Robert began his Supported Employment placement at Medway Adult Education Centre in Rochester, in January 2023. Robert’s role is Data Processing Assistant and one of Robert's main tasks is to scan and upload learner paperwork into the centre systems. Robert's record to date is uploading 125 forms in one session! Something he is, understandably, proud of!

Due to a number of unforeseeable circumstances, the beginning of Robert’s placement experienced some interruption. However, Robert coped exceptionally well with the disruption and has now settled into a great routine with his work.

At the Medway Adult Education Centre, Helen Robinson is the Data and Funding Manager, as well as Robert’s supervisor. Like all organisations and teams that partner with bemix, Helen is very supportive of the bemix Supported Employment programme.

Robert took part in his first employer review in February, when Helen expressed how pleased she was with the progress Robert has made so far. At the start of his placement, as his supervisor, Helen was writing Robert a daily plan of tasks to do. At the employer review Robert suggested that he could begin organising his own day. Now, Robert arrives at the office and has a chat with Helen about what needs to be completed that day. After their chat, Robert will prioritise and timetable the daily tasks himself - demonstrating his progression and skills in working independently!

"Every time I go into work I always enjoy it"

Robert's placement has been going so well that Medway Adult Education Centre are happy to increase the number of days he works from 2 to 3. A fantastic achievement for Robert as this has been a goal of his, outlined at the beginning of his placement!

When carrying out his role, forms that are ready for Robert to scan and upload are stored in a filing tray labelled ‘DP Filing’. Since his first day, Robert playfully referred to this as ‘The Dead Pool Tray’  - DP being the initials of the well-known comic book character ‘Dead Pool’). With the agreement of his supervisor, Robert has added the Dead Pool logo to the tray - Not only has he seen great progress and achievements during his placement, but he has made his mark within the office, too! 

As part of his Data Processing Assistant role, Robert is required to take part in e-learning courses to understand the office environment and the importance of GDPR and confidentiality. Robert has access to the personal information of learners at the Adult Education Centre, therefore this learning is crucial to his role and increases his knowledge in this field of work.

Alongside learning new job related skills, Robert also has been working on other life skills, including making a cup of tea in the office and even taking that skill home - much to his parents' delight!

“I really enjoy working at the adult education centre. Everything there is perfect, from the room, my desk, the equipment and the people there. Every time I go into work I always enjoy it… there hasn't been one day where I've thought I didn't do well or I don't enjoy this because I enjoy working there. My original work routine was scanning and uploading documents and has now increased to me doing 4 and a half tasks. I am really hoping to get paid employment from the job when the Supported Internship ends.” - Robert

 

"He undertakes tasks efficiently, is very accurate and takes pride in what he does. Consequently, I have a lot of confidence in the quality of the work he completes."

 

Robert’s parents reflected on the placement: "We are so happy with Robert's work placement. We were a little bit concerned at the disrupted start but this hasn't had an impact on the way he has settled into the job. Robert really loves working at Medway Adult Education Centre. He always says the night before how much he is looking forward to going to work. We are so grateful to the time bemix and Helen put in with Robert, he has matured so much since starting this placement. We are now keeping everything crossed that he is offered employment after the Supported Internship finishes as we know this is something Robert really wants."

Helen Robinson , Robert’s Line Manager, said “I am very pleased with Robert’s progress within his role at MAE. He undertakes tasks efficiently, is very accurate and takes pride in what he does. Consequently, I have a lot of confidence in the quality of the work he completes. Robert responds well when being given instructions to new tasks and will ask relevant questions, which is helpful to the team. Robert’s work has made a difference to the team and proof of this is during a recent audit request I was able to immediately find the necessary documents on our system which saved me a lot of time collating evidence. His data entry is providing useful information to the ESOL team on learner feedback. The support bemix has given Robert and ourselves has been invaluable, Sarah supports Robert in new tasks and her general support is evident in the increase in Robert’s confidence. I feel he is becoming more involved in the team.”

Supporting young adults with learning difficulties and/or autism in a mutually beneficial internship

Robert has demonstrated his value as a skilled and committed worker. He is keen to progress and has shown this by being proactive within the workplace and when working towards his goals - building confidence and independence as a result. 

At the beginning of the Supported Employment process, we work closely with interns to understand goals, aspirations, skills and interests. As outlined in our EPIC Values - “We have qualities, abilities and potential. Taking time to understand us as individuals means we can be supported to achieve our goals and dreams. We have a right to choice and control over our own lives.” With, bemix Supported Employment, interns are matched with a role where they have an opportunity to thrive within organisations that have the vision to see the value in everyone. Our free job matching service is mutually beneficial and helps employers recruit and retain people with learning difficulties and/or autism. People who prove themselves as loyal, dedicated and reliable employees and often, who help employers meet a previously unmet business need.

Our Vision is to live in a world where people with learning difficulties and autism are fully and equally involved in all areas of society. We can achieve our vision by applying our Core Values and Wider Values to our work, and encouraging others to do the same. With bemix, people can be seen, be heard and belong.

 

Would you like to learn more about how our programme helps businesses grow? 

For more information about how your organisation can be involved in our Supported Employment programme, click here.

Read more Good News Stories about Supported Employment, click here.