By: Connor Mann; Kyle Chadwick; Rebecca Ainsworth.
What is Clarity?
Clarity is a registered charity employing, training and supporting people with disabilities and serious health conditions. Clarity gives employment to people who have a disability and find it difficult to get work. Training is given to each employee and people who work for Clarity often stay for many years. Jobs range from working in the lab, manufacturing, packing, customer services, sales and marketing.
Clarity produces high quality toiletries such as bubble baths, shower gels, soaps etc. and many household cleaning goods. They also do beautifully packaged gift sets. All Clarity products are made by hand from ingredients sourced in the UK and avoiding any nasty chemicals.
Last month I interviewed Frank Owen, Business Development Manager at Clarity.
Why did you decide to work for Clarity?
“Working to help blind and disabled people get into employment is a HUGE passion of mine. I believe, like one of our early supporters Winston Churchill said, ‘If you can find something you love, you will never work a day in your life’.”
How do you feel working for Clarity?
“Truly blessed, our products are like our staff – quality, inside and out.”
What can you do to help Clarity?
“ Tell as many people as possible that working with our products makes you feel part of our community, for example, you sing and dance when you wash up with our washing up liquid – you cannot get that feeling anywhere else.”
How did you come across Clarity?
“My nan was a supporter for 20 years. I contacted the local office and spoke to Neil Scanlan. Neil opened my eyes to the meaning of employing disabled people and that spoke to me, as members of my family are disabled and have found it difficult to get into employment. I wanted to help.”
How did Clarity start? Who was your first supporter?
“An amazing lady called Elizabeth Gilbert contracted scarlet fever which rendered her blind in weeks. She managed to get a very young Queen Victoria in 1857 to donate £50 which allowed Elizabeth to set up our first factory and employ our first blind staff.”
How are your products made?
“We specialise in producing products in a semi-automated factory which gives the maximum amount of work to blind and disabled people.
Where is the factory?
The factory is in London, where Elizabeth Gilbert was born, but our office in Bolton helps local blind people and disabled people to get into employment.”
Case Study 1
Sophia McKie – blind and deaf – and Partner in the Ethical Recruitment Movement
My name is Sophia. I am blind with a hearing problem and a form of epilepsy. All 3 challenges arose because I was 15 weeks premature. I am also a recovering stammerer, thanks to the McGuire program.
I am a proficient Braille user and have a 40 cell Braille display at home and an 80-cell at work. I have attained at a BA Hons is criminology and a Masters in Criminal Justice, and I am also a grade 6 pianist and singer. I have a glorious 3-year-old daughter Margot.
I have had many challenges in looking for work, mostly down to society’s lack of understanding and empathy. This was evident when I was doing a mock job interview. I was exaggerating my speaking technique and my employment coach said, “You have to be more fluent”. Because of her attitude, I changed support workers. It is people like her that make me strive for success and want to help people. The differences we have should be nurtured and it is our abilities and strengths that will determine whether we succeed and therefore, whether I will succeed. I want to be a role model for my daughter, working hard to change lives for disabled people through the Ethical Recruitment Movement.
The Disability Employment Gap has not moved in the past 20 years despite the law and legal acts aimed to protect disabled people.
At the Ethical Recruitment Movement, we are passionate about developing our candidates project by project, layer by layer through their continuous professional development to prove their worth into paid employment.
Our candidates have faced far more adversity than other people. This gives them a huge energy and determination to succeed, if they could only have a chance. ER gives our candidates belief in their unique advantages.
Case Study 2
Will Eccles, Delivery Driver
Will Eccles is an amazing young man with an Autistic spectrum condition who came to Ethical Recruitment after a negative experience on a placement in the retail sector in Bolton. Will explained that he was only allowed to monitor the changing room and return and refold clothes 8 hours a day in the back storeroom. Even though he repeatedly asked to attempt till work, he was not allowed to do so. This shattered his confidence, increased his anxiety and had a severe impact on his mental wellbeing.
When we invited Will to the office, we asked him what he liked to do in his spare time. Will explained that he has a passion for driving and volunteers for two local libraries, delivering books to elderly people. He also loves maps and planning journeys.
We asked Will if he would like to drive for Clarity and deliver their goods around Bolton. Will did not hesitate and was blown away by the opportunity. He is a careful and competent driver. He also enjoys the routine of organising his invoices and balancing the cash received.
This is what Will’s mum had to say:
“Our family continue to be delighted with our association with Ethical Recruitment and Clarity North West. From the first meeting, the emphasis was on what Will could do well and what strategies could be used to overcome any limitations.
We are indebted to Frank at Ethical Recruitment and the Clarity North West Team for their support and empathy.”
Pathway 2 Employment Academy
Are you a candidate with unique ABILITIES?
We believe candidates have their own superpower in their challenges.
We see only the positives in people and build on them giving purpose, dignity, self-worth and value to every candidate.
We pride ourselves on seeing our candidates happy and financially successful, focusing on a positive future.
“AND BEST OF ALL”
85% of our P2E candidates have gained full employment.
95% of our candidates generate paid income for their commercial efforts in the first 8 weeks.
100% of our P2E candidates have gained confidence, purpose and dignity.
To start your INSPIRATIONAL journey please call our freephone number 0800 8048625 or email us at ABILITY@ethicalrecruitment.org.uk