One of our recent clients is Zak Mcguffie who began working with Aspire to Be in March 2022 and has since gone on to get a full-time job with Challenge Supply Co in Armthorpe, Doncaster. Here Jonathan Layton, from Challenge Supply, explains how he has forged a successful partnership with Aspire to Be and how this has benefited his company in the long term.
We have a workshop in Armthorpe, Doncaster where we manufacture various products related to school, college and university award ceremonies and events. With some growth and increase in manufacturing requirements we were in need of an extra person.
We already have a staff member who is deaf who has been with us for 13 years, one of the team suggested that we contact Doncaster Deaf Trust in the city to see if they knew of anyone that would be interested in the role, so we got in touch.
Following our enquiry, we were called back the same day by the Aspire to Be team, a specialist employment service run by the Trust, who took down our details and had a thorough deep dive of what our requirements were and the kind of person we needed.
Within a few hours, a visit had been arranged for a likely candidate who then came to site and spent an hour or so looking at the working surroundings and what the role involved. Aspire to Be explained what the candidate’s work experience was and his journey so far.
The candidate, Zak, was keen to take on the role so we suggested a couple of weeks trial which he did. On completion of this we offered him full time employment which he has taken up.
The whole process has been hassle free, no piles of paperwork to go through, no agency fees, and all with a personal service.
In our small team of 10, we have two profoundly deaf people and one who has Asperger’s. Some people do question how this works in practice, but the real facts are that these three are the key players.
With communication being by sign language, we have found that other team players started off by learning ABC in sign language and then been amazed how they can communicate, which then follows on with a much stronger bonding and respect for each other than might be expected.
We have also found that the staff members, with what might be classed as disabilities, are actually more focussed and dedicated.
Within our team, it’s just one team, there’s no ‘them’ and ‘us’. We get to work in the morning and crack on as one unit.
If anyone is prepared it stand back and take a different approach to support people like Zak be prepared to take the time to hold hands and do a bit of explaining and training, but the rewards and results are beyond measure.