NES

I feel that the future is exciting

After a series of life changes, Nicola wanted an employer that understood the needs of neurodivergent staff, and found the perfect fit with the support of the Neurodiversity Employment Service (NES).

The 53-year-old from South Tyneside received her autism diagnosis just last year, after ‘a lifetime of feeling different.’

Nicola said: “When I received my diagnosis in 2023, I took stock of the cost of not paying attention to my needs as an autistic woman.

"I had been diagnosed for years with extreme anxiety and depressive episodes, and it had not occurred to me that how I dealt with life was not my fault. "

Nicola added: “The irony is, I’ve worked with autistic people in education for almost 20 years.”

Another huge life change soon followed, as Nicola was offered redundancy from the college she had taught at for 18 years.

“I find change immensely difficult to deal with, but I knew it was time to move on and let go,” Nicola said.

Three months later, Nicola decided to seek support in looking for work, and spoke to a former colleague, now working for Azure Charitable Enterprises, who suggested that the Employment Futures team at the North East Autism Society could help.

Nicola was referred to the NES programme, run by Employment Futures in South Tyneside, where Employment Specialists John Facchini and Ian Harland got in touch to arrange an initial meeting online.

“This was great, because my confidence was down the pan, and I was finding it increasingly difficult meeting new people,” Nicola said.

Ian took time to find out Nicola’s goals, and what she wanted from the service, and helped her match her skills and experience to potential new roles, improve her confidence, and even carried out a benefits check to see what extra support she may be entitled to.

Nicola said: “Ian helped me pick out roles that I could contribute to with the huge variety of experiences I had gained over the years.”

She added:

"He gave me permission to breathe and approach my future in a calmer manner, without stress."

As Nicola wanted to work to support other autistic people, Ian suggested looking at roles currently available within the North East Autism Society itself.

“I realised I was drawn to posts that helped young people,” Nicola said, adding: “Removing barriers in education is one of my passions, and education for all is a core belief of mine.”

Looking at available roles in the Society, Nicola found a vacancy for a level 2 Teaching Assistant at Thornhill Park School, and Ian arranged an initial meeting with Vice Principal Laura Ingram, which introduced Nicola to the school, pupils, and other staff.

“When I left, I decided I was going to apply for the job,” Nicola said.

She added: “After an interview, and being accepted for the role, I was ecstatic! We had a week’s training before the September start, which explored everything we needed to know.”

While Nicola was going through the Society’s training, Ian kept regular contact with her to offer support and ensure everything went smoothly during the transition into work, and the school arranged a meeting to make sure any reasonable adjustments Nicola needed could be met.

Nicola said: “The staff and learners have exceeded my expectations so far.

"I absolutely love the role of TA, and am proud to be working with a great team of people who support each other and put real care into assisting these fabulous young people in achieving their goals."

She added: “Working for the Society has been a great decision. We are never too old to make changes and learn new ways.”

“None of this would have been possible without the quality of assistance I had from Ian and the Society itself. Right now, I feel that the future is exciting and that I am on a great path.”