Sermin Aksoy
London,UK
Summary
Highly skilled and goal-oriented professional with 15+ years of experience in training, coaching, and personal development. Proven success in mentoring, evaluating, and inducting clients to perspective educational and career departments. Adept at analysing projects, mentoring trainers, creating funders reports, and producing JDs. Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, service providers, employment agencies and partners. Proficient in English and Turkish language.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Welfare /Employment Advisor
REFUGEE WOMEN ASSOCIATION
03.2023 - 01.2024
- Giving one to one general advice both face to face or virtually on different topics such as employment, health, welfare, career planning, housing, education etc
- Assessing clients’ needs and getting NARIC equivalency letters for overseas trained clients if requires
- Signposting clients, to the relevant training providers according to their needs, to the legal advice service providers, mental health service providers etc
- Referring clients to local training providers according to their employment skills needs
- Interviewing clients and arranging one-to-one meetings according to their relevant needs
- Adjusting timetable- daily workload according to the tasks and emergency issues of clients
- Contacting third party service providers to follow up clients` issues
- Clients` case follow up to manage who needs what type of training, looking for available specific training for them
- Keeping records of clients, cases and creating project ending reports or case study briefs, if requires.
- Making referral for specific service providers such as talking therapy , NHS, CAB, Job Centre etc
- Contributing to the Hackney Advice Forum, Advice Partnership Network based on service provision
- Working in partnership with the other professionals such as mental health workers, housing advisors, health professionals, etc
- Completing forms of clients such as UC, Work Capability, PIP, DLA, ESA, according to welfare needs of clients
- Follow up cases by writing email to the service provider, council, job centre, landlords, Housing Associations, GPs etc
- Attending local service providers and advice workers meeting to represent RWA
- Active participation by being a member of planning committee of Right to Food Campaign, delivering conference in Hackney.
Digital Inclusion Tutor
04.2022 - 03.2023
- To plan, design, deliver, assess, evaluate and manage classroom activities within digital and computing, providing the highest levels of quality in the delivery of teaching, learning and assessment to students at all levels within the Digital Inclusion class
- To deliver high quality and innovative teaching, learning and assessment to learners by effectively preparing for classroom tasks, preparing them for upcoming next level of Digital Inclusion class.
Career Advice Worker
11.2020 - 12.2021
- Giving one to one general advice both face to face or virtually on different topics such as employment, health, welfare, career planning, housing, immigration etc
- Assessing clients’ needs and getting NARIC equivalency letters for overseas trained clients
- Signposting clients, to the relevant training providers according to their needs, to the legal advice service providers, mental health service providers etc
- Referring clients to local training providers according to their employment skills needs
- Interviewing clients and arranging one-to-one meetings
- Adjusting timetable- daily workload according to the tasks and emergency issues of clients
- Promoting services by creating leaflets and delivering online to the networks
- Paying visits (before pandemic) to the local and London wide organisations to represent the RWA
- Clients` case follow up to manage who needs what type of training after gaining ESOL qualifications
- Arranging and delivering training to upgrade their skills under employment and career support service
- Monthly reports to the line manager
- Keeping records of clients, cases and creating project ending reports or case study briefs, if requires
- Attending relevant local or London-wide meetings to represent the RWA
- Contributing to the Hackney Advice Forum, Advice Partnership Network based on service provision
- Working in partnership with the other professionals such as mental health workers, housing advisors, volunteer coordinators, solicitors, health professionals, trainers etc.
ESOL Tutor
12.2019 - 03.2020
- Led program activities by formulating scheme of work
- Planned lessons, ILPs, assessed student’s, prepared lesson materials, and delivered lessons on daily basis
- Trained and evaluated students for ESOL reading exam by taking mock exams
- Analyzed project and authored funders report by the end of ESOL project
- Coached a team of 14 women for ESOL exams
- Guided students to achieve self-actualization and goals by studying various courses after ESOL.
Mentoring Coordinator
12.2019 - 02.2020
- Prepared JDs of Mentoring Program (MP) for Mentoring Trainer, Mentors and Mentees
- Communicated with network organisation via phone calls and emails to promote project
- Provided information about MP to mentors and mentees
- Hired and trained mentors and mentees
- Created schedules and timetables for mentors training and peer matching
- Identified requirements of mentees and matched with perfect mentors accordingly
- Produced and presented feedback reports of funders
- Developed syllabus of Mentoring Training Program for qualified woman refugees and migrants
- Updated program director about program status by preparing and presenting monthly reports
- Partnered with 200+ local organizations within three different boroughs
- Created JD for potential mentors and mentees.
