My Employment Blog

 Since I left school, I always wanted to get a job, especially a paid job. So, in this Blog I am going to talk about my experiences of employment.

My first job was voluntary at Quarriers’ Fred Martin Project one day a week. This lasted for 6 years. I was doing data-putting. Even although it was good at the time, I needed to get something else. 

In July 2015, I started to volunteer at Cerebral Palsy Scotland (formerly Bobath Scotland) and after having volunteered for 18 months there, I was lucky even to go on their paid roll.

When I started out in Cerebral Palsy Scotland as a volunteer, I was doing thankyou letters to people who donated money and I wrote blogs about my experiences of having cerebral palsy. When I started on the paid roll, I was a communications assistant which meant in addition writing a lot of blogs and letters, I took on their social media. The thing I am most proud of while working for Cerebral Palsy Scotland was that I set up a support network for adults with cerebral palsy.

While working in Cerebral Palsy Scotland as someone with cerebral palsy I realized that there wasn't any support network for adults with cerebral palsy. I decided that I would set up a Facebook group which is called Cerebral Palsy Scotland for Adults. Since it started, the group now has over 190 members. It is good way for adults with cerebral palsy to get in touch with other adults with cerebral palsy.

As the group was online, very soon the members wanted to get together. So, since 2017 I have organised 5 get togethers which we held at Cerebral Palsy Scotland. At these events, we had people talking about their experiences of having cerebral palsy, workshops from inclusion Scotland and everyone just had good fun! I am really proud of making all of this happen.

As they say all good things comes to an end and so they do. When I was put on the paid roll at first, my job was funded by Inclusion Scotland for the first 3 months and then Cerebral Palsy Scotland got funding from Community Jobs Scotland for some period of time. Sadly, in January 2020 that funding ended, and I lost my job. This was very difficult for me because I loved my job and really worked at it. At first, when I was told that the funding was finishing, I really thought that I could have stayed on as a volunteer, but sadly I couldn't.

When I lost my job at Cerebral Palsy Scotland, I worked hard to put my CV together and reach out to other places about getting employment.  But that all stopped when lock down started like everything else.  During the first lockdown I started doing Blogs for TAG, an organisation which I am involve in. That really helped me getting through lock down.  After the lock down I continued in doing the Blogs and I have my campaigning to keep me busy. Part of me still wants to get another paid job. 

In summer 2021, I saw a poster on social media for a new programme which Enable Scotland has set up called All In Glasgow. The programme is for people with a disability who want to find employment.  So, I contacted them to see what could happen. I wasn't sure how will it go and if I get anywhere with the programme because I learned from losing my job in Cerebral Palsy Scotland and with Covid that we don't know what is around the corner and just to take life as it comes. So, I contacted them with an open mind, and lucky enough they got back to me. 

At first, I met the manager in Glasgow called Emma. She was very nice, she took some details and she explained to me what they do, and I thought it seemed really good, but I wasn't getting my hopes up.  After that meeting Emma signed me to an Employment co-ordinator.  The week after I met my Employment co-ordinator called Marianne.  Marianne is great. It took some time getting started because there was a lot of paperwork needed to be done. I meet Marianne almost every week. We have done some workshops on few things just to get me ready for a job again and Marianne helped me to get my website up and running.

I haven't found a job yet, but it is ongoing, and it will happen when it happens.

I would like to get a job in communications like what I did at Cerebral Palsy Scotland, or even become a journalist, but who knows!

Having a disability and finding a job has its barriers like places having the right access and equipment, but it doesn't hold me back because I am one someone who wants to work and earn my money! 

Written by Jill