WorkFit has been working with Compass and G4S to develop a permanent paid job for Callum in South Yorkshire. G4S’s decision to register with WorkFit was inspired by John Whitwam (Managing Director, COMPASS, G4S) who was keen to recruit a candidate after seeing coverage of WorkFit in the media.
Before Callum started his job, staff from G4S received a free session of specialist awareness training from WorkFit on Down’s syndrome. This covered how the G4S team could make adjustments to tasks to give Callum the information that he would need in a way that suited his learning profile.
Feedback from the training was very positive with comments such as:
“I will be more mindful of how to communicate with Callum whilst being aware to not patronise him”, “I will ensure that I am as supportive as possible” and “I will ensure I am as clear, helpful & approachable as possible when our new team member starts”
The feedback demonstrated that the team had taken on-board the key messages of the training. After completing the session the team were ready to support Callum in the workplace and ensure that his time at G4S was a positive and rewarding experience for everyone.
Following a successful informal interview, Callum began working as an Administration Assistant in January 2017. He has a wide range of duties including, opening, sorting and distributing incoming mail, preparing training packs, printing, scanning and copying, checking mileage claims, data entry, archiving old paperwork and other ad-hoc tasks as required. Since starting his job Callum has been able to develop a wide range of important and useful skills. These include teamwork, administration and social skills which have increased his confidence.
Feedback from the team has been extremely positive, in particular around the way that Callum has fitted into the team. Callum is a big football fan, supporting England, Doncaster Rovers and Manchester United so he is always keen to chat about the weekend’s results when he gets into work on Mondays. He has lunch with Simon and Nick from another department and football is the main topic of conversation!
Anne-Marie, Administration Team Manager, spoke for the whole team when she told us: “Callum’s character and personality have really come through and he is fully integrated into our team and known by everyone on site. We’ve supported Callum by providing things in a large font and making sure that his computer screen displays information in a suitable resolution so that he can read the information clearly. These are very simple adjustments that make Callum’s tasks much easier. He has picked up the work quickly and has been able to remember quite a lot. Callum is polite and friendly and we are very happy to have him here. I really enjoy being Callum’s work buddy. He has settled in really well. He completed his probation successfully and we are all delighted to have him as part of the team”
John has been hugely supportive of Callum and his family and he is delighted with Callum’s contribution to the company. Callum has received great support from colleagues at G4S who were keen to embrace the WorkFit programme and support Callum to achieve his career ambitions. G4S have supported him to learn new skills at his pace using a range of resources and approaches. To crown a wonderful year at G4S, Callum has recently been awarded “Employee of the Month”!
Callum is delighted by his job, telling us that: “I feel good when I get my payslip. I took my mum and dad out for a meal. I like to have my own money to spend. My job is good, brilliant and fantastic. My wages helped me get a season ticket for Manchester United”
Callum is an inspiration to us all. We thank John and G4S for their continued support and we look forward to working with them in the future.
WorkFit North is possible due to the Big Lottery Fund
WorkFit supports people with Down’s syndrome to access meaningful work opportunities that can benefit the rest of their lives. For more information about WorkFit please contact the team
on 0333 12 12 300 or email us on dsworkfit@downs-syndrome.org.uk
For more information visit the Work Fit website: www.dsworkfit.org.uk
