Mark* started work as a claims consultant while living in supported accommodation at EveryYouth partner charity YMCA Leicestershire. This was thanks to Project Flourish, created in collaboration with global recruitment service provider Hays.
The weekend before Mark started the job, his key worker took him shopping for clothing (shirts, jumper, trousers, shoes and a bag), a weekly train ticket and food for lunches.
This was supplemented over the next few weeks with more travel and food vouchers. In total, in his first four weeks of work, Mark was able to access £122.70 in train tickets, £91.18 in clothing, and £180 in food vouchers – meaning that all of subsistence needs were met ahead of his first pay cheque.
Four months later, Mark was offered social housing and requested some help towards his rent payments. Project Flourish suggested that he attended a confidential 1:1 with Financial Wellbeing specialists FinWELL ahead of providing this, which would help him look at his new outgoings against his income once he has moved.
Project Flourish then disbursed £1,622.72 which covered 16 weeks of rent. Through EveryYouth’s partnership with SIMBA, Mark also received a free mattress for his new flat.
Mark passed his work probation a month later and Project Flourish sent him a congratulations card. His mentor at work remarked that “he is flying!” and had fitted into the team well.
Mark is very thorough in his work which sometimes means productivity isn’t as high as others in the team, but the quality of his work is high. He listens well and has been selected for further fraud training.
*Not real name.
Find out more about Project Flourish.
