A Motherwell man is enjoying a new career after 20 years of unemployment thanks to North Lanarkshire’s Working.
William Boyd, 52, spent nearly two decades on Incapacity Benefit after an accident which caused serious arm and hand injuries cost him his job as a Quality Control Officer at British Steel. Unable to work, he instead devoted his time to looking after his disabled stepdaughter and eventually his elderly mother-in-law.
William said: “I was acting as an unpaid full-time carer for a long time, and eventually I realised that I had built up a lot of understanding of how to look after people who are ill or disabled. “Following a change in family circumstances, I began to think more seriously about going back to work and using the skills I had developed to find work in the care sector.”
He turned for help to the local offices of Routes to Work, a North Lanarkshire’s Working partner, where he received a wide range of support and encouragement from their Key Worker Service and Employability Team to find employment.
William said: “I had fantastic help from Sharon McCormack, my Routes to Work key worker. She provided me with a lot of support over the 9 months I was actively looking for work, offering great advice on how to best present myself to employers, and she eventually helped me make it to the interview stage with Heather Park Home Care in Wishaw.”
After two interviews with the local company, William started work as a Health Care Worker in February 2009. He provides residential care for clients, working shifts from 8am to 10pm as part of a team which provides round-the-clock care for local people with disabilities.
William also benefits from the continuing support of his Routes to Work key worker, who is on hand for the first six months of his employment to help with any issues raised by his return to work.
William added: “I’ve enjoyed every minute of the job so far. It’s been even more fulfilling than I thought it would be. It’s my job to help clients to enjoy their lives as much as possible, and it’s great to know that I’m making a difference to them.
“I’m certain that I wouldn’t be doing this job without the support of both my key worker and my supervisor at Heather Park, who went out of her way to give me a chance to prove myself. I’m so grateful to them and I’m thrilled to be doing a job I love.”
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