Ian's Story

Ian was referred to WorkAid in November 21, and his Employment Consultant (EC) started working with him in January 22. Ian, who has a learning disability, lives in supported living accommodation. His ambition was to find paid work in a retail environment. He was especially keen to work in a supermarket, as this is what his late mother had done.

Once Ian’s EC got to know him, they identified the areas where he would need support and recognised that he would benefit from the work trial programme that WorkAid had set up in partnership with Waitrose/John Lewis. Ian joined the programme, which turned out to be a huge success. Ian was disappointed when it came to an end as he had enjoyed his time there, building new skills and making new friends, and gaining confidence and independence.

Unfortunately, there were no vacancies at that time, but Ian was happy to wait as he was determined to work there. A vacancy soon appeared, and his patience paid off as Ian applied and secured a fixed-term contract with the support of his EC. He made his intentions clear that he would like the role to be permanent, and a colleague mentioned this to the manager.

As a result of this conversation, Ian is thrilled to have a permanent part-time position. He now works on the click-and-collect counter and assists the customers with their orders. When his EC recently went to see him, the feedback from the managers and his co-workers was incredibly positive. It is evident that not only is Ian happy, but he has made a positive impact on the whole team as well. They could not speak more highly of Ian; he is doing an excellent job.
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Well done, Ian!