Rachel has been supported by Mencap NI's
Employment Service
An
employment
Employment means having a job.
service is a place that can help you get a job. This might be a job centre or an
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
.
to gain paid employment as a
Customer
A customer is a person who buys something or uses a
service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
.
Assistant in Pharmacy Chain, Boots.
Rachel first started in a work placement with Boots while she was completing a retail course in college as she was keen to develop her skills and confidence within a retail environment and her goal was to gain paid employment.
Rachel was supported on Mencap’s EmployAbility Project to complete role plays to prepare for her
interview
An interview is a meeting where you talk to someone or a group of people about something. When you have an interview for a job, you have to answer questions and say why you would be good at the job. The person who gives the best answers is offered the job.
and to gain confidence in interacting with customers through a training placement in Boots.
In December 2015, Rachel was supported by her Mencap Employment Officer to gain paid employment as a Customer Assistant in Boots.
Since gaining her paid position, Rachel has been supported by Mencap under the Workable NI programme and has built up her confidence and gradually increased her working days in Boots.
Mencap’s Employment Officer also provided support to the
manager
A manager is a boss at work. They tell you what you need to do and give you support if you need it.
in Boots to help the manager gain a better understanding of Rachel's support needs in order to ensure that Rachel received the appropriate support within her Customer Assistant role.
Prior to gaining her paid job, Rachel was anxious about her future and said
When I got the job I felt excited and less worried
It was a stress worrying about the future and wondering if I’d ever get a job.”
I get up in the morning and I’m excited to have something to do. Everyone likes me in Boots and I really enjoy it. I really love it here. It’s like a home from home.
Rachel's main responsibilities include supporting customers, working on the till, date and price checking products and replenishing stock.
Rachel also helps customers with ordering and printing photographs online. Rachel soon increased her working days from 4 to 5 days a week and now works Monday to Friday, 9am to 2pm in Boots.
Thank you Mencap!