Support officer - Camden YP Service aged 16-21
ONE SUPPORT
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Oversaw four youngster’s caseloads
- Chaired house meetings and formed agenda
- Coached clients and evaluated progress with key working services
- Advocated and referred proper services such as internal referrals
- Delivered one-on-one sessions with clients on ‘AQA Accredited Educational Life Skills Program’ to gain independency
- Met assessor’s standards by inducting clients to training, social, sports, and arts projects
- Supervised and converted DofE into two schemes by organizing meetings and preserving records
- Directed meetings and social inclusion events
- Oversaw volunteer scheme and arranged one-to-one sessions with clients per week
- Represented OHG in different meetings
- Built a connection with social service, DWP, and job centres
- Provided educational and career advice to clients individually and referred to service providers
- Submitted progress reports of clients to relevant teams of London Borough of Camden
- Enabled 40+ YP to achieve personal goals, self-awareness, and self-actualization by getting dream jobs
- Achieved DofE coordination by completing program of 15 YP’s gaining bronze awards and two silver awards
- Updated Equality Diversity Strategy of YP team by preserving data of clients and collaborating with local service providers for refugees and migrants.
Support officer- Hackney YP Service aged 16-24
ONE SUPPORT
02.2013 - 09.2016
- Directed five YP’s caseload
- Led food bank and come correct services
- Trained, monitored, and evaluated clients by providing key working services
- Arranged and chaired social inclusion events and meetings
- Managed gardening project for clients
- Collaborated with external service sources and referral agencies
- Represented OHG by attending referral agencies and external service sources meetings
- Created a bond with social service, DWP, and Job Centre
- Submitted Clients progress reports to caregiver children team
- Superintended clearance process by liaising with local charities to apply for grants and manage charity cheques of clients
- Provided educational and career advice to clients individually and referred to relevant department.
Community Support Worker in Older People Floating Support Service
12.2010 - 01.2013
- Dealt with the caseloads of 27 elderly clients
- Educated and provided welfare benefits guidance to elderly personals
- Booked hospital appointments and accompanied the elderly personals
- Appeared in relevant professionals on monthly basis
- Prepared reports of relevant professional’s issues
- Recorded and checked health on daily basis
- Hired and trained seven volunteers
- Assisted social service and crisis management.
Employment & Career Adviser - Project Coordinator
Hackney Council Voluntary Service (HCVS) - Hackney Refugee Forum (HRF)
01.2006 - 01.2010
- Provide one-to-one counselling to clients on employment, welfare, and career
- Supervised nine Job Search Skills and CV Writing projects in various community organisations
- Prepared monthly reports for line manager in HRF
- Established and delivered job preparation course to 25+ overseas qualified health workers for getting job in UK health system
- Successfully provided career advice to 200+ people; 102+ got recruited for desired job.
Education
Master of Arts in Teaching Lifelong Learning -
University of London –Birkbeck College, London
Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature -
Selcuk University, Turkey
Business Studies -
Cukurova University, Turkey
Skills
- Learning & Development
- Coaching, Mentoring & Empowerment
- Strategic Planning & Analysis
- Digital Inclusion Programme Delivering
- Advice & Consultation on Employment Needs
- Budgeting & Forecasting
- Process Improvement
- Customer Service
- Compiling statistics
- Providing Training
- Program Management
- Team Leadership
- Hiring & On-boarding
- Promoting services
- Contributing to local strategies
- Data confidentiality
- Interview techniques
- Benefit case management
- Tax laws understanding
- Pension contribution processing
- Client interviewing
- Claim management
- Application assessments
- Benefit termination assessments
- Customer care
- Pensions management
- Conflict management
- Referral decision-making
- Benefit calculations
- Government policy implementation
- Organised
Certification
Personal Coaching Certificate
Training
- OISC
- Mentoring Practice - Level 2 - OCN
- Diploma in Principles of Management and Leadership CMI Level 3
- Project Management Training
- Effective Report Writing
- Record Keeping & Report Writing
- Strategic Planning
- Conflict Resolution Skills
- Safeguarding Children & Adults
- Gang Awareness
- County Lines
- ITQ NVQ Level 2
- Advice & Guidance NVQ Level 3
- Fundraising and Bid Writing Training
- Effective Planning & Meeting Skills
- Professional Boundaries and Good Practice
Languages
Turkish
First Language
English
Proficient
C2
Timeline
Welfare /Employment Advisor
REFUGEE WOMEN ASSOCIATION
03.2023 - 01.2024
Digital Inclusion Tutor
04.2022 - 03.2023
Career Advice Worker
11.2020 - 12.2021
ESOL Tutor
12.2019 - 03.2020
Mentoring Coordinator
12.2019 - 02.2020
Support officer - Camden YP Service aged 16-21
ONE SUPPORT
01.2016 - 01.2019
Support officer- Hackney YP Service aged 16-24
ONE SUPPORT
02.2013 - 09.2016
Community Support Worker in Older People Floating Support Service
12.2010 - 01.2013
Employment & Career Adviser - Project Coordinator
Hackney Council Voluntary Service (HCVS) - Hackney Refugee Forum (HRF)
01.2006 - 01.2010
Master of Arts in Teaching Lifelong Learning -
University of London –Birkbeck College, London
Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature -
Selcuk University, Turkey
Business Studies -
Cukurova University, Turkey