Out of work for ten years

chocolate22

I have a disability and have been put of work for ten years. Was diagnosed with schitzophrenia and am scared to go back to work. And am afraid of what employers might think. Was wondering whether or not if there is someone out there who could help with some advice, thanks,

Rosie_Scope

Hi @chocolate22, welcome to the community! It's really natural to feel scared about things after being away from work for so long.

Could you perhaps start off really slow with some gentle volunteering work and see how you get on? It might give you more of an opportunity to explore what feels good for you without the pressures that paid work can bring. It's also a good way to build on your skills and experience for future work.

Scope have a support to work service if you'd like some help thinking about your skills and gaining confidence. You can find some details of that here if you're interested: Employment support services | Disability charity Scope UK

I'm sure our members will have some friendly advice to share too ☺️

Do you have any ideas about the kind of work you'd like to go into?

chocolate22

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply. I used to be a social worker so im hoping to get back into something similar. I will contact the employment support service, and hopefully that will get things moving. Thanks, jamila,