He began working in a Care home and had a job coach to support him practically, and for his education that was delivered 1-2-1 at the place of work. However, the care home then had a change in management and he had to move to another care home to continue his apprenticeship. He continued to work all through the pandemic lockdowns without a job coach and worked extremely hard, never giving up. There was once again a change in management and he needed yet another place to work to complete his apprenticeship.
Little Gate had already worked with Martha Trust with a gardening group. Steven attended an interview there and got offered a role. A new Job coach, Leah, has supported him since joining Martha Trust, and he has succeeded in obtaining his apprenticeship after having to pass an end point assessment. Steven has a learning disability and has achieved so much – just as his sister and Little Gate believed he could. He attended a Little Gate Thank You event and even got up on stage and told the audience how much his job meant to him. Steven loves caring for people, his job has given him an income and it has changed his life socially too. He is very professional and treats everyone with dignity but is also a bit of a comedian!
Leah, Steven’s job coach, says:
“I began working with Steven at the beginning of May. Since then, Steven’s confidence has grown so much, it has been so amazing to witness. Steven has built great connections with his fellow staff members and engages in conversations with them without my support now. When it comes to meal times Steven continues to improve on every shift, he understands all the processes he must follow and he does so to the best of his ability. At the end of July Steven completed his End Point Assessment and passed his exams with a merit which really improved his self confidence with his job role. He was so proud when telling his staff members his good news and since then has been given some extra responsibility which shows their trust and belief in him. Steven really does love his job and the people at Martha Trust mean a lot to him. We have such a laugh all together on his shifts and Steven’s energy is always enjoyed at the home. All of the staff members from support workers to senior management all have expressed how much they enjoy having him on the team and always have a good shift with him which is always good for me to hear!”
