A community group managed by the parents of children who have additional needs has celebrated the success of their new supported internships.  

Swindon SEND Families Voice was formed by parents and carers in 2018 to ensure the needs of disabled children were being met and parents were receiving external support in the community.

Nausheen Ali, who has children with special needs, came up with the idea of supported internships in 2022, enabling young people to develop key skills needed to thrive in the workplace and gain confidence in a professional setting.

In September 2023, seven young people started an unpaid internship at Great Western Hospital, taking on porter responsibilities, working in the mailroom and cleaning the café, alongside lessons and mentoring.

On Tuesday, July 16, those seven dedicated individuals had a very special graduation ceremony to celebrate their hard-work and resilience.

Nausheen said: “The supported internship is designed to give them a boost and the confidence they need. It can be hard for anyone to get a job but especially for people with autism or anxiety, it can be a lot for them to settle with so much going on.

“Often they don’t understand what it’s like being an adult and it’s a real eye-opener working every day, knowing they have to wear a uniform and report to their manager or knowing they need to phone in sick if they don’t feel well or maybe cover someone’s shift.

“It’s an experience they wouldn’t have otherwise had, there’s not a lot of employment opportunities out there and I know a lot of them were nervous at the start but it gave them more confidence and they found it rewarding.

“I think the hospital had doubts at the start because they weren’t sure what to expect, but they took a risk and it paid off.

“My son was on the scheme and the graduation was nice, they were suited and booted and the parents were very proud. When my children were growing up, we had support from our family but not externally, so now we’re doing what we can to help.

“They pulled through and it was nice for us to go on the journey to see it from start to finish and feel proud of the end-product.”

Next year they hope to work with more organisations and already have eight internships secured with Swindon Borough Council, to help more young people gain valuable work experience.