Meet Simon, Hertfordshire Area Manager

I started  working in care in 2008, first as a Care Assistant, progressing to Student Nurse and Care Coordinator. 

I have worked in the Learning Disabilities sector since 2014, during this time I have also volunteered and worked as a Special Olympics Basketball Coach for the East Herts region.

I joined The Inclusion Project in February 2016. During my time with The Inclusion Project I have managed to develop my career – combining my experience and passion for care and working with people with Learning Disabilities, starting as a part-time Group Leader, to a full-time Group Leader, then an Area Manager for Broxbourne and St Albans, followed by my current role as Recruitment Manager.

I was the first Group Leader to join The Inclusion Project back in February 2016. 

In June 2016 I became a full-time Group Leader. I joined because I knew that our Managing Director, Simon Jackson-Turner, had created something truly special that would change the way Learning Disability support would, and should, be given in the future. 

Just from speaking to Simon in December 2015, I got a sense from him how this idea he had would alter and impact so many people’s lives from the outset of The Inclusion Project, I wanted to follow him and change people’s lives for the better.

A USP in my area would be Friday Fun Day/Club! 

Due to my other work commitments for The Inclusion Project, I am out less often as a Group Leader. There are only a select few days in the week when I am out supporting Participants, one of these days are a Friday, which is how Friday Fun Day/Club was created. 

Friday Fun Day/Club focuses on doing a lot of different activities while maintaining the ethos of The Inclusion Project; a healthy social active lifestyle whilst being included in the local community and promoting new friendships. 

We have done a vast variety of different activities since the inception of Friday Fun Day/Club such as visiting museums, zoos, going into London, going to the cinema, finding new activities to do in the local community such as nerf wars, going to a hedge maze, visiting cafes/restaurants and so on.  

We have a lot of activities planned for the future when it comes to Friday Fun Day/Club. 

Integration into the local community, trying a variety of activities, making friendships, having fun and a lot of laughs. If you are not coming home with a smile on your face I have not done my job properly.