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Sean's work experience story

Pluss 17 June 2022

Sean’s journey with Pluss began in August 2021 with the Pluss Learning Disability Supported Employment Service. He had wellbeing sessions with job coach Ray Johns, carrying out activities within the community to build upon his confidence and help with his social anxiety.

During this time Sean’s anxiety improved which led to him thinking about trying a work placement. A huge and brilliant step.

Sean also attended the “Transferring life skills to work skills” course which was developed by SeetecPluss and Oncourse Southwest. He was nervous at first, but Sean soon became a confident part of the group and his humour made others laugh!

Sean proudly informed the group on his progress with Pluss, explaining how the support has helped him gain work and that Pluss could help others in the group too.

Sean started an 8-week work experience at the Tesco Store on Ebrington Street, his weekly task was to date check different aisles of products. This was a crucial part of Sean’s work as he focused well and found several items per week that were out of ‘sell by’ or ‘use by’ dates.

On occasions he would replenish shelves of products ensuring he had the correct product for that space.

Once he finished at Tesco Sean was offered a work experience role at the Co-Op warehouse Plympton, straight away he settled in and picked up tasks he was shown. He was always keen to help and covered offloading waste products and empty stock cages from the returning lorries, to then reload them with stock. He even became quite the expert with the barcode scanner!

Impressive

He worked on booking new stock onto the system, assisted in a weekly stock check and even carried out a health and safety review with one of the managers and picked store orders for next day deliveries.

The management were so impressed with Sean’s work that he was offered a temporary summer job lasting four months which he is currently doing on his own without any support. We are hoping he will impress and end up as a permanent operative.

Sean says he “really enjoys working at the co-op and has made some friends”.

Quotes from managers at Co-op:

“He is really conscientious and likes working in a group and has been playing pool with the guys at break. So hopefully settling well 😊”

“Sean has settled in well and doing fantastically. He is very enthusiastic and is giving us all lip lol. I am sure he will be a good addition.”