Richard Lamplough, the founder of A Potential Diamond, makes it clear that getting the job-fit right is not about forms, notes and formal appointments. It’s about the simple things – neighbourliness, listening, coffee, cake and working through the grey areas. And first he has a question for the reader: Do you have a job title?
Perhaps you are a Social Worker, a Housing Manager or a Director of External Relations and Communities. (How on earth do you direct a community?) Perhaps, like me, you struggle to find a job title that describes your occupation and when people ask you what you do you string a few words together that make some sort of sense. I often used to say: “I work in the welfare-to-work sector,” or “I’m an employment-support professional.” I must have used those phrases quite a few times over the last 25 years or so.
But I don’t anymore.
For the purpose of this article I would like to suggest a new title: “Good Neighbour”. What do you think? It’s short and snappy, easy to understand, don’t you agree?
I would imagine you’re a good neighbour to many people; some might be close friends, others simply ‘friends’ and the rest … well, just neighbours I suppose. I’m imagining Cathy who is about 30 and lives a minute’s walk away from your house. You often bump into her and mum when you’re doing your weekly shop and the three of you have a chat. Cathy’s making great progress in her life and both she and her mum hope it won’t be too long before she moves into independent living. Cathy doesn’t have a paid job currently but she does a couple of volunteering jobs two mornings a week, which she enjoys very much.
Good neighbours
When I started A Potential Diamond in 2013 I didn’t want to be a good service. I wanted to be a good neighbour who could, perhaps, support any neighbours with learning disabilities or autism into paid employment.
I applied to West Sussex County Council for funding (through their autism small grant scheme) and with a matched contribution from my local further education college secured enough money to pay me for just under two days a week. The rest of my time I put in from my own resources. I ran the project this way for about a year and from September 2015, in partnership with Manor Green College (a fantastic special school in Crawley), I successfully re-applied to the autism small grant scheme, which was increased and extended for a further three years.
I have many principles that underpin my neighbourly approach but here are just a few. First, I don’t have waiting lists. If a young person, their parents or a social worker contact me I meet them within three working days. I’m imagining the day when Cathy and her mum knocked on your door, introduced themselves, saying that they had just moved into the area and could they borrow a cup of sugar? You didn’t say: “Yes, of course, but the earliest I can lend it to you is four weeks this Saturday.”
Secondly when I meet a young person for the first time I don’t write anything down. I just listen. Actually, I LISTEN. And then we chat, and then I listen some more, and then we chat some more, and then I listen some more. You get the picture. I’m imagining another thing you didn’t say to Cathy all those years ago: “Of course, you can borrow a cup of sugar. I just need to write down your full name, your date of birth, your address, your National Insurance number and whether or not any other neighbours are lending you sugar at the moment.”
Okay … I write one thing down. I write down when I’m next going to meet the young person. And over the forthcoming weeks, months or years I get to know them as best I can. I get to know the key people in their lives too and what job search guidance they get from these supporters. The young people I meet are usually at school or college and so, with their permission, I chat to their tutors. Sometimes I run ‘Let’s get a job’ sessions at Manor Green College and Crawley College. When I do this it helps me get to know them even more and, crucially, informs me of some of their skills and qualities.
At some of these sessions we talk about how we apply for jobs. I don’t dwell on this too long, just like I don’t dwell too long on things that many so-called employment support professionals think are uber-important, such as CVs and interview practice. As for the internet, in my opinion, for every good thing it’s done for people with learning disabilities or autism it’s done a bad thing, and one of the worst things concerns recruitment. Let me explain.
Networking
When I’m not getting to know the young people I support I’m networking with local employers. “So, if you have a basic-skilled job, how do you advertise it?” I ask the friendly employer I’m sharing coffee and cake with at a networking event. “We tend to use the Indeed job site,” comes the reply. “Umm … could I chat to you a little bit about a slightly different approach you might want to consider?”
I believe that the key to supporting people with learning disabilities or autism into sustainable paid employment can be summarised in one handy phrase: “Get the job fit right.” And you’ll get the job fit right if you look at two key drivers.
One, you understand the young person, their life within their local communities, their skills and qualities and their support needs. Two, you understand something about the employer, their role within the local community and the job role they have in mind. Then you simply connect the two together.
So perhaps my title should be Community Connector?
You’re probably thinking I’m simplifying things too much so let’s rephrase something: “Get the job fit 80% right.” Over the last six months I’ve supported ten young people into full or part-time paid employment. With all of them, there’s been a 20% grey area. Much as I wish it could be, it’s never black and white but it always requires close management on a range of issues from the big stuff to the tiniest detail. For the young person and their parents I’m still the community connector, but for everyone else I become an employment support professional again. My use of bold is deliberate. The government’s Access To Work provision can provide a lifeline to address some if not all of the 20%. I find the advisors very helpful but the system is incredibly clunky. Luckily, my two job coaches, Mel and Mark, never let the clunkiness get in the way of effective job coaching which, surprise surprise, embraces effective community connecting.
Grey areas
With the right approach, almost certainly the 20% grey area can be reduced, if not to zero then to 5%, within two months, sometimes even two weeks.
Some of you reading this are already excellent community connectors. Perhaps you’ve never used this talent to create a job for somebody with learning disabilities or autism but I’m sure you can do this.
Here’s a suggestion. Contact three close friends or relatives in your local community who work in the private sector. The more senior they are within their organisations, the better. See if you can arrange a ‘chat’ with them at their offices. Take their favourite cake with you. At your meeting explore what opportunities there might be to ‘create’ a basic skilled job at their organisation for somebody with learning disabilities or autism, even if this is for just one day a week. Don’t forget, some people on the autistic spectrum have some significantly advanced skills. This is particularly useful if, between mouthfuls of cake, your friend starts talking about cloud applications, database functionality and Microsoft SQL servers. Nod and smile at this point to make it look as if you understand.
If, out of your three meetings, there’s a possibility of creating just one part-time paid job for somebody with learning disabilities or autism you’ve had a fantastic result. It’s quite likely you might know somebody who fits the bill. How about Cathy? If you’re struggling to think of somebody you know personally, drop into your local supported employment agency where there will be a considerable talent pool. Make the connections and watch the good stuff happen.
If you get stuck with anything, or if the supported agency gets stuck, particularly with any Access To Work clunkiness, send me an email.
e-mail : richard@apotentialdiamond.org
Phone: 077389 41415
Website at www.apotentialdiamond.org
Richard Lamplough is creator of A Potential Diamond and managing director of Won’t Ever Be Ltd.
