Case Studies

Volunteering at Emmaus

Volunteering placement at St James City Farm

Shipon’s customer was referred to the Employment and Skills Hub through Stroud College. They have a Learning Disability and had previously enjoyed working with horses at the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). However, getting there required both a train and a bus journey, which was challenging for them to manage early in the day.

Community Pathways Adviser Shipon was allocated to support them in finding ongoing work experience in an animal‑related role. Using his connections, Shipon arranged for the customer to be introduced to St James City Farm. During the first visit, he met them at Gloucester Bus Station and supported them with the walk to the farm in Tredworth.

The Support Workers now feel confident that the customer will be able to travel to the volunteering placement independently. They will be volunteering every Friday, carrying out tasks such as feeding the animals. This opportunity is expected to help improve their wellbeing, confidence, and transferable skills, while also strengthening their CV for future opportunities.

4000 referrals since October 2021 for the Employment and Skills Hub

We recently reached 4000 referrals since October 2021 which is a great achievement for our team. Our 4000th referral was Jalal and you can follow his employment journey below.

Jalal Karami, an asylum seeker from Iran, arrived in the UK in August 2024. Since his arrival, he has been residing at the Ibis Hotel while awaiting the outcome of his Home Office interview. In his home country, Jalal worked in the construction sector, and upon settling in the UK, he has demonstrated remarkable initiative and commitment to integrating into the local community and improving his prospects.

Jalal’s journey with support services began when he self-referred during a drop-in session at the Ibis Hotel. During this session, he expressed a strong interest in volunteering and employment support. He has been attending ESOL (English is your second language) classes provided by the Adult Education Team, enrolled in an IT skills course, and is currently volunteering with both Guidehall and the Furniture Recycling Project. His professional background in construction and his evident motivation to work in the UK further reinforced the decision to prioritise his support pathway.

Jalal aims to secure his right to work following a positive outcome on his asylum claim, update his CV to align with UK job market standards, and begin searching for employment, ideally within the construction industry. He is also committed to improving his English and digital literacy, while continuing to build local experience through volunteering.

His support journey has been structured into three phases. In the short term, while awaiting his asylum decision, Jalal is encouraged to continue and potentially expand his volunteering roles to gain valuable UK-based references and experience. He will receive one-to-one CV support tailored to construction-related roles, with a focus on highlighting transferable skills such as teamwork, safety awareness, and reliability. To build his confidence, mock interviews will be arranged with language support where necessary, and he will be encouraged to attend employability workshops. He will also be supported in setting up and navigating digital job platforms such as Indeed, TotalJobs, and CV-Library.

Once Jalal secures his right to work, we will focus on job matching and referrals to employers and agencies within the construction or manual labour sectors. He will be assisted in applying for a CSCS Card, which is essential for construction work, and funding options or bursaries for training and test fees will be explored.

In the long term, Jalal will be supported to continue his ESOL (English is your second language) and IT training, with opportunities to explore further education or apprenticeships in trades or construction. He will also be encouraged to take on future community leadership roles, such as volunteering as a peer mentor, to help others in similar situations.

Jalal’s story is one of resilience and self-motivation. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his asylum status, he has actively sought out opportunities to learn, contribute, and prepare for a better future. His self-referral reflects a high level of initiative, and his consistent engagement with services demonstrates strong potential for successful integration. With the right support, Jalal is well-positioned to transition into employment and make meaningful economic and social contributions within the Gloucestershire community.

Jess - development through workshops

During her initial meeting with her employment adviser, Jess was enthusiastic but visibly anxious. She expressed interest in retail and hospitality, drawn to roles involving interaction with people. Friendly and approachable, Jess showed potential but needed support in key areas.

Using the Distance Travel Tool (DTT), we identified initial development goals:

• Boosting confidence and social interaction
• Enhancing problem-solving and willingness to try new things
• Improving interview preparation and job search skills

In their second meeting, Jess and her adviser applied for a retail assistant role at M&S, securing an interview the following week. With support from her adviser and tutor, Jess felt well-prepared. Although she didn’t get the job, feedback was positive, she interviewed well but needed more experience.

This outcome led to a renewed focus on workshops and volunteering to build her skill set.

Jess began her journey with the Game On workshop. Initially she was quiet and reserved, but she gradually grew in confidence over the following weeks. Her transformation was clear, she went from being shy to actively helping others during sessions, showing them how to play games and offering support. Jess became more outgoing, engaging with the group, joking around, and participating fully.

