Recipe for job success

What started as an obsession with chip and gravy sandwiches blossomed into a great opportunity for disability employment in a Geraldton local business.

Tamus Anderson was making his daily run down to the Surf and Turf cafe to place his regular order, when he got talking with cafe owner Ron Payne about work.

Mr Anderson works as an employment consultant for APM employment services, who specialise in finding jobs for people living with disabilities.

Mr Payne has run the cafe with his wife Donna since 2002, with only a small break in the middle.

He said Mr Anderson offered to help find them someone to bolster the staff, so they tried a few different candidates and eventually settled on 19-year-old Annalise McGlinn.

“It was fairly easy for her to slip into the role, you wouldn’t know there was anything different,” Mr Payne said.

“These people can find it hard to find jobs, people can be pretty negative, but Donna and I keep a fairly open mind and they’re hard workers.

“They’re enthusiastic, loyal, and want to learn.

“Everyone should give them a fair go.”

Ms McGlinn lives with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mild autism and some intellectual difficulties but to all the world looks perfectly healthy.

She said while it’s great that people can’t see her disability and so don’t judge her for it, it can be difficult to get them to believe her when she’s having difficulty.

“When I told another employer in an interview that I had a disability they didn’t believe me at first,” she said.

“I had a great time there but I never got to interact with customers, I was always out the back cooking or cleaning.

“Ron here has been really supportive, and I still spend a lot of time out back but I get to talk to people more now.”

Ms McGlinn is also looking to TAFE with an eye for aged care, hoping she’ll be able to help those who need it in the future.

Surf and Turf have now brought on a second employee through APM’s disability employment services, Carmel Cooyou, who was volunteering at Midwest Disaster Relief until she was hired.

Mr Payne said there were plans to bring on even more people through disability services as the business developed.

APM business manager Mel Fox said the key to their work was building good relationships with employers.

“There’s a financial incentive for business, but it’s a huge benefit to the community too,” she said.

“Employing these people creates a ripple effect through the community, and builds a better environment for everyone.”