Learning disabilities Volunteering opportunities support Phillip’s skills development!
Every Wednesday when the clock strikes 12, Phillip, a person we support with Asperger’s syndrome, arrives at the Voyage Care head office in Lichfield. Accompanied by his Key Support Worker from his home at 46 Derby Road, he’s eager to get to work.
Serious face on and sandwiches in the fridge, Phillip starts his weekly shift as our superstar volunteer! A keen cleaner, his meticulous eye and keen attention to detail ensures we keep our office spotless!
Spending a couple of hours a week with us in Lichfield, he demonstrates his passion for working and contributing to the Voyage Care community. Proactive and a passionate team player, Phillip’s hard work means a lot to us. And it means a lot to him too.
Growing up, he was inspired by his dad’s hardy commitment to work, which allowed him to provide for Phillip and his family. With this admirable dedication drilled deep into his heart, Phillip longed to feel the satisfaction of a hard day’s work!
Before Phillip joined us, he struggled to find a suitable position. Struggling with self-expression and preferring set routines, he struggled to adapt to new environments and navigate fresh faces.
Frustrated and lacking purpose in his life, Phillip’s wellbeing suffered. Once he joined us, our expert team at Derby Road knew exactly what to do. Sourcing inclusive organisations, they satisfied his desire to work with exciting volunteering ventures!
Changes and challenges
Before joining Derby Road, Phillip lived at home with his mum and dad. When their relationship ended, it took its toll on his emotional wellbeing. As a young adult, he expressed a desire to establish his independence. Being a person with learning disabilities meant he had additional needs and would need specialist support if he moved out.
That’s when Phillip and his family found Voyage Care. Moving into Derby Road when he was 26, it was clear to our team he wanted independence. But first, he had a few hurdles to overcome.
Lacking motivation and suffering with low self-esteem, Phillip wouldn’t engage with his support team, fellow housemates, or local community.
Naturally a proud man, Phillip struggled to adapt to a residential setting and allowing others to give him the support he needed to achieve added independence.
Phillip became withdrawn and increasingly isolated himself, struggling to express his feelings. Through person-centred support, our team got to know Phillip as a person. Identifying his unique needs, preferences, and ambitions, they clearly understood why Phillip was struggling to settle into his new home.
Overcoming transition anxiety
Our team knew this was Phillip’s first experience of living independently. The nature of his needs meant he liked familiarity and routine, so moving to a new home was challenging.
Recognising him as a young man with his whole future ahead of him, they understood the importance of supporting him to feel comfortable in his surroundings, so he could live a fulfilling life.
Starting with small acts of compassion and kindness, the team gained Phillip’s trust. Reassured they had his best interests at heart, Phillip was empowered to collaborate with his team to create a care plan tailored to his needs and ambitions.
As the days went by, Phillip’s support team built an incredible bond with him. Once he felt comfortable enough, he expressed his desire to get a job and work hard – just like his dad did. Understanding how important this was to Phillip’s happiness, the team started exploring opportunities for him to fulfil this ambition.
Breaking down barriers
Phillip’s career started with securing a part-time cleaning job at a local pub. By going out to work, Phillip got a flavour for independence. He felt empowered and self-sufficient, and poured passion into his position.
When they received news Phillip’s role would be ending, his team knew it would crumple his confidence and dent his development.
Proactive in finding him another opportunity, they sourced another part-time job for him delivering leaflets. As the demand for leaflets dwindled, Phillip once again found himself out of work and tackling low self-esteem.
Once Phillip’s leaflet route ended, the team were determined to ensure his confidence and emotional wellbeing didn’t suffer.
Springing into action, they connected with the local community and looked for volunteering opportunities for him. Ensuring he only had a small break between jobs, they found a volunteering role for Phillip.
Certain this was the right avenue for Phillip, our team at Derby Road collaborated with inclusive organisations who could accommodate his needs and support his development.
Best behaviour
When Phillip started his career as a volunteer 18 years ago, he had to adapt to a new routine, environment and colleagues. Alongside his learning disabilities, this meant he hit a few bumps in the road.
Phillip has complex needs that affect how he communicates. Struggling with verbal expression, processing new information can also be challenging for him. So, when he started volunteering, he experienced difficulties taking instructions and expressing himself to those around him.
Fortunately, Phillip’s support team at Derby Road ensured his position was with an inclusive organisation and reassured him it was a safe space.
Developing a close relationship with the organisation, his team maintained open and honest communication with them. Looking out for Phillip’s welfare, his new employer would let our team at Derby Road know if he had a difficult day. This empowered them to chat with him about it when he got home. By understanding his challenges at work, they’ve collaborated with him to overcome them.
Over the years, his support team have worked with him to understand how what he says might hurt other people – even if he doesn’t mean for it to. So, when Phillip got his first volunteering job, they worked with him to understand boundaries and how he can make everyone around him feel appreciated and empowered.
Once he’d settled into his role, being exposed to different people supported this behaviour and enhanced his communication skills. Feeling more grounded, he started to show more empathy towards his colleagues. Gaining greater insight into other people’s feelings, he’s learnt how to adapt his behaviour to suit their needs.
With this deeper level of understanding, Phillip’s challenging behaviours have significantly reduced. But, like all of us, he still has his off days.
