Samir first stepped foot in a WISE Employment office in 2021 without any intention to seek assistance. Little did he know, a life-changing opportunity was about to take place.
Samir’s mother speaks Arabic, so he would often join her meetings with WISE Employment Consultant Simone to help translate. Out of curiosity, Simone struck up a conversation with Samir to uncover his plans for the future.
“After meeting regularly, Simone and I began to build a close relationship. I explained that I was unhappy with my current job provider, and Simone suggested I come back for a casual chat to discuss what I was looking for,” explained Samir.
During his initial conversation with Simone, Samir explained he’d suffered a traumatic brain injury at five years old and was in a coma for two months, resulting in difficulty with upper limb function and slurred speech.
“Samir suffers from anxiety due to his disability and it really knocked his confidence. While searching for employment was the end goal, I knew there were steps we needed to take along the way to improve his self-esteem and show him that he is worthy of a happy life,” said Simone.
Due to his condition, Samir suffers extreme pain that affects his daily life and was connected with a dedicated team of specialists who have helped Samir with regular treatments.
To assist Samir in overcoming his issues with mental health, he was offered weekly counselling sessions with Sarah to help boost his self-esteem and prepare for the job application process.
“Working through his past with Sarah brought out a whole new side to Samir. He’s now full of joy, always cracking jokes and is more social with people outside of his family,” said Simone.
After a few months of counselling and job applications, Samir was offered a position at Green Acre Public School as a COVID cleaner, ensuring the children’s health and safety by keeping the facilities clean and sanitised.
Once placed in his position, Samir’s direct contact with WISE became Athina who assisted with in-work support.
“While Samir was settling into his new role, we worked closely together to ensure he felt comfortable and had everything he needed to succeed. We purchased his uniform, work and safety equipment and a mobile phone for him to contact me when needed,” said Athina.
Athina also organised pre-prepared meals to be delivered to Samir’s home each week.
“Samir has severe anxiety around eating in public. When I first met him, he wouldn’t even take a sip of water because his hands were shaking so much. So when it came to taking lunch at work, Samir would often either not eat, or rush home to prepare something and have no time to sit and relax,”
“We thought it would be helpful for Samir to at least have a quick and easy option to prepare when he gets home, as opposed to cooking each day. Offering this to Samir means he can take the time he needs to recoup during his break, and stay full for the remainder of the day,” said Athina.
Since commencing his job at Green Acre Public School, Samir has found happiness in life and feels proud to be able to support his family.
“I feel a sense of pride in what I do, and I feel accomplished in heading off to work each day. The people I work with have made me feel very included, and I’m very grateful to WISE for helping me get to where I am today,” said Samir.
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