We spoke to Peter Watkins, based in Blackpool and asked him about his career journey with Autism Initiatives …

How did you first come to work for Autism Initiatives?

I started for the company as a Support Worker after a friend who was working for AI had mentioned there were opportunities within the company. I had worked in domiciliary care for the elderly in the past and was looking for a new challenge. I did some research into the company and believed that this was the correct path for my future career.

How were you supported when you first started?

After I had been accepted I attended my core skills and this gave me a good insight into what my role entailed and what was required of me. I was based at a 161 Bristol Ave, a Community Resource Centre and introduced to all the staff and read through the working files so I had a basic idea of the service user’s needs and preferences around communication and expectation’s. Even though it was a totally different type of support that I was used to I was helped by the staff and all the management to find my feet and felt confident in the role in a very short time.

I continued to grow into the role and enjoyed the fact that I was supporting people to improve their skills and helping them to access the community when required.

You’re not a Support Worker now, how did you progress?

After a year and a half of working as a support worker I had an opportunity to apply for a senior role within the service and even though I was unsure to begin with that I may not have enough experience, I was encouraged by management and colleagues and was fortunate enough to be successful. I was given all the training that I needed to fulfil the role and thoroughly enjoyed the new challenge.

A while later a new opportunity arose and the role of acting manager was advertised.  I applied because of my passion for the service and was confident that I would be given full support as always by the management and also the team that was in place at 161, I was extremely happy to be accepted for the role and I have embraced the opportunity to drive the service forward and expand on my skills and improve my knowledge with the full backing of everyone involved.

What would you say to anyone who was considering working for Autism Initiatives?

Working for AI has given me a great deal of personal and professional pride to help all the individuals we support and will continue to develop within the company. I would encourage anyone who feels that they can make a difference and enjoy the opportunities that are available within the company to join our team and keep driving forward and improving all the time.