Aiden came to the Supported Employment Service after starting a college course but did not complete it. Whilst working with me, it became clear that Aiden had a passion for
outdoor work, with a keen interest in gardening and horticulture. Aiden embraced the Supported Employment Training we had to offer and started with
Davey on the Supported Employment Service site squad. His confidence grew, and he worked well under supervision and as part of a team.
Once Aiden had finished this we discussed the Community Improvement Squad Academy (CISA) course with Ewan. This involved an informal interview which Aiden attended and
did well in. He was offered to start on the CISA programme.
The CISA programme is very much structured like a job with regular start, end and break times. Aiden showed excellent timekeeping and was able to adapt to a new routine which
previously had been a struggle. During his time participating in CISA, he displayed an eagerness to learn new skills and try new things. He was keen to develop the skills he
learned and wanted to pursue Grounds Maintenance as a job once the course had finished. He applied and successfully gained a seasonal post within Fife Councils Grounds Maintenance Team. This was one of his main aims after finishing CISA and meant that he has been able to maintain momentum from the course and into employment.
CISA involves the use of a large variety of tools, both powered and manual. Most are designed for right-handed people, so Aiden had to adapt to their use, since he is left-handed. This combined with his dyspraxia and ADHD meant he faced a significant barrier to carrying out the tasks asked of him. Aiden approached this with a mature attitude and was able to practice their use to become competent. Often the tasks would involve intricate work and use of fine motor skills, which he could find challenging. But he was always keen to do his best and would ask for support if required to make sure he was still carrying out the task correctly and to the required standard. Working in the Levenmouth area, Aiden was able to carry out work and then see the immediate impact upon the local community, with several members of the public complimenting the CISA squad on their work. Aiden also worked with CLEAR (Community Lead Environmental Action & Response) in Buckhaven who have a strong emphasis on improving the area for the community. Aiden was able to recognise this and took pride in carrying out the work. This is a transferable skill he can use when working in the seasonal post he has gained as the work will be mainly in public areas.