Samantha tackles her demons and gets her first paid job

Samantha Mimms didn’t get any qualifications at school. After she left education, she spent 20 years bringing up her children. But on 20th May Samantha got her first permanent job – and a plaque from Esther Vey, Minister for Disabled People.

In 2009, Remploy, which seeks to find jobs for disabled people, teamed up with Sainsbury’s, which agreed to offer suitable jobs to disabled people. Samantha got her plaque because she was the 2,000th person to get a job from this partnership between the two organisations.

It was last year that, with her children grown up and in jobs themselves, Samantha went to the Adult Learning College in Dagenham. While she studied English, she was officially diagnosed with dyslexia, and on that basis she was referred to Remploy for special assistance in finding a job.  Remploy helped Samantha look for work, gain confidence in herself and practise interview techniques. The support paid off when Samantha applied for a job at Sainsbury’s new store in Bloomsbury and she, and 10 fellow Remploy candidates were successful.

“I’m so pleased I decided to go to college because it put me on the path to receiving help from Remploy and ultimately getting a job with Sainsbury’s,” said Samantha. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence at first, partly because I had never had a full-time job but also because of my dyslexia, which has always held me back. But I knew I didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mum forever so I set out to change my life. Being the 2,000th colleague to be supported into work at Sainsbury’s by Remploy is the icing on the cake. I’m working in the ‘Food to Go’ kitchen and loving every minute. I meet new people and have made some great friends. It’s fantastic!”

Minister for Disabled People Esther McVey said: “Work is central to well-being and it is one of the best ways to increase independence and self-esteem. It is also central to someone’s identity. Thankfully, savvy employers like Sainsbury’s recognise the huge benefits of supporting disabled people into employment, not just for the individuals themselves but for the skills and talents they bring to the organisation as a whole. I’d urge other employers to follow the example of Sainsbury’s and look hard at their recruitment and work practices to make sure they don’t miss out on the extensive talents of disabled people.”

Ms Vey’s Government, of course, has chosen not to take up her suggestion. While it is welcome that Remploy has helped disabled people get jobs with other businesses, Remploy used to run its own factories where disabled people who preferred to work in a more sheltered environment could be employed. The Government has embarked on a programme of closing those specialist facilities, to the great distress of many people who used to work there.

Well done, Samantha Mimms: welcome to the paid workforce, and have a long and happy life there.

And no plaudits to Ms Vey (pictured, right, looking in marvel at Samantha Mimms as if she had never met a disabled person in employment before), whose Government has a shocking record on throwing far more people out of their work than Remploy has been able to get into work.