SINGLE mum Claire Nutman has told new Employment Minister Jim Knight how she found a job after 12 years.

She met Mr Knight, MP for South Dorset, at the Jobcentre Plus in Westwey Road in Weymouth after he told staff he wanted to meet somebody who had recently found work.

And now mum-of-three Claire – who has started work as a support worker – has urged other single parents to take advantage of the help on offer.

Claire, 41, who lives at Chickerell, said: “It was good to meet Mr Knight. He asked me about my new job, and what help and support I had received.

“I said that I had a lot of fears about re-entering the job market, being a single mum.

“I told him how much support I had from my lone parent adviser and how brilliant they had been at the Jobcentre Plus.”

Claire’s last work was 12 years ago as an interior designer, painter and decorator. She was out of work while bringing up her three children, Jayme-Lee, 13, Jakob-Lee, 12, and Tommy, five, but did attend college.

Claire signed on to seek work through a special scheme for lone parents as part of the Government’s New Deal initiative to help job seekers find work.

She was put forward to meet Mr Knight after he became Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, and Minister for the South West, in the recent cabinet re-shuffle.

Claire praised her JobCentre Plus one parent adviser for her ‘brilliant’ support.

She said that the centre helped her with writing her CV, interviews, advice about finance, benefits and by how much she would be better off from a job.

Claire added: “I don’t think I would have got back to work without their help.”

Now Claire is based in Poole as a support worker with Bournemouth Churches Housing Association, dealing with the homeless, victims of substance misuse and vulnerable people.

She said her new job was challenging but she is really enjoying it.

Claire also urged other single parents to look for work.

“I would definitely encourage people to go to the centre and get the support on offer,” she said.

Mr Knight took his first visit to Weymouth in his new job to meet Claire and speak to Jobcentre Plus staff in a fact-finding mission as part of his new role.