Her progress continued in the Interview Me workshop, where she demonstrated leadership and initiative. During a group activity, Jess volunteered to write down everyone’s answers and confidently shared them with the class, an impressive step forward in her communication and self-assurance.

Jess is now volunteering at a café in the park, where she has taken on more responsibility and increased her hours. Even during busy periods, she remains calm and handles tasks effectively. She hopes this experience could lead to a paid role in the future. Regardless, she has gained a strong reference and valuable transferable skills.

Jess’s development has been significant, not only in confidence but also in her communication, teamwork, and leadership. She now asks questions, supports others, and takes initiative when needed. Volunteering has also helped her improve her timekeeping, reliability, and ability to work under pressure.

Her progress is an example of how targeted support, workshops, and volunteering can help individuals build essential skills, boost confidence, and prepare for employment.

Millie's volunteering journey

Millie was referred to the Employment and Skills Hub requesting support with gaining voluntary work, following their college course coming to an end. Millie has learning difficulties, Global Delay Development and speech and language was delayed. Millie cannot use public transport.

After completing triage stage Millie was connected to Shipon, who is a Community Pathways Adviser at the Employment and Skills Hub. Millie came to the meeting with support from their mother and a Vocational Profile was completed which includes recording Millie’s career interests, availability, information on additional needs, education and work history. 

Following the meeting Shipon looked for volunteering opportunities close to home and came across one at GL11 Community Hub, which is in walking distance, where Millie is now volunteering.

Millie has officially started volunteering on Tuesday 8 July and is expected to go in 1 hour per week. Millie was partnered up with another volunteer during induction, who supported Millie with picking products, tidying up shelves and learning about best before dates. At first Millie was supported by their mother to access the workplace but will now be attending independently.

Millie is enjoying the volunteering, and this will hopefully help with development, gaining further work experience, confidence building, learning new skills and make way for a potential reference for future job applications.

Andrew and Brad

Andrew has LD and started working with Brad early in 2024 after his previous Employment Adviser Shipon moved to a new role. They met on a weekly basis at Gloucester Library and Brad supported with for searching and applying for Bar work, both on job searching sites as well as company sites as this was a job that he was very keen to do and has had previous experience in this role from working at the rugby club.

During the sessions, they also reviewed Andrew’s CV for attaching to applications and making sure he had the required experience and skills before putting in applications and sometimes this meant we looked at courses to support with skills building through adult education. Brad also met Andrew in the centre of Gloucester on some occasions and went into businesses to hand in his CV in person, therefore giving Andrew a feel on the kind of locations and spaces he could potentially be working in and getting that interaction with employers.

At the End of May, Brad and Andrew applied for a bar staff position at Jaxx nightclub in Gloucester and he was then offered a trial shift which he very much enjoyed and his experience shone through to the employer and Andrew was therefore successful and offered a position working regular shifts on the bar and also clearing cups and drinks from tables and has very much enjoyed his first few shifts in the job.

Good luck in your new role Andrew!

Tom's volunteering journey

Tom is autistic and lived in a small, remote village outside Stroud. Tom was very reliant on buses and he was unsure what to do for work and what might work for his travel needs. He had very little experience with paid work and needed a way to build existing skills and gain some new ones to add to his CV. 

The Employment and Skills Hub recommended that he looked at trying for a volunteer position. He found a volunteer role at a charity shop in the centre of Gloucester, this would involve quite a bit of travel. But he decided to give it a try. 

Tom enjoyed his commute once per week. Not only did the volunteering help with his employability skills but it also improved his confidence with travel. This enabled us to find him roles outside of his immediate locality.

But Tom took this one step further. Tom went to a job fair and saw PGL's stand and decided to have a chat with them. The job would be based in Swindon and it would be a live-in role.

On our next appointment after the job fair, I assisted Tom with the application to PGL. Tom was offered an interview and did so well, he was offered the job on the spot. Tom happily accepted the role. 

Tom started the job at the end of March and seems to be doing well.

Volunteering played a big part in this. He managed to build his skills and confidence that enabled him to make the giant leap from moving away from home and living an independent life and earning himself a living.

George's volunteering placements

Following a referral from Adult Social Care during late February 2025, to encourage participation within community and involvement in volunteering, George has been supported by Shipon (Community Pathways Adviser) to gain two volunteering placements as of May 2025.

One of them being at The Music Works in Gloucester where George’s passion lies and one of them being in Gloucester Cathedral where it involves being outdoors within the community litter picking. The voluntary work at Gloucester Cathedral involves keeping the outdoor area clean whilst The Music Works voluntary role involves partnering up with a Music Leader and learning from them.

