Daniel moved to one of our specialist autism care homes in Portsmouth, in 2014. He’d always been keen to gain more independence from the get go, so staff have continuously supported him to take steps towards this goal.

Securing his first volunteer role

Earlier this year, Daniel made the decision with the encouragement from staff that he’d like to get into work. He thought it’d be a great way to fill his spare time and build his independence.

Daniel’s support team took the first step of getting in touch with Ways to Work, a company who help individuals search for and secure employment. Daniel and his support staff then arranged to meet with Julie, his assigned Ways to Work advisor. Together they went over his interests, skills and jobs he may enjoy. Julie picked up on the fact that Daniel has a big interest in tech and found a suitable volunteer role at a company called Jamie’s Computers.

Staff accompanied Daniel to go and meet the team at Jamie’s Computers, and supported him through a friendly interview process. Daniel got the job and was scheduled in to start his six week volunteer placement. He was ecstatic, and the staff at our services were very proud and excited for him.

Working at Jamie’s Computers

Daniel has now almost finished his six week placement at Jamie’s Computers and has loved every minute. He’s been working two days a week, on a Tuesday and Thursday, which fits perfectly around his leisure activities. Staff support him to and from work, as well as lightly during his shift. Daniel’s main duty, which he thoroughly enjoys, is taking out hard drives and motherboards from computers.

Daniel has always struggled to “get used to people he doesn’t know”, so staff have supported him throughout his placement to interact with the team. His staff team have managed to take a step back as he has become more confident. Daniel has been able to build a good relationship with the team, especially his supervisor, Jay. Daniel says, “I like the company of Jay and everybody.”

The team at Jamie’s Computers are so impressed with Daniel, they have rewarded him for his hard work with a laptop!

Building his independence step by step

At home, Daniel has developed his independence skills very much since moving to one of our services. He now cleans up and helps out with everyday household tasks. He creates a weekly menu plan for himself and goes to the supermarket with staff to purchase the items he’s listed. He has also made a major improvement with his finances. According to the team at our services, Daniel would “spend every last penny” – but with the encouragement of staff, he now regularly saves. This has opened him up to many more opportunities such as going to Goodwood Festival as a VIP.

One of the biggest steps towards independence Daniel has made, was moving into the independent flat attached to the main home. This allows him to have the responsibility of looking after his own space and keeping it tidy, but gives him the freedom of socialising with the other residents and staff when he wants.

This progress, along with his volunteering placement, has enabled Daniel to take a step closer to reaching his future goal of moving into his own flat in Portsmouth and getting a paid job. The staff are positive he will be able to reach this goal with their support. Good luck Daniel!

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