For Phillip, routine and familiarity are important to his happiness. If he has a big event looming, like a family visit, he’s prone to experiencing anxiety. Sometimes, this influences his behaviour at work. But because his team have built a positive relationship with his volunteering organisation, they can pre-empt these behaviours.
The organisations he volunteers with know how much his roles means to him so work hard to navigate the tough days with him.
Volunteering ventures
Since starting his first volunteering job in 2006, Phillip’s expanded his portfolio of volunteering ventures. Today, Phillip attends four volunteering jobs each week!
Voyage Care hygiene hero
Volunteering at Voyage Care’s head office, Phillip completes important tasks like emptying the dishwasher, checking the fridges are clean and clutter free, dusting blinds, putting out the recycling and sanitising worktops. Phillip takes pride in each task he tackles but his favourite task is washing up – he actively scours the building for crockery to clean!
Charity superstar
When he’s not at our central office, Phillip can be found at the Star Foundation, his local charity shop in Burton-on-Trent. Working in their warehouse, he organises donated items, ready to be sold in their shop. And if he works hard, he gets to go out on the donations van – his favourite thing to do!
Community champion
Always wanting to give back more to his local community, Phillip also volunteers at two community outreach spaces in Staffordshire. At both organisations, he offers meals to people in need in the local community. He also helps with washing up and tidying the dining areas, ensuring they’re in tip-top shape!
At all his roles, Phillip enjoys interacting with other volunteers and members of the local community. Engaging with the local community has supported Phillip’s communication skills and empowered him with more confidence.
As his confidence has increased, Phillip’s started to talk about his feelings to his Key Support Worker, Sharon. Freely expressing himself is a big step for Phillip. Concerned he’ll say something inappropriate, Sharon’s worked hard to reassure him he’s safe to express his raw emotions and authentic feelings.
Benefits and outcomes
The longer Phillip’s volunteered, the more his confidence and communication skills have developed, and his happiness has grown. For Phillip, these benefits are just a drop in the bucket – he’s seen many more positive outcomes from volunteering.
Making new friends and achieving a sense of connection with others has been a big bonus for Phillip. Previously shy and reserved, Phillip was reluctant to interact with others. Since volunteering, he’s become a budding socialite and community champion!
Giving back to the local community fills Phillip with joy. Knowing he can help people in need, just like others have helped him, has increased his happiness and is the ultimate job satisfaction.
Volunteering has also given structure and a sense of purpose to Phillip’s life. Giving him a break from the home environment, it’s an opportunity for him to be independent outside Derby Road. And when he returns home at the end of the day, he’s bubbling with a huge sense of achievement and has lots to talk about!
With this sense of structure, purpose, and newfound confidence, Phillip’s paved way for learning valuable new skills, and supporting his physical wellbeing and mental health. And since he started volunteering, Phillip’s gone from reluctantly going to the local shop, to being fully independent in the local community!
New lease of life
With a busy career as a volunteering superstar, Phillip’s found himself enjoying a busy social life! With renewed self-esteem, he’s joined social groups, like Friends to Friends, where he meets new people and makes meaningful connections. He’s even been spreading the word about his social clubs to the other volunteers he works with – he loves getting people together to enjoy themselves!
As well as establishing new friendships, Phillip’s enjoying healthier relationships with his family. When he first joined us, staying with his mum at weekends was challenging. Even though they’ve always been close, his behaviours disrupted their time together.
Since Phillip started volunteering, he’s enjoying a new lease of life and a new relationship with his mum. Keen to dress smartly and accompany his mum to church, they enjoy each other’s company and cherish the time they spend together. With big changes to Phillip’s happiness, they now indulge in their shared passion: going to the football together!
With a host of new skills under his belt, Phillip’s now eager to lend a hand around his mum’s house! Washing up and cleaning the car, offering his handyman services is the ultimate expression of Phillip’s love.
Twenty years of transformation
This year, we’re celebrating a special anniversary with Phillip as we mark 20 years since he joined the Voyage Care family. For his support team at Derby Road, the celebration will be extra special, as they reflect on how he’s transformed over the last 20 years.
Phillip’s transformation is the result of many years of dedication from his support team, most of whom have supported him since the day he joined us! The key to Phillip’s success was getting him to feel comfortable with himself. By digging deep and discovering who he is and what he likes to do, he’s built a positive relationship with himself and everyone he meets!
But, for Phillip, this is an ongoing evolution. Still constantly surprising the service, he first found his feet in the local community and is now finding his voice. Empowering others, he recently took the stage at one of his social clubs and spoke to fellow members about his volunteering jobs. Without pursuing his passion for work, he never would have navigated his journey to self-belief and found the confidence to speak in public.
For Phillip, life has changed dramatically. With such a wide variety of opportunities available to him, we’re certain there are many more exciting achievements in his future.
For us, we’ll continue to look forward to seeing Phillip each Wednesday. With his wide smile and positive attitude, he brings a vibrant energy to our office and brightens rainy days. He’s truly a valued member of the Voyage Care family.
Find out more!
If you’d like to find out more about our specialist learning disabilities support and how we could help you, a loved one, or a client, fill out our simple form and a member of our friendly team will be in touch.
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