Douglas has been living with Autism and found it hard to understand the process of getting a job but he connected with Colm from the Edinburgh office to become more confident.
Why did Douglas join Fair Start Scotland?
Douglas is Autistic and he has had difficulties to understand the requirements of being employed. He didn’t know how to apply for the jobs he wanted to go for and found it very hard to communicate with his employer if he needed anything such as time off.
Douglas had lost jobs in the past from not being on time and not going to his shifts mainly because he could not understand that these situations needs to be reported to his manager. He also lost jobs as he would change his shifts at short notice as they clashed with his support needs and carers.
How did Fair Start Scotland help?
Douglas was introduced to his Personal Adviser Colm in the Edinburgh office and from the very first meeting Colm knew what Douglas needed to be successful. Colm said: ‘Douglas was job ready when he came onto the service, he just needed guidance to what jobs he could apply for and help understanding how the working environment operates’
Colm had one to one meetings with Douglas that would be focused helping him understand what an employer needs from him once he has the job. Colm supported Douglas by giving him advice on how to manage his time and plan routes to different places to make sure he would always be on time. This was used as preparation for when Douglas secured a new role.
Douglas connected with Colm and it became clear that he responded well to him and his advice. He previously found it difficult to understand when other advisers would offer tips, but Colm made Douglas feel very at ease. Colm was able to secure an interview for Douglas which he attended with him in order to see how he copes in that environment. From this Colm was able to identify that he needed book Douglas into an interview workshop to help build his confidence and know what to expect.
Colm approached multiple employers looking for a role that suited Douglas and his needs. One employer that was very responsive was Morrisons in the local area. Colm explained Douglas’ needs to the employer and Morrisons were able to create a special contract for him that for into his needs and scheduling.
Douglas is currently working in Morrisons as a cleaner and he loves being able to work with a team. He enjoys meeting new people and Morrisons are being very accommodating to his needs. Colm will continue to support Douglas with our in-work support to make sure that he stays comfortable in the positions.