Getting out of the house and going to work can be a therapy in itself.

The benefits far exceed the financial gain of a monthly pay packet. 

Opportunity to socialise and contribute to society are well-documented medicine to good mental health.  But how does someone with a severe ABI access employment when they:

• suffer from bouts of severe fatigue.
• struggle with balance and grip.
• require support completing everyday tasks.
• become over-whelmed in busy or noisy environments.

KW Therapy recently embarked on such a journey.  The brief sounded reasonable….the client wasn’t expecting to be paid for the work, he would happily offer his services voluntarily, and he was looking to work outdoors, preferably with animals.

Many of the larger well-known charities offer volunteering opportunities and have gone to great lengths to ensure they have an inclusive application process.  But for our client, there were still barriers.  From physically demanding work to offsite projects requiring several hours commitment, not to mention the ridiculously long waiting lists for volunteering with animals.  Testament to the fact that we truly are a nation of animal lovers!

Looking locally, we encountered a different set of challenges.  Some organisations were looking for someone to take on more responsibility than our client could handle, or others an individual that could work front of house, promote the charity or fund raise.  Positions, such as these, we also had to rule out, due to the potential for causing stress and anxiety.

After numerous phone calls, countless e-mails and completed web forms, we’d ruled out all of the charities we did know and those we didn’t (courtesy of google maps).   

Deflated, but not defeated, we started to network with local businesses that worked with animals. 

Whilst Riding for the Disabled is is a national organisation, behind this is an army of local volunteers.  Tapping into this network gave us the break we were looking for…an introduction to the manager of a local riding school who understood what we were looking to achieve.

Immediately upon making contact it was clear that the manager was willing to offer our client the opportunity to work if at all possible.  The only criteria was they didn’t have the capacity to supervise him themselves….no problem, he has his support workers.

The OT site visit followed and was a triumph.  But, there was just one final [and crucial] hurdle to overcome…will our client actually want to work there?   Introductions to this new environment had to be managed carefully to reduce the likelihood of stress and anxiety.

Most of us have felt that building of anxiety when heading out to meet a new employer for the first time.   It came down to being all about how the opportunity was pitched.  Meeting a new employer, completely out of his comfort zone OR a trip out to see some horses, fun and something to look forward to. 

Our client thoroughly enjoyed his ‘afternoon out’ at the stables and when asked if he would like to start working there, he took it upon himself to try out some of the equipment.  Take a look for yourself, the pictures tell the story better than words ever could.