Supporting Susan to Achieve Her Goals

• The Growth Company delivers the Working Well: Support to Succeed programme across Greater Manchester.
• The programme supports the region's economically inactive residents aged 19 and over into employment, with a dedicated offer for over-50s.
• Find out how it helped Susan improve her wellbeing and return to education. 

At aged 58, Susan joined the Working Well: Support to Succeed (STS) programme earlier this year as she lacked basic computer skills and a digital device, making it difficult to access services.

Susan was the main carer for her epileptic daughter and disabled ex-husband, who both relied on her for their day-to-day needs leaving her feeling overwhelmed and isolated from the world. She didn’t have time for herself, felt financially inadequate, and couldn’t see a way forward.

Despite all this, Susan wanted change in her life. During her first meeting with her key worker, she expressed how frustrated and stuck she felt, but also shared her love for the outdoors and her interest in gardening. However, her caregiving duties left her little time or energy to pursue these interests.

To help her build some basic digital skills, Susan was provided with a funded laptop and attended 4-session IT workshops, lasting 2 hours per session. These classes helped Susan learn essential computer skills, giving her the confidence to access online services.

She had limited funds and found eating healthily an impossible task as she faced financial struggles. Her key worker immediately signposted Susan to a local subsidised food pantry, where she could make healthy food choices at the cost of just £5. Susan began to use the pantry every week and started to make healthy recipes.

Alongside this, she was coached into a gradual step back from some of her caregiving responsibilities. Her daughter became more independent in managing her epilepsy, and other caregivers stepped in to help with her ex-husband. This allowed Susan to focus more on her own goals and well-being. For the first time in years, she was doing something for herself.

As Susan began to regain her confidence, she joined a local gym, which STS also funded due to her limited finances. The gym not only helped her improve her physical health but also allowed her to meet new people. She now has a friend who regularly joins her for workouts, helping her feel less isolated.

Feeling physically healthier, Susan was encouraged to explore her passion for gardening and the outdoors. STS provided her with some appropriate footwear and gloves and Susan visited STS’s communal garden.

Susan decided to take things a step further by going back to education. With the help of her key worker, she wrote a personal statement that highlighted her skills and experiences, which led to her acceptance into a fast-track course in preparation for higher education. Susan passed with flying colours.

In September, Susan started a degree in conservation and ecology, a milestone she never imagined she would achieve. Her ultimate goal is to establish a social enterprise that helps others like her, with a focus on health, well-being, and environmental conservation, where people can connect with nature and improve their physical and mental health, just as she has done through her own journey.

Quote from Susan: “Without the support, this would never have happened. In particular, the laptop and IT support were a game-changer for me. The access to healthy food and the encouragement to step away from full-time care gave me the space I needed to start focusing on myself again”

Find Out More

Working Well: Support to Succeed is a programme for Greater Manchester residents who want to build their skills, confidence, and sense of community.

Individuals have access to a range of activities, classes, courses, and workshops including digital skills, finance and budgeting help, wellbeing support, sports and physical activity, career planning and much more to help meet their goals.

Find out more on our website.

The Growth Company

The Growth Company is an award-winning social enterprise with a 30-year history of enabling growth, creating jobs, and improving lives.

We help people and businesses across the UK to develop, grow, and succeed through a range of employment, skills, and business support services. We provide employment, justice, and health services across Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire and Humber.

Contact us today to find out more. 

Working Well: Support to Succeed is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The city-region's allocation, managed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and delivered by The Growth Company, will provide support for up to 4,500 residents between January 2024 and March 2025.