Iram Finds Direction, Confidence and Community through Grow

Iram is a mum of three from Hounslow who had been working as a 111 Health Advisor within the NHS for many years. While she had built a long-standing career in healthcare, the role involved unsociable hours, often working evenings and early mornings, which made it difficult to balance work and family life.

At the same time, Iram experienced a serious leg injury, which required surgery and left her unable to work for several months. This period had a significant impact on her wellbeing.

“I was off for four or five months and I was quite low. I had to go back to work because otherwise I would have lost my licence, but I knew something needed to change.”

At this point, Iram attended a local job fair, where she met members of the Grow team, Saeema and Sheeja.

When Iram joined Grow, she was not only looking for employment opportunities but also time to recover, reflect and explore new options.

“I just wanted something part-time, something that worked around my children. I wanted to explore what was out there and see what I could do next.”

She was also considering a career change, with an interest in moving into a role that would better fit around her family life, such as working in a school or developing her own business.

From her first interaction with Grow, Iram describes feeling an immediate sense of belonging.

“I had an instant connection. They made me feel so welcome, like I’d known them for ages.”

Through the Grow community and sessions, Iram was able to access a wide range of support, including advice on training and career options, online workshops and information and guidance on education and support.

As part of her journey on Grow, Iram has actively engaged in learning and development to support her next steps.

Through Grow she completed a Canva course delivered by Capital City College, where she developed digital skills including:

• Creating presentations and posters
• Designing logos and social media content
• Producing visual materials independently

“At the start, I didn’t know how to use Canva at all. Now I can design posters, presentations and even logos. It’s given me confidence to do things myself.”

Alongside this, Iram is currently completing a sewing course that she sourced herself through Learn Hillingdon, with plans to progress into dressmaking and explore starting her own business. She is keen to join Grow’s ‘Grow Your Own Business’ session to help her better understand and explore self employment as an option.

Iram has also expressed interest in further training, including Teaching Assistant Level 3 and Coaching and mentoring. Her approach has been to use this time to upskill and explore different pathways before moving into her next role.

Since joining Grow, Iram has experienced significant personal and practical changes from greater awareness of training and career opportunities to a clearer direction for future employment.

“I’ve learned so much. There’s so much available that I didn’t know about before such as  organisations like Smart Works who can support with interview clothes. I didn’t know support like this was out there.”

She now feels more prepared to take her next steps, whether that is employment within a school setting or developing her own business idea.

“I love being part of the Grow community. There’s just so much support available. No matter what it is, someone is there to help you.”

“It’s such an excellent platform to be part of. I’m so glad I joined.”