Client Success Story: Craig

Shropshire Disability Employment Service

Craig got in touch with Enable in March 2017 as he had been off work due to depression and needed support with working out what his next step should be to find employment. He had heard about Enable after attending counselling through his GP. His Councillor had set out a rota of sessions and after the second session they decided he was ready to be discharged. The Social Work Hub then contacted Enable.

Craig had been working for Tudor Griffiths group for 17 years prior to falling ill and taking sick leave. He was convinced that returning to work would be too difficult and felt that his only option was to take on a voluntary role. Craig was referred to Enable’s Disability Employment Team due to his learning disability.

Enable Employment Officer, Mireille, worked with Craig to figure out his short and long term goals for employment. The pair established that Craig enjoyed his previous job and that Tudor Griffiths Group had been extremely accommodating to his needs in the past. Mireille explained to Craig that Enable had the resources to support himself and his manager at Tudor Griffiths Group to ensure a steady return to work that would not impact on his mental health and that would meet his employer’s needs and expectations.

Mireille set out an in work support plan for Craig which involved staggering his hours so that he only did a few to start off with, before going back to 15 hours per week. Enable also provided a Job Coach, Paul, who would help Craig in his day to day tasks. Craig said that Paul would support him when he was feeling down and they shared an interest in Shrewsbury Town Football Club and music. Having Paul there made the idea of going back to work a lot less daunting for Craig as he knew there was someone supporting him on the job.

Craig’s tasks involve working on a quarry shovelling stone sand, using a scraper brush and shovel for general cleaning up and tidying around the conveyor belts – picking up stones that fall off and putting them in the wheel barrow. The work is physically demanding so Tudor Griffiths Group allow Craig to stop for tea breaks whenever he needs to. This helps with Craig’s overall mental health as it makes the work load seem less overwhelming.
At first Craig’s Manager at Tudor Griffiths Group had some reservations about Craig returning to work as he had been getting upset. This was due to the fact that his dad no longer works for the company so he wasn’t there to defuse any difficult situations. However, having distance from his dad proved to be a positive because it meant that Craig has now learnt to be more independent and knows how to deal with certain issues on his own. It has also allowed him to come out of his shell and get to know the other members of staff a lot more.

The main challenge with Craig returning to work was getting him back into his routine. This was because he liked to clean things in certain order and would sometimes fall behind. Tudor Griffiths Group were able to resolve this issue by changing the scraper systems which, in turn, reduced spillage and allowed him to work at a faster pace, getting all of his jobs done while staying in his routine.

Matt at Tudor Griffiths Group said: “Enable providing a Job Coach was extremely beneficial. There was such a lot of work for Craig to go back to and Paul was there to lighten the load and ease him into it. This helped to inspire Craig to get back to it. Since getting back to work I have seen a positive change in Craig’s outlook on life, he’s got his confidence back and it’s helped him to get back into a routine. There have been some hiccups, like if things don’t go to plan. However, there is no real worry because Craig knows that there is always support from someone here to look after him when he is at work and things go wrong. Now that he’s not relying on his dad so much he has become chattier and more independent – he has a new and improved attitude!”

When asked if he would use Enable again, Matt said: “Yeah, we don’t often have vacancies but when we do, in future, I would have no objection to hiring someone through Enable.”

Tudor Griffith Group have been so impressed with Craig’s work since his return that they are looking to increase his hours.

Well done Craig!

Success Story: Craig