Zaid’s story: Centrepoint gave me the confidence to continue

Reaching out to Centrepoint

Zaid, 21, called the Centrepoint Helpline for support after a family breakdown meant that he didn’t have anywhere to stay. He was studying for university in London but had to leave and come home, but when he came back to Manchester, due to family issues, he was no longer able to stay in the family home. He tried to reach out to the council for support but was turned away and given the number for Centrepoint instead.  

“There was a lot of family matters happening and because of it, I didn’t have anywhere to go. I didn’t have a job at the time, and I was at university in London and then I had to come back to Manchester. But when I came back, I had problems with housing because they were refusing me and there was a housing agent who said we can’t help you. But they said if we needed help with housing, you could call this number and that was the Centrepoint Helpline”.

He quickly called the Centrepoint Helpline, explaining his situation and that he was unable to get the support he needed from the council at the time. Zaid was referred to the team and began working with Debbie, a key worker based in Manchester, who listened to what had happened and looked at the options available to him. 

“I explained everything to Debbie, and Debbie is the one that has helped me since day one.”

Getting settled status

Together, they looked at why he was initially turned away by the council for support, as he had lived in Manchester for most of his life and had connections to the area. After speaking with the council and trying to understand where the issues were coming from, it came to light that due to his dual nationality and some issues with filing the correct paperwork, he was not listed as a British citizen, despite having been born in the UK. 

However, with Debbie’s help and guidance, they were able to complete the relevant forms and go through the necessary processes to mean that Zaid had access to the housing support that he needed, and was entitled to, from the council. 

“She helped with everything, I had an issue because my status was pending, even though I’ve always been in the UK, and I was born here and she really helped me with that, and they granted it, so I had indefinite leave.”

“Because I have dual nationality, they’re saying I didn’t have this nationality, but I told them multiple times that I was British, but I just had applied for my passport. So, housing refused me because they said that I wasn’t from here.” 

Through all the stress and difficulty in getting his settled status, having Debbie by his side at every stage was really important for Zaid, knowing that he wasn’t working through these challenges alone. Being able to check in with her, get advice and know that any question he had he could reach out to her, gave him some much-needed peace of mind.

“Debbie spoke to the council and referred me to the government stuff. She helped me with getting my status and they instantly granted it. But she helped me with a lot of stuff you know just general stuff. Any questions I had, I just sent a message, and we would have a long conversation about it”.

Finding work

Whilst working with Debbie, as he was applying for homes and getting ready to move onto the next step, they began talking about finding a role for him that suited his skillset and interests. She referred him to Jamie, a jobs and education advisor at Centrepoint, to help him with his CV, applications and all he needed to enter into the working world.

Before leaving university, Zaid had been studying for a degree in IT and had always had an interest in pursuing a role in this area, even as a young child. After sitting down and explaining to Jamie what he wanted to do and where his interests were, they began by writing this CV to make sure that it really showcased his experience.

Alongside helping to get his CV in order, Jamie was able to help with expectations around working, paying bills and how to conduct himself when he takes on a new role. 

“I didn’t know how to correctly write a CV, and I’d never rented before, and it was hard to get somewhere to be housed. But they showed me how to do it, that I needed to sign the contract and a lot of stuff about how to get a job and how jobs expect you to be and talk and just in general he was helping me to get where I needed to go.”

He remembers the guidance that Jamie was able to give him, even remembering one day where they went from retailer to retailer with his new CV to find a job. As he was looking to move into his own place soon, it was important for Zaid to find a way to have a steady income and going from place to place was a good way to get his CV out there and to find something that could work for him.

“I remember when I had a meeting with him, we would even go around Primark because I needed to find an income and so I could get a flat or anything, but first I needed to find a job. We went around and asked managers and I dropped off my CV at different places in town. We went around!”

After trying different avenues and looking for different roles that suited his skillset, Jamie was able to help him into a role as an IT analyst for a large organisation across the UK and Europe, something that he was excited to start. 

After being in his new role for a couple of months, Zaid has really settled into this position, using his range of skills and experience in the area to hit the ground running and make a real impact. 

He remembers when the offer for the role came in how happy and grateful he was for Jamie supporting him to find a job that fulfilled a dream he had had from childhood. Now in this role, it has quickly become something that is really important for him.

