Sarah’s top of the crops!

It’s been a rocky road for mother-of-two Sarah Young, 33, from Hartlepool. She wanted to work to support her two young daughters, but there were obstacles in her path.

On her first meeting with Triage Employment Adviser Amy Crone, Sarah began to open up about the challenges she was facing – and the two formed a strong bond. “Amy welcomed me like we had been friends for life,” says Sarah.

Together, they reviewed Sarah’s CV and revised it to focus on her key strengths. Their sessions covered financial planning, job applications and job search websites. Much of the time, however, was spent supporting Sarah through her personal issues, ensuring she could progress at her own pace.

Having previously worked as a hairdresser and beauty therapist, Sarah began to dream of a career in this field. Amy referred her to Restart Self-Employment Adviser, Steph Campbell, for guidance on setting up a hairdressing business. Sarah was given tips on business and financial planning, bookkeeping, and calculating budgets.

Steph also advised Sarah to use Facebook to gauge potential business interest among her followers. The response was overwhelmingly positive! Sarah was also contacted by a local salon which needed a self-employed hair stylist to rent space in its premises and the bookings came flooding in.

"From the day I walked into Triage to now I’m like a completely different person,” says Sarah.

“Amy helped me through the darkest, hardest days of my life and made me believe I was good enough to do whatever I set out to do. She supported me every single step of the way. I cannot thank the team at Triage enough, especially Amy and Steph because I know if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”