Sahar

Project SEARCH Case Study: Sahar

I loved my first rotation which was in Back of House. Working with other interns to put the snack  bags together I learnt so many new skills, including potting items, opening cans and labelling food with dates. Other people say they find opening cans really tricky, but I am able to do it, which makes me feel useful. I’ve also learnt just how important accurately labelling food with the right dates is so that people know when food is going off and when not to eat it! I’m definitely learning loads and making progress. Even though I sometimes struggle with time keeping, I always make sure I’m never late for work.

It has been fantastic working with the team and my confidence has grown a lot. My job coaches have been brilliant and so supportive; I really appreciate everything they have done to make me feel happy and comfortable, including finding me a chair to sit on as I find it difficult to stand for long periods of time. The fact that they are so willing to make adjustments and have clearly thought about my needs makes me feel very well cared for.

Everyone is delighted by the progress I have made and I’m incredibly grateful for the support of all the mentors involved in the programme. I’ve received such positive feedback. Everyone who has worked with me tells me that I’m hardworking and a good team player, and that they’re proud to have me as an intern.

My mentors have noticed a real change in me since starting the placement – when I first began, I was quite shy and would eat my lunch on my own, but now I eat it with the other interns. We all get on so well and I’m really happy to have made some great friends here. In my most recent employment planning meeting, my mentors also noticed how much my presentation skills had improved – standing up and giving a presentation can be daunting but they were so complimentary about what I had achieved.

The way the internship has grown my confidence has been so important - I’ve even started to become more independent in my daily life, and I now walk back home from work on my own.

I’m so excited for my second rotation and I am sure my job coaches will find me something to do that I’ll enjoy. Since they’ve seen how much I’ve grown in confidence working Back of House, they want to give me something different to develop my confidence and skills even further. I like to be organised and enjoy helping others, so we’ve discussed perhaps working on the ward for my second rotation. In any case, I can’t wait to get started.