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Photo of the nine Supported Interns from Camden and Islington who celebrated graduating from their programme on Tuesday 1 July.
Nine Supported Interns from Camden and Islington have celebrated graduating from their one-year academic and workplace-based programme, which is designed to support young people with learning disabilities and / or autism into paid employment and greater independence. A Supported Internship is a college study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities, usually lasting one academic year. The programme is mainly workplace-based and provides skills for work, support from an expert job coach and a qualification. On the Moorfields programme, this is supported and delivered by the on-site tutor, Maria Rodriguez, and two job coaches, Kevin Onyungu and Joshua Ong. The Level 1 Supported Internship at Moorfields Eye Hospital with DFN Project SEARCH is open to young people from Camden, Islington and other local authorities and is delivered by:
The programme receives further support from Camden Council and ThinkForward.
Supported Interns have the opportunity of three 10 to 12-week ‘rotations’ during the academic year, giving them a wide range of workplace experience in different roles. They are then supported to find paid roles after graduating. Camden resident Isharq, 23, known as IJ, spoke at the graduation event at Moorfields on 1 July.
IJ said: “I was happy to take this opportunity to increase my skills, experience and qualities. I started my first rotation in pharmacy, then moved onto working as a healthcare assistant and my final rotation was patient appointments. Throughout the three rotations, I learned organisational skills, customer service, admin and IT skills, problem-solving and communication skills." Parent Lisnette, whose 21-year-old autistic son Avonte graduated from the programme on 1 July, spoke movingly about how the Supported Internship was “a lifeline” for her son and family. Lisnette said: “For the past year, my son has been part of this project, which is a life-changing initiative. I had so many sleepless nights worried about what the future would hold for him. This has been an exciting new chapter in his life and ours as well.
"He has become self-sufficient, motivated and genuinely happy to get up every day to come here. It has been an amazing journey to see him becoming confident and independent. This programme has made such a difference, not only to our child but to all the young graduates. Thank you to the staff for your dedication and compassion.” The nine graduates received certificates of achievement from Moorfields Eye Hospital’s Interim Chief Executive, Peter Ridley, and Enoch Freeman, who is Business Liaison and Apprenticeship Lead for Moorfields Eye Hospital.
