To think it's next to impossible to find a job as a single parent?

OP I can recommend a few work from home phone jobs that pay well but they are 18+ and you'd need a landline/internet

Are those saying they're single parents actually lone parents or just split up from childrens Father? If the latter why isn't he taking on half the load of shit working hours and awkwardness around childcare so you can get at least part time hours? Otherwise he's just cocklodging in your actual life and future career really, while he carries on as normal.

YANBU op. I’m not single but have no family help and it’s hard enough. One of my friends is a single parent but with family help and she finds it hard enough.

To be a single parent with no family help must be very tough.

I also second the admin office work. I’ve worked in a lot of places where admin staff weren’t expected to work as late as the other staff, it was expected that admin would work 8-4 or 9-5 weekdays and no more even though there was an expectation that other roles would work late. Sadly the admin staff were often the worst paid staff apart from cleaners but it was above minimum wage.

You say there are factories. They will all need admin - could be worth trying?

YANBU I’m in the same boat. Had hoped to become a TA and start a course in September, but so does every single parent in my area (was told this at the job centre by my work coach) and the courses are all booked up until 2020 at the local college. Besides that any positions that (rarely) become available have tons of applicants so chances of getting the job are low too.
I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do, nearly 4 years out of work now and confidence in my own abilities is zero.

YANBU. It's very difficult. Friends that have managed it have found jobs in admin or tied up with their child's school (dinner lady). In both cases though I think it relied on luck that an opportunity happened to become available.

Yanbu, those kinds of contracts did not used to be standard, and they can be used as an underhanded way to keep some people out of the workplace.

I know you're very issue OP. I'm lucky in that I applied for a job as a chef in my local pub restaurant when it was owned by a different company and was less busy, so they were happy to take me on for just weekdays to fit around nursery hours, but if I was to apply there now then they absolutely would turn me away as my availability would be a deal breaker if I wasn't there already when they bought out the pub last year.

I'm still stuck in a shit position though, as I don't drive so I can't find a close enough job with better than minimum wage and part time hours whilst still fitting within nursery hours, but I'm not able to afford driving anytime soon unless I get a better paid full time job first

YANBU - it's always so precarious - you can set up formal childcare til it's fully Up The Swanney, but the whole pack of cards can come tumbling down so easily - child ill, childminder ill, transport probs, etc, etc - and generally your run of the mill employer doesn't operate along those lines.

Even though I could always find work prior to having DS, and minimally afterwards - the cards ended up on the floor when his autism affected everything.

No real advice to give but I understand and YANBU.

You should look on NHS jobs. They often ask for bank admin staff. This is also popular with students and the pay is good.
You could pick and choose your hours then including school time

Yanbu

I had a good career and long marriage. 2 dc later one of which has learning difficulties and xdh couldn't handle it. No family, no child support, no childcare and live in a rural area. I'm destined to long term poverty realistically.

Its not impossible but the way i got around it was by studying. My dd used to go to a surestart centre in the afternoon and i would go to the local adult learning centre to get my level 1 and 2 in care. It took 2 year and dd started fulltime at school. I applied for everything and had no joy. I eventually got a job in a care home they took me on with my qualifications even though i had no experience. I still work there but have changed roles but the hours fit perfecly around school as she goes to a breakfast club and a childminder has her for 1 hour after school. It can be done but it might talk a while.

I think it’s hard too. I was lucky I had a good job before I was pregnant and they’ve be extremely flexible with me since my child was born. I’ve been tentatively looking for something new but it’s really hard to find a job which matches my qualifications, skill and experience and has the flexibility I have now, even within the same organisation. It is hard.

Agree with PP to look at jobs in schools. Try the eteach website as they have some schools jobs on, as well as looking at the websites for the schools in your area.

I'm a teacher and as a single parent it's still difficult!! If I'd known I'd end up single I would have gone into something that paid shit loads so I could afford childcare. I sympathise, it's bloody hard doing it all alone.

The way I did it was to get a dinner lady job in a special school just a few minutes walk from me. It was initially just 2 hours a day over the lunch break but after 3 months you could start taking bank work. They are always short staffed but I now work 2 half days, 1 full day plus 2 still just 2 hours, plus anything else ad hoc that they need. The beauty being that as I'm casual classroom help, I don't have to stay to attend meetings, I can leave a little early to collect my son and have the flexibility that I can say no if I need to. Also, off the back of this, I was able to get a casual job as a playworker at an after school club and they allow me to bring my son.
I nearly discounted the dinner lady job as it was such minimal hours but if I had, I'd have missed out on a lot more.

Have you thought about administration? Office hours, fits in with child minders or nurseries. Lots of entry level positions. Fairly easy to qualify for. Work experience or voluntary opps to get experience also easily available.

Have you got any previous experience at all?

Look on tes and on all local schools websites for non teaching jobs and google education management - certainly a secondary school will have a non teaching staff of at least a third the size of the teaching staff. Receptionists, admin, welfare support, attendance officers, reprograhics, it support, kitchen staff, site staff, library, hr, finance, technicians (eg food, art, science) to name but a few. Also look on the local authority vacancy web page for other similar roles.

I did, I worked in a coffee shop, then as a cleaner in a care home, not great jobs admittedly, but jobs.
It was quite a few years ago so perhaps things have changed.

Same as MinesABabyGuiness
Started off as a part time carer. Loved it and now my son is 3 I'm the deputy manager. It's so so tough but so worth it.

Have you looked at General admin type jobs in the NHS or local council? Most of those are Mon-Fri and 9-5. They are not the best paid, but they are solid jobs and reputable employers. No zero hours shenanigans.

I was nursing . I ended up working as a childminder so I can set my own hours and not need childcare. It is tough.

I would suggest you look for gig work (like cleaning, audio transcription, gardening, dog walking) or gain some qualifications. Child minding in particular may be good for you.

I had to work my way up from the bottom. Started off working 13 hours a week in a minimum wage job when dd1 turned 3.

She's now 13 and I have just qualified in my dream job after working my arse off and proving I was worthy of the training and support.

I'm not going to lie it's been hard and i wanted to quit so many times but it can be done.

Volunteering can affect benefits and can also have child care implications.