Wise words! Are you looking for employment?

“There’s more to life than sitting down, there’s a purpose doing a paid job”

Wise words from expert by experience, Musa sharing his reasons behind wanting paid employment.

Thank you to all the experts at Surrey People’s Group sharing their stories to inspire others, Pro-Active Community member Robert talked about Quality Checking, Surrey Choices talked about the Workwise programme with Waythrough and Get Set UK, and Katie Christmas invited people to join the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training team.

Great to hear another Pro-Active Community member, Matt, explaining how important it is to him delivering the Oliver McGowan training, more than 200 NHS and Surrey Care providers have benefitted from his lived experience over the past months.

“They [GPs]weren’t really listening to people with learning disability, but they are more now, they are taking notes”

So many ideas and clear opportunity for seeking new and varied employment ideas, but still a long way to go for employers in making accessible jobs possible for adults with learning disability.

Interesting hearing all the discussion groups saying the same things:-

✨Provide more reasonable adjustments
✨Help me feel I belong
✨It will affect my benefits badly won’t it?
✨Give me good training
✨I might take longer, be patient
✨Paid employment is good for my mental health
✨Stops me being bored
✨Will it work round what I can do?
✨It’s given me independence

Well done to Amanda Aldridge and Narmadha Kothandapani from Surrey County Council for facilitating and organising another successful Surrey People’s Group meeting for over 30 people to gain such an important insight and employment guidance.

As always so good to work closely with so many Surrey colleagues in providing group meetings such as this. Everyone enjoyed putting together a visual CV!