Janet M – Hartlepool Returneeship 2018

From life changing accident to managing a bright future

 

“The best two days of my life – absolutely loved it!” is how Janet sums up the Returneeship secret project. Janet had worked since school, first working at a bakery where she was quickly promoted to run a shop. When that business was sold due to the owner’s retirement, she moved into retail.

Janet worked for several major high street companies until a car accident stopped her in her tracks. The resulting injuries took years to recover from and the impact on her mental health led to a complete nervous breakdown. She credits the support of her loving parents for her recuperation. When she was able to, Janet started to apply for jobs again and completed courses in areas such as first aid and catering. In spite of this, Janet found that it was difficult for employers to see beyond the employment gap on her CV.

It was through Jobcentre Plus that Janet heard about the Returneeship and determined to get out of a rut, she signed up. Although Janet loves learning, it was still hard for her to turn up on the first day as she was suffering from chronic anxiety. Yet she pushed herself to attend, was quickly put at ease and felt ‘taken under the Release Potential team’s wing’. In fact, Janet surprised herself and volunteered to be a presenter. While nervous at first, as she had not done anything like this before, Daymon, the director, rehearsed with Janet so she felt ready. With plenty of laughter along the way, Janet relaxed and successfully presented in front of the cameras and audience.

During the classroom phase, Janet says that she felt excited to get out of bed in the morning even though she found it very intense. She felt pushed but supported by the tutors to reach her potential and her computer skills improved. At the end of each day Janet walked out feeling like she had completed a day’s work which increased her confidence and belief that she had progressed in herself. Janet was sorry to see it come to an end as she felt she had undergone such a personal transformation.

The legacy of the Returneeship course according to Janet is that “It gave me a boost to go out and make things happen – it gave me a kick.” She successfully applied for a maternity cover post for a management position for Julian Charles luxury bedding and curtains concession, within the TJ Hughes store in Hartlepool, and has been working for 20 hours per week for the last nine months. On her days off she has been working in a charity shop and has enjoyed working again. An added bonus from the course is that she has stayed in touch with the friends she made on the course and they go for regular nights out. Looking forward to the future, she has networked with other retail managers in the area and is planning to move into another position once she has completed the maternity contract.

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