George was a client whom I dealt with as a walk-in one day, he was disheveled, anxious and it was evident that he was sleeping rough. Manna had supported him to take a test to get a qualification for his trade, he had failed it and he had come to apply to resit the test. The earliest opportunity was the next day and he leapt at the chance – I booked it for him admiring his determination.
He came into the Centre the next day waving his certificate- he had passed! Now he wanted to apply for his CSCS Card so that he could work but he didn’t have the money to pay for it. I booked him another appointment and we applied for the CSCS card online. There was a lot of running up and down to do (literally) and we had to enter the registration details of the old certificate, which was not too legible on his phone, so we had a good few tries before the system accepted it.
He came in after the weekend to inform me that the application had been rejected owing to an administrative technicality, so he wanted to apply again, the money for the first application had not been taken yet. We applied this time and called trying to rectify the errors to ensure that the application was a success. In addition, he asked for some shopping vouchers which I had to leave the office to get for him. He conceded that he had taken a lot of my time and thanked me in appreciation.
The next day whilst busily walking down the corridor to see my next client he stopped me to say that the application had been successful he was now waiting for the card to arrive at the Manna Centre in the next five days. I was so pleased for him.
The day after that someone approached me in the corridor to ask something and they seemed to know me. I was briefly puzzled but I recognized the Jacket, it was George!! “You look different” I said. “Yes, I have had a shower and a shave he replied”, indicating the Centre (attendees can have a shower if they submit their names early enough in the morning).” I feel more confident”, he added. He looked more youthful and relaxed now.
The next day I saw him in the Centre again, waiting for something, when I asked, he told me that he had received a message telling him that he had mail. It was for his bank account, but he said the CSCS team had written approving his application and when he received the card, he would bring it in to show me. He was also due to meet the DWP who had cancelled his Universal Credit claim as he had gone abroad and this had caused him considerable hardship upon his return. It looks like onwards and upwards for this determined young man, whom I have found inspiring and I am glad to have assisted him on his journey. Brilliant stuff!