April is Autism Acceptance Month. It’s a time to foster acceptance, drive change and celebrate what people with autism can bring to our communities. Together, we can create a society where autistic people are supported, understood and empowered.

At Team Domenica, we strive to create bright futures for people with learning disabilities and autism, helping them acquire the skills, confidence and independence they need to gain meaningful employment and thrive.

To mark Autism Acceptance Month, we’re celebrating Josh – a Team Domenica candidate who’s been employed at Leonardo Hotels since 2019. Continue reading to learn more about his story and hear from the man himself…

I’ve been working for five years; that’s a very long time. I am happy I got a job, and more than happy that I have money. Amazing work – yes – it’s really, really good!

Josh, Team Domenica Candidate

Josh’s Team Domenica story

Before Josh joined Team Domenica, his parents worried that his autism and anxiety would make paid work inaccessible. However, with the support of our personalised employment programmes, Josh not only found a job, but found himself in the process.

Based on his career aspirations, we matched Josh to a supported internship with Leonardo Hotels (previously Jury’s Inn). Josh’s Job Coach used his love of rules to add structure to his tasks, and Team Domenica provided training to help his colleagues understand Josh’s needs.

Josh is a valued work colleague, but it is true that we sometimes didn’t understand his behaviour. The training was really helpful for our team and we now better understand Josh.

Josh's colleague

In 2019, Josh was offered a paid position within the hotel, clearing tables and setting up for the lunch service. Now, five years later, Josh continues to thrive. In an interview with Josh and his manager, Prashant, we learnt more about where Josh is now….

An interview with Josh and Prashant

Hi! Let’s start with you Prashant, Josh has been working with you for a while now, could you share what he’s brought to your team?

[Prashant] Since joining us in 2019, Josh has been going from strength to strength in terms of performance and reliability. We’ve got some great comments from guests, and we can really rely on him through and through. He’s also made all of us at Leonardo better. He’s an integrated member of the team and we’ve all learnt from him.

And you Josh? What do you think of your team?

[Josh] I like the team. Yes. It took time to know everything but my team make me feel good and confident. I like working and listening to them. We fix struggles with teamwork.

And what kinds of struggles have you experienced?

[Josh] The noise and questions are hard, but I do my breathing or show my [hidden disability] lanyard. I can also speak to my managers and they will give me a break if things are too much. I’ve had help from lots of people at Team Domenica as well – at the start and now.

Thank you for sharing that Josh. How about you Prashant, how have Team Domenica supported you as an employer?

[Prashant] With the help of Ruth (Team Domenica’s Post-Internship Manager), we have been able to incorporate Josh into the mainstream, getting his feedback on projects and including him in more of our training. We know we can approach Ruth whenever we have any questions or hurdles. She makes the circle is complete; we all know where to go and feel supported.

Finally, Josh, what are your favourite parts of your job?

[Josh] My favourite is hoovering and mopping. It’s good for me to be patient so I can clean guest tables, but only when they’re done. I appreciate cleaning and putting things away, and I help my friends and I help my team. I like it a lot, yes!