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Barnardo’s Works North Ayrshire – Isla

Updated: 24/07/2025

We met Isla Russell after she contacted us about getting support to get into work. She had left school at 16 and struggled with self-confidence. This made looking for jobs and preparing for work an anxious experience which negatively affected her mental health. Isla had some idea what she wanted to do and a couple of ideas for employment but needed a bit of help realising her ambitions.

“Barnardo’s support has been invaluable for her progress and future job prospects”

As Islas primary focus was on gaining employment we worked with her to create a CV in the first instance. We then set about finding out what Isla was interested in and asking her to consider the types of jobs she would do and then where to look for those types of jobs. Isla did great working on this in her own time and later we identified opportunities together she could apply for and would be happy pursuing. We worked on techniques with Isla to control her nerves and made sure she had appropriate attire to dress for upcoming interviews.

“Isla has really came a long way in such a short time and seems to be really enjoying it”

Isla had identified the nearby Riverside Lodge Hotel as a potential place to work as her cousin and friend both worked there already and had encouraged Isla to apply in the past. Barnardos visited the Riverside Lodge hotel and met with the General Manager and after a short meeting we established a potential opportunity for Isla to work in the restaurant. After a bit of interview prep beforehand, Isla overcame her anxiety and did very well at an interview where she was offered a permanent part time role in the restaurant. She’s now been working there for 4 weeks and has been gradually increasing her hours which shows great progression and underlines how well she has performed. She is now considering supplementing her waitress work with a Hub International training programme for Hospitality in order to expand her skillset and learn new job requirements in different parts of the industry

 

“Isla has really came a long way in such a short time and seems to be really enjoying it. Barnardos support has been invaluable for her progress and future job prospects. When she’s happy I’m happy and I couldn’t be prouder of her” Islas mum

“Its been great to see Isla come out of her shell and alongside support from Barnardos work hard towards her goals. She is more confident and despite the short timeframe is already more capable in applying for jobs or attending interviews, something she didn’t think she could do a few months ago. She’s done great and its been very rewarding for me helping Isla to achieve her goals”  Barnardos Project Worker

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