Kerry Owusu (38) linked up with Aspire to Be, a specialist employability service managed by Doncaster Deaf Trust, after previously training to be a hairdresser. However, without salon experience she found it difficult to secure a job and this struggle led to a deterioration in her mental health.
But after working with Aspire to Be for four months she has now found herself a permanent role with Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, working as a service assistant at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Aspire to Be offers tailored, sector-specific training for those aged 16-60 with SEND. It aims to build on personal skills and provide opportunities to increase confidence, self-esteem, self-development, and improve health and wellbeing as individuals are supported to achieve employment in various sectors including warehousing, hotels, retail, social care and hospitality as well as healthcare.
The innovative service, which received £465,000 from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to develop its provision, is for adults from across South Yorkshire who are Deaf/hearing impaired, neuro diverse or those who have any other communication difficulty helping to make a valuable difference to their lives by developing their skills and supporting them into work.
Kerry said: “I heard about Aspire to Be through the Jobcentre and that they offered training using simulated areas, so I would get hands on experience in one of the industries on offer. I wanted to find the right employment to give me balance and routine so chose the NHS service assistant training using the ‘mock’ healthcare room which is set up just like a room on a hospital ward to breakdown certain tasks within a job role and explain in detail the different elements involved.
“Coming to Aspire to Be has been fantastic and led me to have a permanent 30 hour a week job with the NHS as a service assistant - cleaning and serving refreshments to patients on the wards. I am now financially stable and even have the opportunity to progress. I love my job as all the staff are very supportive, flexible and accommodating.
“All my thanks go to the Aspire to Be team who made this possible, I would recommend the service to others who are struggling as they have a range of options that give you choices and the learning methods makes it easier to understand different role expectations and the relationships they have with employers makes it all possible.”
Jo Holt, a work instructor at Aspire to Be, said: “Kerry did amazingly well when she was with us so to now be working in the local NHS is a dream come to true for her and we are all so proud of her dedication and hard work. She has since returned to Aspire to Be to provide useful information about the role of a service assistant in the NHS which has been invaluable to help further enhance the NHS training units for our current and future clients.
“Aspire to Be exists to support people just like Kerry and we would welcome enquires from individuals who think this programme may be right for them. We work across a range of sectors including warehousing, hotels, retail, social care and hospitality as well as healthcare so we’d be interested to hear from any organisations in these sectors who would like to find out more.”
For more information about Aspire to Be please visit: www.deaf-trust.co.uk/employability/aspire-to-be/ or email: tina.rafferty@cscd.ac.uk