AW’s support with WorkAid commenced in April 2022. He had a formal diagnosis of Autism, learning disability and mental health, and was referred to WorkAid by his parent.

Employment history:
AW was struggling to find employment and his caring responsibilities had hindered him working in the past. He has supported his family in caring for his sister in the family home. She had suffered extensive brain damage in a car accident and, since then, AW has suffered from PTSD. During this time, however, AW had volunteered at SOLD in Shoreham.
Summary from our initial meeting found: AW was hoping to find security work. He has a door supervisor card and security (including CCTV) certificate, but no work experience in this field. These qualifications run out in October 2022, but updating them will need funding. He describes himself as ‘pro-active’.

Facts:
AW is on UC and PIP – his PIP is for both mobility and care.
AW’s mum is his appointed person in all financial matters.

Identified Barriers:
AW has a poor sleep routine and frequently does not go to bed till around 1am. He struggles with forms and managing his finances. AW needs clear and concise instructions, and prefers achievable goals. AW is literal in his processing and struggles with understanding social cues or expectations being placed upon him. AW reports that becoming overwhelmed is his biggest barrier.

Actions taken in sessions:
Early sessions concentrated on AW’s CV, updating this with a photo and a personalised profile that best suited him in all future applications. Also, he was signposted to Matrix SCM for help preparing for interviews.

AW was keen to try out his new CV and began applying for security work after setting up an Indeed job search account, with the help of his Employment Consultant. He got an immediate response and was offered an informal interview with a local security firm.

AW requested interview support, and an Employment consultant accompanied him when he met with the employer. A work trial was offered and completed. The employer gave feedback directly to the EC and, although there had been issues with AW’s hygiene and presentation, the employer agreed to offer him paid work on a zero hour contract.

AW began paid employment in May 2022 and remains employed to this day. In September 2022, his EC secured funding via DWP for AW to update his door supervisors security licence. His upskill training will take place in October 2022.

GP lives at home with his mother who has visual impairment and does not work. He has a learning disability and cannot read or write well. He can read a simple shopping list and find TV programme times in a TV magazine.

Neither he nor his mother have a computer or smart phone. They do not have the internet and have no email address.

GP was living in his own flat and working for many years as a gardener and maintenance person for a housing association. He always worked with a more senior partner. His situation changed around the start of Covid and he moved back to his mother’s home and left the job. Since then, he has not worked.

GP’s Employment Consultant supported him to get self-employed part-time work as a gardener. This was for two hours per week but could be less than this because if it was wet or his employers were away, he would lose those hours. The hope was that he would be able to take on more clients. From this experience it became clear, however, that if GP took on more clients, he would need a lot of support with the administration side of the work. GP and his EC realised that it would be much better for him to have a regular job where his employer could manage much of the administration.

GP’s EC helped him look for work, supporting him to apply for possible jobs and then two interviews at which he was unsuccessful.

In view of the barriers to employment for GP and his willingness to work, his EC suggested that he apply for support from a DWP funded programme called Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES). This was all going forward, but then it came to light that his (less than) two hours a week gardening disqualified him from being considered. The EC appealed this decision, to no avail.

A full-time job as a domestic refuse collector came up and GP’s EC helped him to apply. He was accepted and his EC supported GP get to his induction, travelling with him on the bus there and back. (GP was not confident to go alone the first time but is now confident where to get on and off the bus.) Once at the induction, GP’s EC helped him to read and sign the many documents, ensuring that he understood them all. There was also a short test. The EC read out the questions and multiple-choice answers and ticked the responses GP had given.

There are still some hurdles to cross. To register to get paid, an app is used. It has been agreed that GP’s brother will download the app on his behalf and manage that side of things, including entering his bank details so he can be paid. GP is also supposed to ‘clock in ‘ every working day with the app. GP’s EC is attempting to get the employer to make a reasonable adjustment so that GP can ‘clock in ‘ using another system. After the induction on 8th September, GP would have been able to start the next day, but must wait for them to order some large size boots.

GP and his family are very grateful for the support the EC has given. They have informed the EC they do not feel that GP would have been able to secure this work without his help