Jay is about to begin working at LDN London as an admin assistant.
Jay is an autistic person and will be an important part of our autism programme.
As an autistic person Jay has faced workplaces that are not right for her.
In 2018, Jay she started jobs at a popular chain café, and doing housekeeping at a hotel. It was before she received an autism diagnosis.
She remembers that they expected her to learn very quickly and it was overwhelming: “You have about three days to remember everything… I was just crying at work because it got too much.”
She was “beyond stressed”, she says and would have liked longer to learn the tasks.
The Job Centre had told Jay that she would get training and that she wouldn’t be thrown in to the role. But that was not her experience.
When she tried to tell people she was finding it difficult, they didn’t listen to her. “I didn’t have a diagnosis then, and they looked at me like ‘Why are you crying?’”
After around a week, she left these jobs.
This experience really knocked Jay’s confidence and made her feel isolated. “Nobody really understood me, and I couldn’t count on anybody to. I wanted to do what everybody else did and get into work. But I’d have these roadblocks. It made me feel like I can’t do it, like I can’t be part of society.”
She doubted herself: “Am I really spoilt, really childish? Why can’t I handle anything? It seems like everybody else can just do it.”
Things got better, fortunately. After leaving that role she found a job with Groundwork, a charity, where they created a work environment that was much better.
In 2019, Jay found a job with the charity Groundwork as a groundsperson.
She looked after gardens across London.
Unlike in her other roles, she loved this one and before she knew it the first week had flown by. It began as a part-time role, 3 days a week and soon Jay was working 5 days each week.
The team at Groundwork were passionate about what they did and they gave great support and more time to learn things, Jay says.
The team understood that people are different and have different needs, she says. “They explained everything in a really understandable way.”
She got training on-the-job and gained a Level 1 certificate in Horticulture.
She enjoyed the feeling she got when people said positive things about the gardens and how nice they looked.
In this role, Jay was able to take the time she needed when she felt overwhelmed by other people. She was able to work on a section of the garden on her own. “I’d have at least some time to recharge my social battery.”
She loved how hands-on it was: “There’s nothing else like it, digging in the earth, being practical, making it look nice. I’d love to do something like that in the future.”
Jay loved the role, but unfortunately after a few years her contract ran out and she was let go from this position.
After that role Jay had a period where she wasn’t working, and she was adjusting to her autism diagnosis.
Having come to LDN London’s autism-friendly sessions, Jay is excited to begin working at LDN London, she says.
“I get to work at LDN, it’s really awesome.”
She is looking forward to making a difference to people and she is excited by the training opportunities. She wants to learn First Aid.
She is pleased she won’t have to worry about being understood. She can be herself.
“I’ll never be singled out or the odd one out or not be able to express myself.”
Good luck in your new role Jay. Thank you for sharing your story.
Find out more about LDN London’s Community Hub and our group for autistic people: https://www.ldnlondon.org/find-support/ldn-community-hub/
You can also contact Iman, our autism service lead, on 07522 546 656 or imerdel@ldnlondon.org.
If you would like to explore inclusive employment, we can help you find the right local service and be a friendly ear in the process. Please contact:
Mandy Crowford mcrowford@ldnlondon.org or
Luana Baptista lbaptista@ldnlondon.org
