Meet Brandon

Brandon is 16, with autistic tendencies and ADHD. He lives in a single parent household with his mother and sister. Brandon struggled at school, and as a result, underachieved at GCSE level.

When Brandon enrolled on to the Love London Working programme, he was extremely shy, very nervous, and reluctant to speak. He was accompanied by his grandfather, and was happy for him to speak on his behalf.

After attending a series of one to one sessions with the Employment Skills Advisor (ESA), Brandon’s confidence began to grow with both the ESA, and the surroundings. They discussed both work and apprenticeships, and Brandon decided that the best route for him was to go straight into employment.

In order to further develop Brandon’s confidence, and to motivate him to be independent, the ESA encouraged Brandon to attend Love London Working sessions without his grandfather. This was a major step for Brandon, and he was very proud when he came to the centre without his grandfather, for the first time.

A further appointment was made for Brandon to attend job search sessions and interview skills. Brandon continued to grow in confidence and with support from the Love London Working team, gained an interview with Iceland Supermarket, and was subsequently employed as a Sales Assistant.

During the follow up interview, Brandon said:

“I think this is brilliant, and a really good way to meet people. After three weeks I was put on the tills, and although I was really nervous, I was surprised that I could do it. I was petrified when I first came to Love London Working, but now I realise that if more people came, they would be more confident and gain skills to get a job. I’m so happy at Iceland, that now when I look back, I laugh at how nervous I was.