CFO3

Kevin’s journey with Acorn began in 2018 when he was referred to the CFO3 support service by his probation officer. Kevin had a number of issues that he needed support with to address including poor health, housing and benefit problems, documentation and finding a stable job.

Kevin and his coach prioritised the actions that were needed to get Kevin into a more stable place before thinking about employment. Kevin’s coach sourced the details of local food banks for support and arranged an appointment with his GP, and supported to make changes to Kevin’s benefit to have it directly paid to the landlord. They also discussed getting ID for Kevin which would have been a major barrier to getting employment. Kevin started to feel that his life was improving and became a lot more positive about the future and reintegrating into society.

Kevin attended appointments with his coach every week, and as his health started to improve under guidance from his GP, he dedicated more time to finding paid employment. Kevin’s coach encouraged him to take part in an open recruitment event at the Jobcentre to discuss the barriers that ex-offenders face when trying to gain employment. Kevin spoke in front of a room of 60 people, including other jobseekers, staff and employers and told his story with confidence and courage. Once the networking session began, Kevin and his Coach were approached by the HR Manager of a local Company who was interested in offering him a job. Kevin was speechless as he had never been shown so much compassion, empathy and understanding by people he didn’t know. Attendees at the event also approached him to offer him support, friendship and most importantly their trust and recognition.

Kevin started work as a Production Operative at Tulip, one of Britain’s leading food producing companies, supplying the highest quality meat products to a diverse range of customers. Kevin has enjoyed working at Tulip from day one. He feels like he fits in with the team very well and his company have recognised that he has the potential to progress to a team leader due to his excellent communication skills and his ability to interact with others, especially those who do not have English as a first language. For his own development, Kevin has started studying Polish to better communicate with his colleagues.

Kevin’s life has transformed. He feels better and his regular, stable income has reduced his worries about housing, debt and finding enough money to eat. His willingness to engage with his coach and his own tenacity have contributed to his fantastic success story.