After leaving Leeds City College in 2022 with qualifications in both travel and hospitality, Charlie’s dream job was to be either a receptionist/concierge in a hotel, or to work in travel and tourism

Christopher has wanted to work in a café that is local to him for many years. He has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders and has volunteered in cafes for years but always struggled to take the step into paid employment.

Before receiving support from Autism Plus Specialist Employment Support, Daniel was struggling with managing his attendance at work, managing his daily duties and day to day life outside of work. Daniel would often feel overwhelmed and there were many times when he didn’t feel like leaving the house.

Emma came to us having never been employed before. She had just completed University and was unsure about the direction she wanted to take her life in.

Thomas attended his first appointment with Autism Plus in January this year. He was unemployed, struggling with anxiety and unsure how to manage his neuro-diverse condition.

Ben, a college graduate in Creative Media, faced challenges transitioning to the workforce due to anxiety and burnout. Despite independent travel skills, he struggled with interactions and found solace in technology and digital artwork. Supported by his mother, Ben sought employment opportunities aligned with his passions but lacked confidence and direction.

Covid saw Robert loose his employment and confidence too, with the support of our team we helped Robert overcome his barriers and move back into paid employment.

From a small remote village in North Yorkshire Adam was losing hope in his job search, our team supported him to secure his dream role in marketing through our Rise programme.

Charlotte was supported to find a paid role after qualifying with a degree in broadcasting and journalism through our Rise programme.

When Joe came to our service he was off work on long term sick and had lost a lot of confidence, and struggling to see a way back.

We helped Fabian to talk about his anxieties and found coping methods that helped to ease them. We then developed a person-centred plan focusing on Fabian’s goals and aspirations, looking to the future and what he hoped to achieve.

While Jack has a wonderfully descriptive – and very relevant – analogy for autism – that has not always been the case. He struggles through school with undiagnosed autism, leaving him facing an uncertain future. His mum’s perseverance led to a diagnosis at 16 years old and an explanation as to why he found school so difficult.

After being out of work for two years due to anxiety and depression, Soren joined our Thriving at Work project in North Yorkshire with goal of overcoming her mental health challenges and securing a paid job.