PossAbilities – delivering services during COVID-19

PossAbilities are a social enterprise supporting people to ‘Live the life they choose’. 3SC work with PossAbilities who deliver employment support services for visually impaired people on our Specialist Employment Support (SES) programme across the UK. We thought it would useful to share some examples of how they are going the extra mile to support their clients during the Covid-19 pandemic when they cannot just deliver their services on business as usual basis.

One customer has had several setbacks during lockdown due to physical and mental health issues.  PossAbilities stayed in weekly contact with him via phone calls to support him and his family.  One of his family members whom he lived with had tested positive for the virus. This meant the client had to stay inside and isolate for 2 weeks and therefore his anxiety levels were particularly high at this time. He was terrified of catching the virus but did not end up displaying any symptoms. Our contact during this difficult time increased and we sent him activities to do and links to organisations who could offer more support with his mental health in these difficult times.

This was all received with gratitude and he looked forward to our contact during this time. The client has recently decided to start job searching again after his mental health improved so we have been contacting him with appropriate jobs and giving him advice with completing application forms.  We have also discussed possible interview questions and have advised him about his general wellbeing. He has been extremely receptive to the advice given and we are positive about his progress once some of the Covid-19 measures are reduced.

Another customer started his new job just before the lockdown started and has since been working mainly from home. In work support has been provided on a fortnightly basis by email with both the customer and employer. This has gone really well and has had a positive effect on both client and employer.  The current circumstances have been challenging for the client as they started a new job and then immediately lost the day to day support of colleagues and their manager which has been a strain.

However, he has remained positive throughout and has never given up which is evident from his replies to PossAbilities’ phone and email contacts, which have been positive and upbeat.  His manager has also welcomed our contact as she feels she can come to use for advice on any reasonable adjustments the customer may need. Because of the customer’s obvious resolve and dedication to his job, he has passed the first stage of his training and is now ready to start seeing his own clients.

Paul Johnson, Contract Performance Manager, 3SC