“I had lots of assumptions, and I thought the whole journey would have been much more difficult than what it turned out to be. I was terrified that I could have said or done something that may not have been inclusive of Sam and his needs. I was worried about how difficult, challenging or slow the whole process would be. Luckily, all my assumptions turned out to be wrong. Sam has smashed every single preconception I had, which was present simply because I had not worked with someone on the autistic spectrum before.

I am truly amazed by Sam’s progress over the past few months. He has always been motivated in doing the best that he could and keen to demonstrate his achievements to me his manager and mentor, Pani, his Job Coach, and his parents who really mean the world to Sam. When Sam first stepped into our contract, he was shy, and insecure. He wouldn’t approach a table or a colleague but would wait for the next instruction. This sometimes had to be repeated before he would perform up to the appropriate standards.

Seeing how far Sam has overcome in such a short amount of time, considering he only comes to site 12-16 hrs a week, is a real success! He is now talking to clients, explaining the daily specials, taking orders, leading new team members on daily tasks, and is proactively taking his own initiative, helping his colleagues, whenever is needed. Sam takes pride in every single task he performs. He never says “no”, and he always works with a smile on his face! His passion, attention to details, and precision is amazing. Sam is a great addition to the team.”