Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care Helps Julie Launch a New Career

• The Growth Company (GC) delivers Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (WWIPSPC) across Greater Manchester.
• The programme aims to help adults with physical and/or mental health disabilities into – or back into – sustained employment.
• Find out how it helped Julie build her confidence and pursue a new career.  

A new programme delivered by the Growth Company is helping people back into work across Greater Manchester.

Commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care aims to help Greater Manchester residents with physical or mental health disabilities into sustained employment – or provide them with support to stay in or return to their current job.

The initiative follows the “place, train, and maintain” model. This means prioritising flexible one-to-one support for individual participants, from guidance on how to write a CV and apply for jobs to bespoke career advice and follow-up assistance once paid work has been secured or resumed. It also involves direct and ongoing engagement with employers to produce the best possible results.

Julie is just one of the people who has been supported back into work through WW:IPSPC.

Julie’s Story

Julie left her role as a teaching assistant during the pandemic because she needed to shield. Realising that the teaching environment was no longer suited to her wellbeing needs, Julie decided she would like to change her career and applied for a number of secretarial jobs, drawing on past experience as a legal secretary.

Disheartened with the lack of responses from employers and experiencing anxiety and depression, Julie’s confidence quickly declined. Although she possessed years of knowledge and experience, Julie assumed employers viewed her admin and secretarial skills as outdated and irrelevant since she had spent the last 10 years working in education. Feeling particularly low, Julie visited her GP for support, expressing her desire for a job and routine to help improve her mood and confidence.

Overcoming Barriers

Julie’s nurse referred her to the Growth Company. She was soon contacted by IPSPC Employment Specialist Emma, who developed a plan to help Julie overcome her barriers and work towards finding sustained employment.

Emma supported Julie in revamping her CV, applying for photographic ID, looking for jobs, and filling in applications.  As their meetings continued Julie felt her confidence and determination grow. Within two months, she was invited to several interviews for secretarial and admin roles.

Realising Her Own Potential

After running through mock interviews and practicing various techniques with Emma, Julie attended a successful interview at a law firm and was offered a more senior administration role than the one she had originally applied for.

Reflecting on her experience with IPSPC, Julie said: “The most memorable thing from my experience with the Growth Company was Emma very confidently saying in December that she was certain I would be back in work by March or April.

“I remember thinking that was never going to happen. I was amazed how quickly my confidence grew, and just how much I started to realise my own potential.  Any time I had any doubts or a dip in mood, Emma would always be there for me to tell me how far I had come and how well I was doing.”

Three months on, Julie is thriving at work, while continuing to receive in-work support from Emma.

She added: “I can honestly say that my life has completely changed for the better in so many ways since my referral to the Growth Company. Not only have I secured the role I so wanted, I feel happier, confident and much more prepared and hopeful for the future. I couldn’t have done it on my own!”

Find Out More

To find out how the WWIPSPC programme can support your employees, visit the programme's website. 

The Growth Company

The Growth Company helps companies in a range of sectors find candidates that suit their needs and maximise their potential. We offer employment, justice, and health services across Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire and Humber.

Get in touch today to find out more.

Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) is commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and funded by UK Government. The programme is delivered across Greater Manchester by The Growth Company in partnership with Groundwork and will support up to 1,500 individuals between September 2023 and March 2025.