WorkFit has recently been working with Scartho Medical Centre to secure a 12 week work experience for Annabel.
Following a successful informal interview, Annabel began her work experience as an Admin Assistant, working for 3 hours, 2 days a week.
Annabel’s new work colleagues were given WorkFit training, including how they could make adjustments to tasks for Annabel.
Feedback from the training was very positive; “The training has been a real eye-opener and I feel like I know Annabel already” and “people with Down’s syndrome are just like everyone else.”
Annabel says, “I am very confident and work hard to do a good job. I know what I’m doing and have learnt lots of new things. I like all of the people I work with and I follow instructions. My jobs are looking after the stationery, getting letters ready to send out to patients, opening the post and stamping it and adding information to spread sheets.”
Annabel has received great support from her colleagues at Scartho Medical Centre, who were keen to embrace the WorkFit programme and to help her to achieve her career ambitions. They have helped her to learn new skills at her own pace ensuring that she feels fully supported.
Feedback from the team has been extremely positive, especially in relation to Annabel’s ability to adapt to working in a busy area. She has learned about team-working, about medical administration procedures and she has expanded her knowledge of patient care.
Administration Team Manager, Rachel (pictured third from the left) says, “Everyone loves Annie. She has fitted in well and has a great personality. One of the ways that we helped her to get to know her way around the building was to put some labels on some of the office doors, but within just a few days she suggested taking them down as she didn’t need them. We created a simple template for her to monitor stationery levels and this has worked extremely well. Annabel joins in with the social events in the team and is a great asset to the organisation.”
Debbee Walker, Practice Manager (pictured right with Annabel) says; “Annie takes her work responsibility very seriously and rises to any challenge. The team have fallen in love with her; she holds her own with the office camaraderie and is a pleasure to work with as she is always cheerful with a smile and a word for all.
We decided to embark with the DSA WorkFit programme as it opened the door for us to recruit from a diverse pool of motivated jobseekers that would not usually be given opportunities. Employing Annie means we give something back to the local community which we serve, and gives us better understanding of how to give the best possible care to patients’ with Learning Disabilities.
We’ve learnt from recruiting Annie that some people’s pre-conceived assumptions of people with learning disabilities can be very misleading. Annie has surprised us all, which we find humbling and motivating in terms of our own work ethic and performance. She has had a direct impact on team spirit and the organisation as a whole.
To quote our senior partner: recruiting Annie is the best thing we have even done as a practice!”
Following Annabel’s successful work experience she was offered permanent paid work at Scartho Medical Centre and is now an integral part of the admin team. She is proud of her job and is brimming with confidence as a result.
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To find out more about WorkFit and how we support people with Down’s syndrome to access meaningful work opportunities that can benefit the rest of their lives, please contact the team on 0333 12 12 300 or email us on dsworkfit@downs-syndrome.org.uk
For more information visit the WorkFit website https://www.dsworkfit.org.uk/