Bethan Wyn – Kitchen Assistant

“I feel a lot better working. Before, I used to keep myself to myself but now I’m more open with people and feel more confident about talking to customers”

Life has changed dramatically for Bethan Wyn since she was recruited to work at the Little Chef restaurant. Thanks to her job as a kitchen assistant, Bethan, who has a learning disability, now has greater financial independence and more confidence.

Having never been in paid employment before, Bethan has gained numerous skills, including the ability to read the time on watches and clocks, something she wasn’t able to do before. She can now manage her time, which has given her the ability to work productively as part of the team.

The confidence Bethan has developed is also crucial in helping her engage with the hundreds of customers who visit the restaurant each week.

Employer's story

“Bethan was very shy and reserved when she first came to work here” says shift manager Kim Jones. “She’s become much more confident now and if she has anything on her mind, she’ll speak out.”

Although Bethan’s main role is in the kitchen, Kim says that one of her strengths is her ability to ‘multi-task’. As an effective team member, Bethan willingly helps her colleagues with their jobs and will, for example, help to clear tables in the main restaurant area, support the cook in food preparation or help with stock re-fills.

Bethan has grown into her role and become accustomed to the routine of work. Continues Kim: “Bethan’s understanding of her job is increasing with time because she now has the confidence to ask questions if there are aspects of it that need further explanation.”

Employee's story

When she was offered a job at the Little Chef restaurant, Bethan couldn’t believe that her ‘nerve-wracking’ interview had been successful. She didn’t actually think her interviewer was being serious when she offered her a job: “I thought, why is she giving me this job? I thought she was joking” says Bethan.

Before she started to work at the Little Chef, Bethan enrolled on a programme at Agoriad, a charity that helps people with learning or mental health difficulties to find employment. She particularly enjoyed the role play activities which helped her improve her money management, IT and job hunting skills. A subsequent placement at a local hotel then gave Bethan the opportunity to enhance this learning with work experience.

Contact with customers

Bethan now knows her job well. On arrival at the restaurant, she goes straight to the kitchen and works quickly and efficiently, then helps colleagues out with any other jobs that need attention. Her role involves some contact with customers and this is an aspect of her job that she particularly enjoys. She says: “I like doing all of the jobs but I really like meeting customers.”

Bethan works without any particular support at work but receives periodic visits from a support worker from Agoriad. “I can always speak to someone from Agoriad if I need help with anything in particular or if I have any needs” says Bethan.

There’s no doubt that Bethan is an asset to the restaurant and that employment has been a very rewarding experience for her. She says: “I feel a lot better working. Before, I used to keep myself to myself but now I’m more open with people and feel more confident about talking to customers. And now that I’m working, I have money to spend on what I want.”

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