Workplace mentor experiences

I have a workplace support worker for a couple of sessions a month of 2 hours each, funded by Access to Work.

I do find it helpful, but you have to be mindful of one or two things.

My employer tends to think at times that the purpose of her is to somehow flck the switch in me which will make me a neurotypical.  That is obviously not going to happen.

The support is for me, not for work.  You have to be careful as my employer tends to 'hijack' the support at times.  The sessions are meant to be private and it is up to you whether  you want a manager in with you at times, and what things you want the support worker to discuss with the worker.

In my case I find the support worker very useful as an intermediary.  My manager had it in her head that certain behaviours I had were unacceptable in the workplace, but my support worker explained that this was part of being autistic and using my autistic behaviour as some sort of disciplinary or performance issue was unlikely to change things.  Instead it was explained how the ways of management could be changed to avoid these situations in the first place.  My manager also did not understand certain stimming behaviour was not me ignoring my manager but a way of helping concentration by dealing with anxieties.

My support worker was also very useful in obtaining adjustments as and when needed.  I have funding for the next couple of years, as I am then due to retire it will not be needed after then anyway but if I was working it could be extended (always assuming it did not become part of government cuts).

The other thing the support worker is useful for is as a catharsis for frustrations - I mean by this in order to explain and say what is upsetting me at the time, not a way of taking my frustrations out on the support worker!  But for all this to work, you must have ultimate faith in the support worker, it will not work if you are not confident in their abilities (but hopefully they will be fully trained and you have to explain your problems to them without embarrassment or fear that repercussions might happen.  Repercussions should not happen from what you say about work because it is in confidence, if something needs to be raised with my manager as a consequence of what I say it will be done in a far more diplomatic manner than I could manage!)

Your employer has to also realise that your support worker time is time from your work, so work has to be adjusted to accommodate it, not be a case of catching up in the remainder of your work time.

I have a workplace support worker for a couple of sessions a month of 2 hours each, funded by Access to Work.

I do find it helpful, but you have to be mindful of one or two things.

My employer tends to think at times that the purpose of her is to somehow flck the switch in me which will make me a neurotypical.  That is obviously not going to happen.

The support is for me, not for work.  You have to be careful as my employer tends to 'hijack' the support at times.  The sessions are meant to be private and it is up to you whether  you want a manager in with you at times, and what things you want the support worker to discuss with the worker.

In my case I find the support worker very useful as an intermediary.  My manager had it in her head that certain behaviours I had were unacceptable in the workplace, but my support worker explained that this was part of being autistic and using my autistic behaviour as some sort of disciplinary or performance issue was unlikely to change things.  Instead it was explained how the ways of management could be changed to avoid these situations in the first place.  My manager also did not understand certain stimming behaviour was not me ignoring my manager but a way of helping concentration by dealing with anxieties.

My support worker was also very useful in obtaining adjustments as and when needed.  I have funding for the next couple of years, as I am then due to retire it will not be needed after then anyway but if I was working it could be extended (always assuming it did not become part of government cuts).

The other thing the support worker is useful for is as a catharsis for frustrations - I mean by this in order to explain and say what is upsetting me at the time, not a way of taking my frustrations out on the support worker!  But for all this to work, you must have ultimate faith in the support worker, it will not work if you are not confident in their abilities (but hopefully they will be fully trained and you have to explain your problems to them without embarrassment or fear that repercussions might happen.  Repercussions should not happen from what you say about work because it is in confidence, if something needs to be raised with my manager as a consequence of what I say it will be done in a far more diplomatic manner than I could manage!)

Your employer has to also realise that your support worker time is time from your work, so work has to be adjusted to accommodate it, not be a case of catching up in the remainder of your work time.