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Share our services – together we can help the physically challenged return to work and regain their independence and dignity ABILITIES BEYOND LIMITATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS A NEWSLETTER OF VOL. 12 | JUNE 2019 Charlotte with Marie during a job support visit Training, job exploration, placement and support are key areas of work for Charlotte George, Senior Employment Support Specialist at ABLE. She shares that one challenging task the team face is to convince employers to be inclusive of persons with physical challenges. Hence it gives her great satisfaction when employers, like BreadTalk are convinced and keen to give our clients an opportunity to return to work. Through close partnership with clients, community partners, and inclusive employers like BreadTalk Group, ABLE’s RTW programme supports clients’ aspirations for independence, community reintegration and employment. An RTW client goes through a few phases which range in duration depending on each individual’s situation. Since October 2015, over 45 clients have either returned to their workplace or been placed in new jobs. ABLE’S RTW PROGRAMME 8-11 Months 2 Months 2 Months 1 Month 3-6 Months PHASE 1 PHASE 2 (as applicable) PHASE 3 PHASE 4 Training: Needs analysis + job readiness index Rehab: Pre-vocational assessment Training: In-house workshop and/or job specific Rehab: Job-specific and work conditioning Training: Work trial / flexi or open employment Rehab: Work hardening Open employment with job support Maintenance rehab (if needed) NO JOB CURRENTLY JOB EXPLORATION JOB PLACEMENT POST JOB SUPPORT RTW Programme Phases Marie and Area Operations Manager, Ju Yan decorating the pastries Marie first suffered a stroke in December 2017. This was followed by a second stroke in April 2018. She felt very sad that she had to stop work and was lost about how she was going to cope. She came to know about ABLE while recovering at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and subsequently enrolled into ABLE’s Return-to-Work (RTW) programme. HELPING THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED RETURN TO SOCIETY Her Area Operations Manager, Ju Yan says that initial concerns about how Marie would cope within the compact workspace and during busy periods, were addressed during ABLE’s job support visits with Marie after she started on the job. When you look at Marie, who do you see, we asked Ju Yan. Her response was simply this – “I see someone who can contribute to society, as long as support and help are given”. She had physiotherapy for her physical rehabilitation. In addition, Marie attended various programmes arranged by the Employment Support team, including WSQ training in Effective Workplace Communications, and a call centre work trial. “I felt more positive and encouraged after attending the programmes,” Marie shared. When a job interview oppportunity at BreadTalk opened, Marie was excited and nervous at the same time. She was delighted when she was offered the position of Pastry Artist at BreadTalk at Nex. Her job is to decorate the pastries such as donuts, croissants, bread and pizza.
