Salford Futures case study: Fama and Neil, Salix Homes

Salford Futures is a work experience programme designed to help residents who have been out of work reconnect with employment opportunities.

The programme offers tailored support through one-to-one mentoring, employability training, and now paid placements through the Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) scheme. The goal of Salford Futures is to provide the right support at the right time, helping Salford residents to build confidence, develop skills, and take steps toward sustainable employment.

Salix Homes is a proud Salford Futures partner, and one of the residents benefiting from this programme is Fama, who is doing a placement with us. Fama saw the programme as the perfect way to rebuild her confidence and sharpen her communication skills. Here, she and her manager, Neil Stephenson, People Services Talent Manager at Salix Homes, share their experiences so far and the impact Salford Futures has had on them both.

Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Fama, and I’m an Instructional Design Administrator at Salix Homes in Salford.

What initially motivated you to join the Salford Futures programme, and how did you hear about it?
I took a break from work to focus on my family and kids. When my daughter turned three, I wanted to get back into the employment world. I spoke with a friend and explained my concerns. I was almost done with a degree I’d been studying for, so she referred me to Salford Futures.

She told me they could help with things like my CV, so I got in touch. When I spoke to someone from the programme, they explained how it worked, and it sounded perfect for me. I needed hands-on, practical experience in a workplace. My degree was completed remotely, so I wanted to understand the day-to-day office environment and improve my communication skills.

Can you describe your experience so far and some of the most valuable skills or lessons you’ve learned?
It’s been absolutely positive. I’m working with a fabulous team who are very helpful and approachable, which makes it easy to ask questions.

I’ve been focusing on my communication skills, which was the main reason I didn’t want to go straight into employment without this experience. I’ve also improved my organisation skills, planning my workload and pacing myself. These have been the most impactful areas for me so far.

Have there been any challenges, and how have you been supported to overcome them?
My biggest challenge was communication. After taking a break from employment, I found myself holding back instead of speaking up. Sometimes I’d rather write things down than ask questions.

My mentor, Neil, has been amazing, coaching me to ask questions more often and voice my opinions, no matter who’s in the room. He’s helped me feel confident that I don’t need to feel threatened by anyone’s position. Just ‘ask when I need to’.

Another challenge was simply getting back into the routine, coming to work every day and not feeling silly for asking basic questions. But the support has been great.

How is Salford Futures preparing you for further employment or opportunities?
The Salford Futures team have been really helpful. I get weekly calls to check in and receive support, whether that’s skills development or training.

This experience has massively improved my skills and given me hands-on office experience. Even though I’ve only been here for two months, going into my third, I’ve seen a huge improvement in what I can do and in realising my potential to work in a team.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining the programme?
Just go for it! It might feel challenging at first, especially if you’ve taken a break from work or are moving from education into employment. It can be nerve-wracking, but once you start, the experience is invaluable.

The support you get is incredible, you’re trained, coached, and supported daily, weekly, and monthly. You don’t get this level of support when starting a fixed-term job. It’s a full experience where you gain so much. There’s nothing to lose.

Neil, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Neil Stephenson, and I am the People Services Talent Manager at Salix Homes.

What initially motivated you to host a Salford Futures participant?
At Salix Homes, we were really keen to invest and reinvest in the communities that we serve. When we met Fama, we were really impressed with her openness, her enthusiasm, and her desire to get into work. That’s continued throughout her placement because this is a completely new role for her, and she’s thrown herself into it.

We’ve given her a broad range of experience across all of the talent management roles, which includes recruitment, training, internal communications and engagement.

Fama has been trained using an e-learning design tool, and she’s now supporting one of our conferences, Team Salix, as well as setting up training and reviews with senior managers.

Can you describe the onboarding experience for the placement and the support you’ve had from Salford Futures?
The onboarding process was pretty straightforward. There was always lots of contact from Salford Futures right from the very beginning. There’s regular contact and support for Fama, both for her wellbeing and for developing her skills. Salford Futures also works closely with us as an employer to make sure we’re all working together effectively.

How would you say hosting a placement is benefiting your team or department?
It gives us a whole new perspective. There’s lots of opportunities for Fama to get involved in different areas and develop her skills, but it also gives us another viewpoint on everything we do. It’s been really valuable.

What advice would you give to another manager or employer considering taking on a placement?
It’s a real opportunity to invest in the community in Salford. It’s also an opportunity for someone to be the best version of themselves, and to do that, we can invest in them. We get something out of it, they get something out of it, but more importantly, you develop that individual and give them an opportunity to get back into the workplace. We’re proud to be a partner.