Many of us may experience periods of feeling down, but suffering with depression, can leave you with an overwhelming sense of sadness for an extended length of time.
During 2021, Maria Augusta, 61, started to feel very depressed and couldn’t shake the feeling off when she was referred to Maximus by her local jobcentre for support.
Maria, from London, explained: “Depression is a dark and terrible place for a person to live and I was at my lowest point when I joined Maximus.
“I used to work in the health and education sector but never felt that I had received proper development and structured skills to perform well in work, so being referred to the Adult Education Budget (AEB) service was a great starting point for me.
“I worked as a learning support assistant in schools until the first pandemic lockdown but hadn’t worked since.
“The AEB team made me feel welcome, helping me understand that we are all different with different needs and abilities.”
Maria felt her employment opportunities would be better improved with training and new skills, so she started to complete several courses. She also received regular one-to-one wellbeing sessions.
“The AEB team are always ready to listen and well equipped to deal with any situation by having a great support network. They have certainly helped me start to feel good about myself again.
“Maximus has helped me conquer many issues over my time on the programme and helped me better understand areas of my life that I can and can’t change. My confidence is growing daily and that’s thanks to Maximus and the AEB team. The knowledge of knowing they are there to help me has given me peace of mind and had a positive effect on my life.
“I now have a sense of pride. Maximus has brought out the best in me by giving me the tools, confidence and empowerment to improve my future. I’ve completed several courses now and am inspired to continue. In fact, my next course is information, advice and guidance
(IAG) which will help me move into a different work environment.
“Although I’m not yet in work I am volunteering and studying really hard to get the job I really want by keeping focused. I will be eternally grateful to the Maximus AEB team. Thank you.”
