How a Banbury care service supports people with different abilities get work in the area

You and Me Supported Living works with people aged 18-60 who are learning disabled or autistic, providing independent living facilities and assistance in finding work in the community.

Many of the supported people have successfully found either voluntary or paid work in and around Banbury despite facing persistent hurdles and discrimination.

The people being supported and the staff both agree that employers should advertise and make it clearer that they are happy to employ people with autism and learning difficulties.

Staff member Osei Mitchell said: "I think what everyone is doing here is a great achievement, we have from three weeks to 15 years of work experience in certain areas.

"In regards to filling out online applications and things like that, it could definitely be made easier, but we do like to give the people we support independence so things like easy-read options would be helpful so they can read the information themselves, take it in, and ask questions from that.

"Much of the information online is tailored to people who have a certain level of reading, so easy reads would be really helpful.

"It’s really great what the guys have achieved, and we hope more employers could open their doors to people with different abilities and support them."

Two people supported by the care service, Louis Browne and Georgina Sharp, were both employed by the Whately Hall Hotel until recently, and both of them agreed that the care providers made applying for the job at the hotel and filling out the paperwork easier.

Louis Browne, who worked as a kitchen porter at the hotel, said: "I learned how to work in a kitchen from my time at the Foxes Academy for young people with learning disabilities in Minehead, and I enjoyed my time working at Whately Hall it made me more confident."

Louis received interview assistance from You and Me staff and accomplished the great feat of successfully securing a job from his very first interview; he is now sending his CV to other hotels and speaking with people in the industry about getting back into the kitchen.

Georgina said: "I was working at the Whately Hall for almost four years doing house keeping and I really enjoyed it. I was making beds and cleaning people’s rooms. It was really good.

"The job was good because they just let me get on with it, and if I needed help they would give me support. Sometimes the training was hard but they helped me understand everything.

"I like to do things on my own when it comes to looking for work but if I need help You and Me will also help me. Working has taught me how to deal with people and to try and help them if I can.”

Less than a week after her job ended at the Whately Hall Hotel, Georgina landed herself another house keeping job at the Wroxton House Hotel but still agrees that there is an issue with employers not being inclusive.

She said: "I’ve had problems in the past looking for jobs when they have said they will get back to me for the interview and they never got back in contact.”

Robin Ferguson has been working at in the cafe at Waitrose in Banbury for four years. He said: "It’s been going great, I started off as a volunteer but Waitrose were keen to keep me on and since then I’ve been a paid partner.

"The job shows me how to clean tables, wash pots and how things work in a busy cafe and has helped me to keep clean at home."

Another person supported by You and Me is Daniel Fitzroy-Ezzy who keeps a busy schedule, maintaining a job at Nando’s and a role at Costa Coffee.

Daniel said: "It’s very tiring working two jobs, I clean the tables on Mondays and Wednesdays at Nando’s and Friday and Sunday I’m cleaning at Costa. The jobs are tiring but sometimes I get free food plus I’m paid by two jobs and that feels nice.

"I get really nice comments made about me, like telling me I’m doing a good job.

"The staff at at the charity helped me apply for the Nando’s job on Indeed, and came with me for the interview which helped me a lot."

Another incredibly hard worker is Lucy Millward who has been working in the cafe at MOD Kineton for an impressive 15 years.

Lucy said: "I’ve picked up loads of skills working there because I used to work in the officers mess before so I learnt cleaning skills as well as getting there on time.

"The job is interesting because you get to see the soldiers and the people there now start to know me. Before this job I had been told no for jobs because I have a disability, but on the military camp I have made friends."

Robert Cooke is a longstanding volunteer at the Salvation Army shop in Banbury. He said: "The job is good but it’s sometimes hard getting up early in the mornings. I’m happy to be volunteering at the moment because I get on well with the other people working there.

"The staff at You and Me helped me to find the job over four years ago and I’m still there now."