ROC – A real success story

Travelling Independently to Volunteering to Employment

Over the past 9 months, the Active Support Project has had a magnificent impact on one individual’s quality and standard of living. Working closely with a tailored pathway; detailing the correct level of support required, it gave his identified outcomes clarity and structure that ensured that he could have a real sense of achievement.  At the start of the project he wanted the opportunity to travel independently from home to ROC, allowing him to feel a part of the wider community. Working with the individual, support staff were able to break down the task into manageable segments, for example; assessing the foundation skills like being able to read a bus timetable; being able to locate the bus station using local knowledge; knowing where he had to get off the bus; understanding what to do if he missed the correct bus stop etc. As the individual progressed through each stage, the level of support was  adjusted accordingly and he achieved his goal of travelling independently on the bus.

allowed him to develop a more realistic view of life that expanded his horizons

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As a result of this newly found independence, the individual asked to extend his goal to find employment. To achieve this, the same Active Support process was followed and the end target was broken down into manageable segments beginning with understanding what employment is; building a CV; and becoming familiar with the application process. The journey of finding employment allowed the individual to discover many things about himself, and allowed him to develop a more realistic view of life that expanded his horizons. Initially, he had a self-imposed view that he only wanted to work in a trendy café with young, trendy people. Through the Active Support Project, he gained the confidence to try new experiences; this led to him becoming a volunteer for a conservation project with Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. This successful volunteering position enhanced his personal development; increasing his confidence in his abilities thus enabling him to take on a voluntary position in a local café where he worked towards his Health and Safety in the Workplace – Level 2.

All of this work on the Active Support Project gave him the skills, confidence and ability to apply for paid employment as a cleaner for Paignton Community and Sports College. Not only did he apply, but he prepared for the interview independently, was successful in his appointment and began his paid employment on 06/01/2014.
A real success story!

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