From learner to colleague: Drew's Mencap journey

This month I interviewed Drew Goodman who was on a Mencap Training Academy supported internship last year before getting a job with Mencap! We spoke about his placement, everything he did there and all the skills he learnt. We also talked about how he got the job with Mencap and his many responsibilities in his role.

Drew and I have had very similar journeys with Mencap, from the supported internship to working here, and it was nice to talk to him about this and share our similar experiences. I have always wanted to meet other colleagues who have come through the supported internship like me. It was also so lovely to hear how inclusive the Birmingham Mencap Training Academy team have been in hiring a former learner and making them feel a part of the team.

Hello, my name is Drew Goodman. I have autism , ADHD, dyspraxia and ODD and it can make life quite difficult sometimes. I sometimes struggle to make and maintain good relationships with people because of these disabilities, but I enjoy gaming with friends online.

Another hobby of mine is exploring new places, I’m really interested in travelling at the moment. I’ve been to lots of places in the UK like Manchester and Liverpool, but I haven’t travelled anywhere abroad because I’ve never had money before. Now I have a job, I’m looking forward to finally going out to explore the world! But I'm also saving to put a deposit on a house, so I can’t travel too much right away unfortunately.

I started the supported internship in September 2024 and completed the programme over the 2024/25 academic year. I was on the programme Mencap run in partnership with DFN Project Search at Heartlands Hospital. I was one of the first ones to do this programme – I was one of the Guinea Pigs!

I did three different roles at Heartlands Hospital when I was on the programme. My first one was as an admin for the work experience team which involved cleaning up databases and arranging meetings between students and staff. I also did a lot of their paperwork and filed their documents, as well as helping them do their graphic design for their events. I have a huge interest in graphic design from when I was in school, so I had some experience of that already and really enjoyed it.

Then I moved over to the access management team, which is very complicated. It's all about giving people access to certain applications and you get to see a lot of the behind the scenes stuff inside the NHS which most people normally don't get to see, so that was very interesting.

Lastly, I moved over to the IT service desk where I responded to queries. I'd provide technical support and worked with a larger team to help solve people’s IT problems. I learnt how to answer tickets that people had raised with their issues and how to respond in emails, which is a very important skill for the job I work in now.

When I started the supported internship, I was really shy. I couldn't speak to anyone and could barely get any words out. But as I progressed on the programme, I started talking a lot more. I started becoming more and more confident in myself and my ability to speak and now they can't shut me up in the office!

But I think the most important thing I learned was how to be a professional. I'd had some seasonal jobs in the past in places like supermarkets, but I’d never really felt part of a team or had to communicate with people in a professional way before. The supported internship really helped me with that.

I did make some good friends on the programme. I've actually made a really good friend through my work experience at the hospital as well, with one of the members of staff who works for the NHS. Her and I hang out sometimes outside of work which has been great. We went to a Christmas market together recently which was really fun!

I saw the job posting while I was on the supported internship and I thought: why not? Let's give it a go! I was one of 63 people who applied so it was a competitive process but I managed to get the job!

After going through countless failures in interviews before – I’d probably gone through about 100 applications - and being told that I was just off the mark by a few points, or that I was too honest or just not what they were looking for, I had become quite disheartened. But I knew Mencap is an inclusive company, so I thought I might have a better shot. And I did! I had to do a lot of work and research to prepare and the interview was difficult, but it went really well and I think I was able to show I understood Mencap’s values and the role.

At first, I was offered a temporary full-time job as maternity cover. But after a couple of months in the role, I was offered a permanent part-time position and I’m hoping to go full-time in the future.

I do admin for the Mencap Training Academy team in Birmingham. I upload things to Yeti which is our system for learner records. It has all the learners’ personal data and details, any uploaded documents like their learning agreements or their EHCPs and information about prior attainment, along with things like notes from formal reviews and safeguarding notes. I get all this information uploaded to the system to create and maintain learner profiles. I had a bit of training on the system to begin with, and then I’ve mostly learned everything through trial and error and playing around on it, because that’s the way I learn.

I also record learners’ attendance on the system, and act as the attendance officer. This means I have to call a learner or their parents or carer if they’re absent to understand why they’ve not attended.

I’ve also done health and safety risk assessments for when we moved into our new building at the start of the 2025/26 academic year.

I also do a lot of the finances , which means contacting Access to Work which is what we use to fund the job coaching for the learners on the supported internship. Sometimes I will have to sit on hold for about 45 minutes to speak to someone to put a claim through. I'm only just starting to get into this side of the role and I’m still learning so much as I've only been here for about 6 months now.

During the onboarding period for this academic year, that was a big part of my role. The team wanted me there with the new referrals to give my perspective, talk about my experiences and be there to answer any questions.

I constantly talk to the learners who are on the programme this year. They love asking me questions about things that they are doing in class or work experience, or about my experiences generally, which is really nice. They’ll stop me all the time in the corridors when I’m going to get a cup of tea or something to ask me for some advice. It’s been great connecting with them because they're all a lovely bunch. I’ve loved hearing their life stories and getting to know them, it’s been really interesting.

I also go out to lots of events at places like schools and colleges, and careers fairs ran by local councils to talk about being on a supported internship and to promote Mencap’s programmes to young people who are thinking about joining.

My colleagues have been nothing but lovely. They've been so supportive and helpful. As I said before, I struggle making connections and maintaining them, so I was really afraid of starting the job here because I was thinking: what if they don't like me? But everyone has just been amazing from the get go, inviting me out for drinks and to events and giving me a lift back home. It was a bit strange at first going from being a learner to a member of the team, but everyone quickly got used to it, and I genuinely feel like part of the team, which is the first time I've really felt like that.

We recently had our team Christmas party. We went to a place called the Jam House, which had live entertainment and festive food. We all had such a good time, had some drinks, went out and enjoyed ourselves.

Colleagues have also been really accommodating. When I first started I did a bit of remote work because of my chronic fatigue syndrome which meant I struggled with the commute. When I worked at Heartlands Hospital it was just down the road from me, but now I need to get into the city centre and have to walk a bit which was a big change and my body struggled with it at first. So while I was adjusting, I did one day a week where I worked from home. But since I went part-time and have a day where I don’t work, I don’t get so tired, so I spend most of my time in the office which is good for feeling like a part of the team and for seeing learners.

Honestly, the part I like most about my job is that I'm doing good in the world! I feel like I’m working for the greater good, helping people who otherwise may not get opportunities just because they're different.

I've always struggled with my disabilities and conditions and I've got little brothers who are all autistic and I want to help build a more accepting world for them. One of them is about to start doing his GCSEs and I'm thinking it's not long until he starts going out and trying to find a job. So, if I can help in any way, I want to, and I think that's the part I enjoy most about the job.

Natalie Duo is a co-trainer at Mencap, delivering learning disability awareness training to employers. She is a graduate of one of our supported internship programmes, during which time she completed work experience with The Financial Times. She now continues to indulge her love of writing through regular interviews with our employer partners and learners.