Teresa enjoys success of supported employment

CLARE Supported Employment has accomplished a lot since it was launched 10 years ago. The service, which supports people with an illness, injury or disability to secure employment, has firmly established its credentials, having successfully worked with both job seekers and Clare businesses.
Teresa Crosse was one of organisation’s first customers. Teresa, who lives in Ennis, has been working as a kitchen assistant for Corporate Catering Services Ltd at Shannon Aerospace for four years. Clare Supported Employment helped her to find the job. Teresa does the washing up and brings the clean items back to the staff restaurant. The restaurant at Shannon Aerospace caters for 620 employees daily but Teresa says she is well able for the work and much prefers this to being bored at home.
“Staff are very friendly and helpful,” commented Teresa but, she added, “there is no time for talking when work is busy”.
Her manager, Jim O’Brien, said Teresa is very reliable and has an excellent attendance record. She said she really enjoys having a job to go to every day and meeting her work colleagues. Like most people, Teresa also likes having money to buy the things she needs.
Teresa, who has an intellectual disability, attended the Brothers of Charity for many years. Initially, when she registered with the employment service, her employment facilitator assisted her to identify the areas of work that would be most suitable for her.
Teresa worked at a number of part-time cleaning jobs. In 2007, her employment facilitator discovered a position at Corporate Catering Services in Shannon that she thought might suit.
Teresa undertook a week’s trial and as she had clearly demonstrated her suitability for the position, Corporate Catering had no hesitation in hiring her. It was a bit of a change for Teresa initially but she soon got used to her new routine and has been successfully working Monday to Friday as kitchen assistant ever since.
Nessa Lahiff, Corporate Catering Services HR manager said, “Over the years we have recruited a number of people with the assistance of Clare Supported Employment. These individuals have become long term and highly valued members of our team. We look forward to continuing to work with Clare Supported Employment in the future.”
“We are delighted to celebrate our first decade,” stated Alice O’Carroll, team leader with Clare Supported Employment. “It has been wonderful to see the organisation develop from the pilot stage to grow into the tried and tested service it is today.”
The service has a programme of events running this week to mark its 10th anniversary. To find out more about the events, contact Karen on 065 6844007 or email info@claresupportedemployment.ie.