Employment after brain injury

[KitKat23]

I had encephalitis at the age of 18 which left me with alot of health problems, i'm now 23 and currently out of work other than the voluntary work I do, I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what kind of employment they are in?

[Danslatete]

I volunteered at a school, now i get paid for when im there. I dont get paid for school holidays and i dont get paid if i am off ill. I do reading with the children and help the little ones learing numbers to 20.

It took me a long time to be brave enough to try work and then it was ages to get paid work. IT is hard to manage not knowing what you will get paid each month.

[spideyman]

I suffered a brain haemorrhage when i was 18. Ive done many voluntary jobs. I volunteered to work in the kitchen for a well known organisation. The head chef noticed i was taking the orders and just cooking them. He took me on. I was on a work step program and my benefits kept in reserve if i couldnt do it.

The volunteers i used to get on with all turned their backs on me as they thought i was up myself for trying. Worse still the actual chefs never included me amongst them as i was still seen as an outsider even though i was paid.

I actually left when the head chef used to talk sexual innuendos and slap my arse etc.

I went back onto benefits.

I now run a kitchen for WRVS in a snack bar every Thursday.

I do what i want with pottery courses and pastel courses. Im also an artist

[Danslatete in reply to spideyman]

Great that you got work, crappy the way you got treated. I have problem with time, majorly but i have a timer that beeps at me and the kids all know when it goes off that i need to move on. I have been in trouble for making innappropriate facial expressions and for making comments infront of 'other staff, not concerned'

I never know when ive upset someone and i always get suprises when ive booked and paid for stuff and forgotten about it.

I get some funny comments but i laugh with them, I am a bit ditsy sometimes!!!

[philstretchdavis]

Hi , I had a TBI in 2004. Prior to this I was a black cab driver, where a good memory is imperative. Initially I attended a brain injury college where they intended to patch me up and return me to the same job before the TBI. As much as I complained that I needed a memory to do this again, no one listened. I have tried to work in that industry again but now become confused and need I say it forgetful. I persevere in retraining my memory and every day I am more optimistic about returning to work, but it's been 9 years now since I last worked. Now I am more relaxed about employment. If I can "ease into it", I might be able to make it last. So what I am saying to you is don't rush things and relax. Maybe retrain to something more up your street. After all we all have to retrain our memories.

[TwoCakes]

Hello

I'd encourage voluntary work if you are able and you feel it adds to your quality of life.

I have done paid work in my field for 15 years, but to get into it I did a year voluntary first.

When I recruit staff I am always happy to see voluntary work experience on the application form and view this as work experience in the same way as paid work. Also someone doing voluntary work is showing lots of commitment and focus so it gets a big tick from me!

Probably worth saying that I don't have a brain injury, but I hope my thoughts help you to see that your current unpaid work is valuable and may help to obtain paid work.