid.

Luckily , fate was on her side, and PaCE In Work Support was introduced at this point, so I could let WL know that we would carry on providing childcare for her until the full time job shadowing was complete. This meant that WL could finally breath easily and all of her hard work and persistence had paid off. She is now working as a fully qualified bus driver ( a job that she has always wanted) for Stagecoach and is confident that when PaCE childcare support ends at the end of November ,she will be in a position to be able to cover the childcare costs herself.

Participant Quote:

“ My daughter is very happy in the new nursery, the ladies are very nice and a lot of safe space. I am very grateful for your help.”

“ You are amazing, Thank you so much, now I can finish my training because I know my daughter will be safe”

WL asked me to write this good news story as she wants more parents to know about the PaCE project and the difference it can make to their lives.

Adviser Name: Angela Jones

Area:Torfaen

Date:1/11/2019

Contact details: angela.jones7@dwp.gov.uk 07342072863

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Jones Angela DWP PACE ADVISOR

2019-11-01

DWP