A few months back we chatted to the wonderful Scott about his experience with Nickel Support. Scott is able to give us a unique perspective on Nickel as he is a parent of a trainee and also an integral part of the staff team.
In 2017, Elena noticed the skills he had to offer and asked Scott to try a day in the workshop. He had so much fun he never looked back and five years on enjoys working 2 days a week in the upcycling workshop.
His son Joe joined Nickel eight years ago and now attends four days a week and enjoys upcycling, cooking and working in our shop and café.
Scott also runs a successful building company and among his many projects, he and his team renovated our Richard James Hub Building and Studio … a man of many talents!
We asked him a few questions about his time with us and his experience of Nickel as a parent.
How have you seen Nickel change/grow?
Nickel has grown a lot over the past few years. With the opening of the new hub they have created a wider variety of sessions and with that more opportunities to build new skills. They have also been able to offer their service to more trainees.
Has working at Nickel improved your relationship with Joe?
We've always had a good relationship, but it's nice to see first-hand how he can enjoy life by himself. Seeing him at Nickel, I see how capable he is of doing things independently without our help. Seeing him around his friends, I see how his social confidence has grown too. This helps me relax in terms of thinking about the support he needs going forward. It also assists in helping to learn to let go and give him more independence at home.
How would you describe Nickel as a service?
They go above and beyond; they support both our family and Joe. As parents bringing up a child with a learning disability it's an unknown journey in which we have no previous experience and every stage brings its own challenges. We are still learning how best to support our child as they grow and get to new stages of their life. Nickel is a place we know we can reach out to for advice and support.
It's a supportive family service and having the chance to meet other families in the same position has really helped us as parents. No other service offers the opportunity to meet other families like they do at Nickel. They are unique in that they host social events like Christmas parties and The Nickel Award ceremonies for both trainees and their parents and carers.
What would you say to other parents and carers thinking of using the service?
Nickel understands each person and their differences. They treat each trainee as their own person. As a parent with siblings with learning disabilities, Nickel has been a lifeline for our family. Give it a go.
What's your favourite part of working at Nickel?
I enjoy using my personal life skills, enjoying work and bringing banter to the workshop throughout the day. Working with the amazing team and trainees and going home wanting to come back the next day for more. It doesn't feel like work.
I love coming in and whilst making sure the trainees work, ensuring they enjoy it too. If everyone goes home happy, I'll be happy. You really do see that within the trainees, they don't want to miss a day here, they love it!
Thank you Scott for taking the time to answer our questions. We are so glad you enjoy your time with us. Your energy and enthusiasm in the workshop are fantastic and we know the trainees love their sessions with you.
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