The Expanding Worlds Podcast

In this episode, I’m talking about our approach to supporting our daughter to learn to cook for herself without the need for any support or supervision.  Our solution involved discarding conventional cooking techniques that didn't work and looking for new options. In our case, it’s meant using an air fryer a slow cooker, and five-ingredient recipes. By adapting recipes for the food she wanted to make, this approach has enabled her to cook independently. 

To find out more about the course we have developed based on our experiences visit https://bit.ly/independentcooking

In this second part of my conversation with Julia Wright from Ken’s Krew, we discuss the importance of work experience in transition programs and the improvements that have taken place in these programs which are enabling more young people to be work-ready. She also offers advice to families about how to plan ahead and why planning is so important because it makes that move from education to employment much more likely to happen.  

https://kenskrew.org/

https://www.facebook.com/kenskrewjobs/

In this episode, we learn about Ken's Crew, an organization co-founded by parents through a partnership with Home Depot. Julia Wright from Ken’s Krew shares how they facilitate meaningful employment for young adults with additional needs through partnerships with a variety of organizations providing intensive training and ongoing support. Julia also discusses some of the challenges faced, such as communication skills and parental concerns, and the importance of sensitivity training for colleagues.  

https://kenskrew.org/

https://www.facebook.com/kenskrewjobs/

In this second part of a conversation with Mel Simmonds, from Hidden Gem Services, we focus on what we can do at home to help make the transition into paid work smoother for our young people. When they go into their first job, they will have lots of new information to take in and skills to learn. However, the transition will be made easier if we have already helped them build transferable skills they can use at work. Mel provides some practical examples of how to do this as well as explaining the role we can play in developing their confidence by discussing their daily work experiences and encouraging independent decision-making. She also touches on the potential pitfalls of parents acting as job coaches.

https://www.hiddengemservices.co.uk/

In this episode with Mel Simmonds from Hidden Gem Services, we dive into the world of job coaching, outlining the importance of support, understanding, and adaptability in creating successful employment options for young people with additional needs. Mel discusses the challenges faced, including inconsistencies in job roles and management as well as the positives that come from the cultural shifts that can occur within organizations.

https://www.hiddengemservices.co.uk/

In this episode, I share my journey of navigating parental fears and learning to trust my daughter's abilities. Despite her successful year in her job, my unspoken concerns about her future surfaced, impacting her more than I realized. This episode reflects on how difficult it is not to let our fears limit our children’s potential. I also talk about the importance of giving my daughter the dignity of risk, respecting her independence, and planning for a future where she can thrive, even when I’m not around.

Every journey starts somewhere, and for most of us, it starts at home with those closest to us, encouraging us, and believing in us. In this week’s episode with Laura Davis from BASE we discuss the important role families play in shaping the future outcomes of children. We discuss the challenges of navigating the support available and the role of school in better preparing young people for work. We also talk about the enormous impact that specialized job coaches can have and how employment enhances life expectancy.

https://www.base-uk.org

Collaboration can speed up change, but it requires coordination and management to make that happen. This week’s guest Laura Davis, Chief Executive of the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) knows all about this. In this episode, she not only shares her personal journey but also discusses the pivotal role BASE plays in championing employment opportunities for everyone. She also talks about the role of BASE in developing best practice standards around supported employment to enable their members to better serve the people they work with. Laura also discusses the need for a systemic change, driven by collaboration between employers, government, and supported employment services to create meaningful employment opportunities and foster inclusive workplaces.

https://www.base-uk.org/home

Having more opportunities for paid work for young people with additional needs relies on finding more employers to offer those opportunities. In this episode Andrea Randall-Smith from Little Gate explains the strategies they use to manage the relationships with the employers they work with to ensure more of these opportunities become available.  She discusses the value of storytelling and working with other local organisations so that the focus is on what employers need as well as what their future employees need and how the support they provide to employers can help them transform their employment practices.

https://www.littlegate.org.uk/

When opportunities aren’t available, sometimes we need to create them. That is part of the reason that Little Gate came about. In this episode Andrea Randall-Smith, CEO of Little Gate, shares the history and ethos of the organization and how they work to change the future of the young people they serve by giving them to skills to move into paid work. We also discuss the importance of getting feedback, sharing best practice, and working with other organizations to maximize the opportunities for everyone.

https://www.littlegate.org.uk/