James Mathers – Production Assistant

“I’d rather be working than not working”

When James Mathers first started working at Nairns of Edinburgh, little did he know that he would play a part in bringing Scottish culture to the rest of the world. James works on the production line at Nairns and along with his colleagues, packs boxes of traditional Scottish oatcakes which are shipped all over the world to countries such as Canada, New Zealand and France.

James, who has a learning disability, very quickly progressed from working with a social enterprise company that specialises in employing disabled people, to gaining permanent employment with a successful biscuit manufacturing company.

Employer's story

The history of Nairns dates back to 1896 and Managing Director Mark Laing sees the company as an integral part of the local community. He takes pride in the culture of the company and its workforce. He says: “We have a very loyal workforce, low absenteeism, low turnover and good attendance.” James’ positive attitude to work was soon noticed when he first arrived at the company as a Haven Products employee. Haven works in partnership with employers to meet their business needs by providing workers, most of whom are disabled, on an outsourcing basis.

James made a strong and lasting impression with managers at Nairns and within months of starting to work at the company, was offered permanent employment. Mark says: “When we recruit, we look for people who we think will work well with the company. James was one of those people. He is a good worker, is punctual and gets on well with his colleagues.”

Buddy system

Nairns operates a ‘buddy’ system for new employees and this helped James adjust to his new work environment. Mark explains: “The idea of having a ‘buddy’ is to support new employees like James and help them settle into their job, find their way around, locate their lockers and so on. But the system also helps the ‘buddy’ too, because it offers them personal development.”

Mark acknowledges that like many employers, his company lacks the expertise to support disabled employees which is why he finds the relationship with Haven Products very productive. Tom Henderson from Haven visits James every three months to ensure he has the support he needs for any issues that could affect his ability to work.

Employee's story

A lot of firms don’t take people like me on” says James. He knows from personal experience that not all employers will consider the abilities of a disabled person. However, James was determined to find a job and his persistence paid off. His search for work started with Jobcentre Plus in Leith where he received help from Anna, a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA). She helped James to identify the kind of work that would be a good match for his experience and abilities. He also enrolled on various courses to develop his interview skills.

Before he started working at Nairns, James travelled regularly from Edinburgh to Glasgow to gain practical work experience at Haven Products. Tom Henderson from Haven, has seen the difference employment has made to James. He says: “Within a week of starting at Nairms, I could see that James’ confidence had grown.”

James works mainly in the packing department which is where the majority of the workforce is employed. Occasionally he works in the warehouse department and helps to load boxes onto pallets. He says:

“I like the atmosphere here. It’s friendly. I also enjoy earning money.” Although he has been with the company for over a year, James’ initial enthusiasm for his job has not diminished and he continues to be a valued and productive member of the workforce.

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