George is 22, has additional needs and has been unemployed for many years, so the experience is building his confidence, skills and knowledge that can help him in the future. It would also provide George with two potential references if needed for job applications.

Forwards Team - Mental health

I worked with an individual who self-referred into the Hub using our online referral form. At the time of her referral, she was already engaged with other services including GDAS (Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Service) and mental health support through her GP, and her personal circumstances were made more challenging by an insecure tenancy and pending homelessness.

Having quickly established that she needed additional support in many different areas, I signposted her to services that could meet her immediate needs around housing, finances and benefits provision and ensured that she had the required information and support to resolve these difficulties.

Although her previous work experience included roles in factories, agriculture and manufacturing she had found them deeply unsatisfying and aspired towards a role that nurtured her creative and naturally caring nature, however she didn’t know here to begin and felt overwhelmed and anxious.

With this in mind, we identified where her strengths and attributes could be transferrable and applied for roles in Teaching Assistant and caring roles. I was able to reassure her that her lack of previous experience wouldn’t be a barrier as many roles offer full training.

We were able to secure a job interview with a local social care provider and after careful preparation and interview practice, she secured a role in social care. I worked with her new employer to outline the reasonable adjustments she requires to promote positive mental health, and with these in place she has gone on to become a valued member of staff. She has expressed gratitude for the support provided and feels that the move into social care has been very positive for her. The interaction with her employer has also proved fruitful, as they are keen to collaborate with us again in the future.

Step Forwards

Josh, a young man with an interest in the retail sector, who initially came to Step Forwards struggling with anxiety and low self-confidence. Though he had the potential and personal qualities suited to retail, his self-doubt made it difficult for him to take the first step toward employment.

Josh encountered several obstacles on his path to employment, including anxiety in social situations and unfamiliar environments, which made it challenging for him to engage confidently with others. His limited recent work experience and difficulties with job applications and interviews added further barriers, while low self-esteem and a fear of rejection undermined his motivation and self-belief. To support him, he received one-on-one coaching focused on building confidence, assistance with CV development and interview preparation, and a supported retail work experience placement to help him gain practical skills and boost his confidence. Regular check-ins and emotional support were also provided throughout his journey. A key turning point came when Josh was placed in a short-term role at a local retail store, where he quickly demonstrated his reliability, strong interpersonal skills, and eagerness to learn. The positive feedback he received from staff greatly enhanced his self-confidence and marked a significant step forward in his employment journey.

Josh successfully secured a part-time role at Bargain Buys situated in the heart of Gloucester. He is now a valued member of his team and continues to build his skills and confidence. The structure, routine, and positive environment have helped reduce his anxiety, and he is proud of how far he’s come.

Quote from Josh:
"I never thought I’d be able to hold down a job. Now, I actually look forward to going in each day. Thank you for believing in me."

Cody's journey to employment

Cody is a young autistic woman. She came to the Employment and Skills hub in March 2024 to get help in finding a supportive employer who would allow her to be herself.

Cody had previous experience in retail and hospitality. Cody also had an interest in working with children. Whilst unemployed she threw herself into volunteer work so she could continue being busy and to provide her with routine. In her spare time, she took care of an elderly neighbour as well as pet/house sitting for friends and family.

Maria was assigned as her Employment Adviser. During their first meeting it was apparent that Cody was a very capable person, she was caring and had a brilliant sense of humour and had the ability to make me laugh. By the end of the first appointment, they were both laughing and looking forward to the next meeting.

Cody had no difficulty applying for jobs, but she did have trouble getting the interview offers. Maria took a look at her CV, whilst it was a good CV, improvements could be made to allow employers to see her skills easier at first glance. They made amendments and were happy to receive an interview request not long after. Maria made a call to the employer - a supermarket, and asked if she could request the reasonable adjustment of having the interview questions in advance, they happily obliged, and they also advised that Maria could accompany Cody to the interview. They prepared for the interview in their next meeting.

Unfortunately, Cody was unsuccessful on that occasion, but because Maria was able to sit in on the interview, she was able to advise Cody on what could've been improved. They then set to work on interview techniques and how best to research the organisation and answer the questions in a way that appeals to an employer.

Whilst waiting for the next break, Cody didn't sit back and do nothing. They were able to find a TA training course for Cody to do, she saw this through all the way to the end and was able to add another string to her bow for her CV.  She also took part in employer routeways to build her knowledge on different sectors.

