How the Youth are Infusing Joy into Disability Services
The collaborative pilot program involving the Wellbeing Services County’s Disability Services, the Employment Services of Espoo, and WorkPilots has received outstanding feedback from its young participants, as well as from the staff and clients of the Disability Servicess.
WorkPilots provides a platform for organisations to hire young individuals who are seeking their own paths to take on short-term work assignments and experience various job roles. The Haukilahti housing unit, a part of the Wellbeing Services County’s Disability Services, has participated in this initiative. Through this collaboration, young people have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the social and healthcare sectors, which are expected to offer a diverse range of job opportunities in the future. Based on the positive experiences of all involved parties, these collaborative efforts are set to expand throughout the Wellbeing Services County.
Choosing the right people to assist clients
The supervisor of the Haukilahti housing unit, Sara Nurmi, explains that the WorkPilots initiative is currently being tested at Haukilahti due to it being home to ageing individuals with intellectual disabilities. Many residents are retired and only participate in daytime activities for part of the week.
"Residents have been hoping for more varied daily activities, and with the involvement of young people, we can now fulfill these wishes more easily,” Nurmi rejoices.
The unit's regular staff is on site around the clock, which simplifies the orientation for new young workers and ensures they have continuous support and guidance.
“The tasks assigned to young workers include, organizing various outdoor activities, accompanying clients outdoors, and assisting them with errands or outings from the residence. The supervisor of the Haukilahti residential unit, Susanna Aalto, plans the type of activities we want to recruit young people for and places the request. Thereafter, she selects suitable employees from the applicants,” Nurmi explains.
Positive feedback from residents
The residents of the unit have expressed high satisfaction with the work gigs performed by the young people. The residents themselves have expressed what they want to do with the youth. These wishes have been taken into account during the work gigs. However, what matters most to the residents is presence—receiving time and attention.
“The crucial aspect isn’t necessarily the specific activities; rather, but the fact that we are engaged in doing something together,” says Aalto.
The residents’ comments reveal enjoyable interactions and hopes for continued engagements. Mari, Leena, and Elina commend the youngsters for their kindness. Leena and Tuula reminisced about the disco and hoped it would continue in the future. Niina says it's nice when young people visit the unit.
“They are pleasant and will be always welcome!” It's fun to bake, play games, and do all sorts of fun things together.
Meanwhile, Riku assures that the residents will continue to take good care of the young ones in the future.
Staff appreciation for young workers
The unit’s staff praise the young people for their empathy and genuine interest in the residents. They recognize the positive impact of residents receiving attention not only from the staff but also from others. Young people bring a breath of fresh air to the unit.
– They have performed their tasks exceptionally well, fulfilling their commitments while showing great consideration for the residents.” While reflecting on the benefits brought by the youth, the unit's staff point out how valuable it is that the residents get to have conversations with young people.
Susanna Aalto highlights the enthusiasm of the young people. When job opportunities are posted, applications flood in rapidly.
“It's challenging to select young people for the task, as I would like to offer work opportunities to as many as possible,” Aalto contemplates.
Aalto encapsulates that the inclusion of the youth invigorates the residents, diversifies activities, and frees up employees for other tasks. According to Aalto, these are the most significant benefits this cooperation brings to the housing unit. Additionally, young people benefit from familiarizing themselves with the diversity of the social and healthcare sector, including tasks related to disability services.
Read more about WorkPilots: Work Pilots - Löydä keikkatyö tai ilmoita työkeikasta!(external link)