After joining Connect to Work on the Support Employment (SEQF) pathway, Adam’s secured paid employment at West Midlands Safari Park in a role tailored around his strengths, interests and abilities.
From volunteering to sustainable employment
Adam joined Connect to Work on 29 October 2025 with a clear goal: to return to paid employment.
Initially, he saw warehouse work as the natural next step because of his previous experience.
However, personalised support from Seetec Employment Specialist Naomi helped Adam explore his strengths and discover a different route to sustainable employment.
Today, Adam continues to flourish in a role that provides greater routine, purpose and independence while making the most of the skills he developed through volunteering.
Building confidence through personalised support
From the outset, Naomi built a strong relationship with Adam, creating a supportive environment where he felt listened to and involved in decisions about his future.
Together, they explored Adam’s aspirations, strengths and interests, identifying achievable steps towards sustainable employment. As a result, the focus quickly moved beyond simply finding a job and towards finding the right job for Adam.
This person-centred approach helped Adam build confidence while considering what type of work would support his long-term wellbeing.
This person-centred approach helped Adam build confidence while considering what type of work would support his long-term wellbeing.
Discovering transferrable skills
The vocational profiling process proved transformational.
Through conversations with Adam, Naomi learned about his weekly volunteering with OurWay Charity at Kidderminster Youth Centre.
With Adam’s consent, Naomi met with Adam and representatives from the charity to better understand his volunteering role.
Through this process, they identified a range of practical skills, including gardening, car park management, cleaning and low-level maintenance.
Importantly, Adam began to recognise the breadth of his own abilities and the value of his volunteering experience.
Finding the right employment opportunity
Rather than relying solely on traditional job applications, Naomi worked collaboratively with Adam to identify employers and opportunities that matched his strengths and interests.
This approach helped Adam maintain his motivation and recognise that his previous work experience did not define his employment options.
Instead, his volunteering had given him valuable transferable skills that could open doors to new opportunities.
Naomi identified a recruitment event at West Midlands Safari Park, where she explored the potential to create a role through job carving – tailoring duties within a role to reflect Adam’s strengths while meeting the employer’s needs.
Adam was enthusiastic about the opportunity and attended the event alongside Naomi. She introduced Connect to Work to the HR Manager and facilitated an introduction with Adam, opening the door to further conversations about a potential role.
Creating a role that works for everyone
Following the recruitment event, Naomi worked with Adam and the employer to discuss reasonable adjustments and Adam’s disclosure preferences. Interview questions were provided in advance, allowing Naomi to help Adam prepare and build confidence ahead of his interview.
After successfully securing an interview, Adam completed a work trial at the Safari Park. During the trial, he identified litter picking and basic car park duties as the tasks he enjoyed most.
Together, Adam, Naomi and the employer co-produced a paid role that balanced the organisation’s needs with Adam’s preferences, strengths and abilities.
This demonstrates the value of effective employer engagement and job carving in creating meaningful employment opportunities that work for both the individual and the employer.
Supporting Adam to thrive at work
Following Adam’s successful transition into employment, Naomi provided ongoing in-work support, including health and safety discussions, workplace orientation and regular check-ins.
By maintaining open communication with both Adam and his employer, the team could identify and address any issues quickly.
As a result, intensive support during the early stages helped Adam settle confidently into his new role.
The impact of personalised support
Employment has strengthened Adam’s independence, confidence and sense of routine and purpose.
He continues to flourish in a role that genuinely reflects his interests and abilities and remains successfully employed.
Adam’s journey demonstrates how SEQF-supported employment can help people move beyond traditional job searching and find work that genuinely reflects their strengths, interests and aspirations.
Through person-centred planning, vocational profiling, employer engagement, reasonable adjustments, co-production, job carving and intensive in-work support, Connect to Work helped Adam recognise his potential and secure sustainable employment.
Creating the right opportunity for the individual
Connect to Work has been really helpful, especially Naomi. I wouldn’t have found this job without her help.
Adam
Creating the right opportunity for the individual
Adam’s story shows how personalised employment support can unlock potential by looking beyond previous experience and focusing on what someone can do, what they enjoy and what will help them thrive at work.
Could you or someone you know benefit from the level of support that Adam has had? Visit Connect to Work in Worcestershire to learn more.
