Tom

Tom, Haven Products, Larbert, Scotland

“This place has got heart. I had been in supported employment before, but Haven has got a collective heartbeat. Even in supported employment, work can be demanding, but the way that Haven handle that is different. For people like me, who are quirky, they have an understanding and an empathy. The people here all have good heart.”

“I’ve been working here, preparing the clerical documents that come from the Government, the courts, or contracts from medical practices. The work keeps me focused; by preparing all the documents, it’s kind of therapeutic for me. At times it might appear to be a bit humdrum, but you really have to pay attention to what you are doing. If I’m dealing with a challenging box of documents, let’s say that don’t follow a particular format, then I work on it but I switch it up with an easier box after, to give me a rest. That’s ideal.

You have to bring your soul into your job, you have got to build up your stamina. For me, I believe if you have to do something, you do it to the best of your ability. In Haven, we’re all equal as a team. People here are good at certain things, which allows everyone to play to their strengths. We all accommodate that, as part of the team. There are people working here who need the social aspect of Haven; they will lose touch and get depressed if they don’t have the chit-chats – putting the world to right.

I had a bit of a medical crisis a few years back and at that time, I got support from Haven. They stuck by me when I was going through the crisis. I was very fragile but they were encouraging and supportive. The staff from HR came to visit me at home. They allowed me to get back to work, to gradually build back up my work ethic, and to feel re-established. I want to work. It’s good for me. It keeps me healthy.”