Today, we are back with a previous trail-blazing job seeker! Ashley, who after 3 years working for the wonderful garden Centre, Scotsdales, decided it was time to explore a new opportunity.
In late 2025, Scotsdales opened its new Garden restaurant. The space tripled in size and their staff team also expanded. Ashley spent three years with the same team and, despite strong support from the garden centre team during the transition, found the role had grown beyond what he wanted. With a heavy heart, he decided to move on, fully supported by his friends at Scotsdales, his Thera East Anglia support team, and Terri.
Ashley and Terri started working together again in January 2026. They started by updating and reviewing Ashley’s CV, Vocational Profile, and looking at the new skills he had gained. Together they explored a range of roles. Ashley wanted to continue in the catering field and look for a small kitchen/team to work with.
Finding his new role
They came across a post that looked perfect for him: a kitchen porter within his village, working with a small team at a nursing home. The location was within easy walking distance too. With support, Ashley applied and secured an interview. Linking with the hiring manager, it was agreed that Terri would support Ashley during the interview.
During the interview, Ashley was able to clearly demonstrate his understanding around health and safety within a catering environment. He also shared the experience and the skills he had gained during his 3 years at Scotsdales.
After the interview, they offered Ashley a zero-hours contract. The reason behind this was that if Ashley had full-time hours, he would have to work weekends on rotation. Although Ashley was open to working weekends, he also likes to visit his dad and family members over these days. This routine is extremely important to Ashley, therefore, a zero-hours contract allowed flexibility between employee and employer.
They arranged his first shift so Terri could accompany and support Ashley to help him settle in. In his previous post, Ashley printed out a “this is me” page for the new staff and wanted to bring it to his new role.
With support from Terri, Ashley successfully completed all mandatory training and his shadow shifts.
After his first week at work Ashley said:
This is a job I could really enjoy. I like the people I work with and the different tasks I get to do
To read more stories about the people we support finding employment, click here.