During one meeting, they did another search online for other job vacancies when they came across a job with a popular beauty retail organisation. They went through the application together and submitted it. Within a day or two Cody was invited for an interview the next week. Maria called the employer and requested the questions in advance which they were also happy to do. Maria and Cody prepped for the interview - researching the company, and how best to answer the questions provided.

Cody was offered the job on the same day, she accepted and is very happy in her role. They know about her challenges, and they have been extremely supportive. She feels safe and she can indeed be herself.

With our support and her determination (and her amazing personality), we were able to find a good fit for both Cody and the employer.

Well done Maria and Cody.

Supported employment

This anonymised case study is about a gentleman who lives in Gloucestershire. He has work experience in a variety of roles, including warehouse, delivery driving and cleaning roles. He was referred to the Employment and Skills Hub by an adviser at his local job centre following a period of unemployment.

He has Autism and a learning disability and is also diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He also experiences significant anxiety and depression and explained that he had lost his previous job due to suffering from the effects of Long Covid, which had made him feel exhausted and reduced his ability to focus and think clearly, which he described this as “brain fog”.

During our initial meetings we quickly established a positive working relationship which allowed us to discuss his interests and aspirations for work.  At first, he was apprehensive about seeking and applying for work because of his recent negative experiences, and asked whether we should delay seeking work until his anxiety felt more manageable. I explained that we would look at ways of managing his anxiety during the process of seeking and starting work, and that having a job and a stable routine is a good way of supporting the recovery process, but I advised him to speak with his GP if he felt he needed to.

One we had finished gathering information to complete his Vocational Profile we started preparing for his job search. This involved updating his C.V, practicing filling in job applications and interview preparation. He explained that when he is anxious it can take him longer to understand and respond to what other people are saying, which means he can often “freeze” during interviews, so we focussed on practical ways of overcoming this, such as preparing thoroughly for each interview, going through interview questions in advance and exploring mindfulness techniques.

He explained that he wanted to explore driving roles, as he enjoys driving and this would allow him time on his own without the demands of being around other people. He takes great pride in his ability to drive and sees passing his driving test as a great achievement, so actively using this skill is very positive for his self-esteem and confidence. With this in mind, he identified and applied for several driving roles on job search websites.

He successfully gained an interview with a local delivery company, however he was unsuccessful in getting the job. During our reflection on this experience he indicated that he had been feeling very tired and overwhelmed during the interview but was not able to identify areas where he felt he could improve his interview technique. With support he was able to ask for feedback from the interviewer, and from this he learned that he needed to more clearly demonstrate how his skills were transferable to the job he had applied for. We used this feedback during our preparation for his next interview and he was successful in securing a position as a delivery driver. This was really positive for his self-esteem and confidence, and he said he felt very happy and proud of this achievement.

Before he started his new role, I visited his employer and discussed my customer’s needs, specifically for a regular shift pattern and scheduled breaks. It was agreed that although there would be overtime available my customer was under no obligation to work additional hours unless he was given advance notice and he agreed to it. I also supported him to complete the new starter paperwork for his role and helped him to identify who his line manager is and how to approach them if he has any difficulties.

At the present time he remains in employment and has said that he is enjoying the work, however he has had to make an adjustment to working during the evening hours. He has said that he would like to take on additional responsibilities in the future and will be speaking to his manager about this.

Jack's journey

Jack has recently completed the 2023/24 supported Internship course at SGS, supported by our Internship Coordinator Joe. He was given the opportunity to do his unpaid placement at the Cheltenham Chase Hotel alongside his one day at college. Jack worked 5 hour shifts on a Thursday and Friday in order to pick up valuable work experience and enhance his employability skills. He had his daily tasks which consisted of front of house duties, clearing, relaying tables, dealing with customers' requests, and restocking food.

“I have certainly developed my confidence skills over the last 5/6 months of working at the hotel. It has given me the opportunity to talk confidently to the customers as I was a bit nervous to speak to them at first, but now if a customer has a query or a request for food, I can confidently sort it out for them by communicating and running everything past my work colleagues in the restaurant if I need to.”

Jack has learnt lots of valuable skills whilst working at the hotel. He feels more independent than ever before and thanks to the Supported Internship course he could improve and demonstrate his practical ability in the workplace and can now confidently carry out different tasks in a hospitality environment.

Because of his hard work, his employer has given him a zero hour paid contract with the Cheltenham Chase Hotel and is picking up more shifts as his college year has finished.

Well Done Jack, you deserve this.