Six young people have secured jobs at our Trust as part of our trailblazing Project SEARCH scheme, which helps 17 to 19 year olds with learning disabilities and/or autism take their first steps into the workplace.

They’re working across different departments in our hospitals; Procurement, Theatres and Pathology. They join several other interns from the scheme, which we started in 2023, who have already got jobs in our Trust, taking the total to 11 for this cohort of interns.

Sam Deriouch works in our Pathology team, assisting with a variety of tasks and helping things run smoothly. 

He said:

When I’m in Pathology, I’m not treated like I have a disability. I’m treated equally, just like everyone else. I feel proud and privileged to have paid work here.

Three of the group, Marc Law, Jake Robinson, and Mala Kaur have joined our Procurement team as logistics and supplies officers, checking and delivering supplies to our departments, ensuring they have what they need to care for our patients.

Marc (pictured below) praised how much support he has received:

At first, I was so nervous of trying something new and thought I would leave after two weeks but I had a lot of help, support and encouragement from my family, job coaches and team to keep going.

Now I have a fulltime job, I am over the moon and want to thank everyone for the advice and encouragement I was given.

Colleague Jake has seen his confidence grow since becoming part of the scheme:

I didn’t expect to be treated like an employee from the very start but that’s exactly what happened.

Being given that level of trust and responsibility early on helped me build my confidence, develop real workplace skills, and ultimately secure paid employment. It’s been a life-changing experience.

While Mala has gained valuable skills and has enjoyed the experience:

My experience with Project Search has been wonderful and amazing. It has taught me valuable life skills like the importance of being on time and putting in the effort to gain knowledge and grow as a person.

Having job coaches has been incredibly helpful, they support me with work-related conversations and give great advice whenever I face any issues.

Kieron Baker is also part of our Procurement team, working as a linen porter. He takes clean bed linen to the wards and collects used bedding:

I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to gain paid employment. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, so I feel incredibly lucky. I’d absolutely recommend this experience to anyone.

Lucy Ann Gibson is working in our theatres as a health care assistant and is excited to develop her skills even further:

Being part of Project SEARCH has opened up so many opportunities for me. Thanks to the skills and experience I’ve gained, I’ve now secured an apprenticeship, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.

Project SEARCH is supported by several partners, including Astrum and Barking and Dagenham College. We’ll be welcoming a new group of 12 interns to our hospitals this September.