“I haven’t finished my uni because of what happened and why I ended up at Centrepoint. But I was studying for it, so I have knowledge of it. Now actually getting hands on and getting skills with it I’m just so grateful for it.”

“I’m doing IT, and I really always wanted to be in IT. When the offer came in and after all of the help that he [Jamie] gave me, I told him multiple times like thank you for everything you did for me. My work now is my first priority”.

Reflecting on his support

Without the support of Jamie and Debbie through some of the most challenging times, Zaid said he might have been in a very different place. Now in his own home and in a job that he loves, and is thriving in, he’s had a chance to think back on what that experience was like.

“Debbie really helped me a lot and Jamie really helped me a lot. I really appreciate everything they’ve done. It’s something I’ll always remember because I always wanted to do IT, even when I was younger, I was just good at it and making it my job is just amazing.” 

“Jamie was very very helpful. It was Jamie and Debbie who were the ones that really helped me in this world. Debbie helped with all the other stuff – like the general stuff and she pointed me to Jamie.”

He recognised that when he first started working with Debbie and Jamie, he was in a very different place and after working together it’s been a complete change for him. 

“It was just not a great place to be at that time. But now I’m smiling and I’m happy. I’m not thinking the same thoughts and stuff like that and that’s why I’m always thankful for Debbie and Jamie for just all the help they gave me.”

“Sometimes I don’t even know how I got here sometimes because there was a lot of stuff that could have gone very wrong in my journey. So, I’m just thankful and I thank God”.

Knowing that there was someone in his corner, helping him to navigate difficult situations and find his feet in a new world was a huge support for him during that time. He remembers the positive impact seeing someone really wanting to help him had – someone who was there to help him and not expect anything in return. Seeing Jamie contacting so many people and going down so many routes to find him a role has an overwhelming positive experience for him. 

“Even just that, for people to see that someone is just trying for them, you can see it and you appreciate it. For me, I could see that they are really putting in the effort. A lot of the time Jamie would say, I have a friend who does this or let me put you in contact with this person and because he has so many connections he really helps, and he really tried to help people. And not just on paper, you know he’ll be like I actually know a person and let me give them a ring or let me send them an email”.

For Zaid, having the support of others around him and seeing what he is has been able to achieve has been hugely motivating and given him the boost he needed to be able to continue on with his education. 

“I’m thinking about going for the future. For right now I’m working, and I want to finish my uni education and Centrepoint, with everything that happened, they gave me the motivation to continue with my studies. I want to continue my studies and that’s my goal – I want to finish. Because I’m in IT I could always do the Open University and do it online. But Centrepoint gave me the confidence and motivation to continue”.

Looking to his future

Now that Zaid is settled into his new job and has a space of his own, he’s been thinking about what might come next for him. He recognises the potential for progression where he is and the skills he will gain from that, which could one day help him to achieve his dream of opening his own IT company.

“My dream goal would be to create my own IT service and my own IT company. That’s my dream goal but for now I want to get good at this job and get up the ladder. There is progression here and you can get promoted to the next line and then if you get more skills, you could be in a different team”.

Zaid's positive mindset and ability to look at his experiences as a whole has really helped him in overcoming challenges and keep him motivated to reach the next step. His advice for other young people who might be struggling with similar experiences is to try and see things from every angle and understand what you can learn from it to move forward in your journey. 

After getting rejections from roles and set backs in his life, he has tried to see these as stepping stones in his journey and have helped him to reach where he is now. 

“They need to see the whole picture and just be focused. Actually, listen and be focused and everything that they try to help you with just take your shot at it. For example, with this job I didn’t think I was gonna get it, but I ended up getting it, it was the exact one that I wanted. The team are really nice and I’m doing what I want to do, and I didn’t think that was going to happen because when I was applying for stuff and you get no response or something you get a reply with ‘unfortunately, unfortunately’ it can be really unmotivating”. 

“I always try to look at all angles and everything and maybe that’s just me and that I’m dealing with it all. But ‘m always thinking of everything, like even in the past, I just think about it and say this really happened and it happened for a reason and because it happened, I was able to get this”.

Zaid has achieved so much in the short time that he was been working with Centrepoint and his hard work to reach his goals can be seen in everything he’s done. We wish him all the best for his future, and that he reaches his goal of opening his own IT company one day!

*names have been changed to protect the young person's identity