Aspies in the UK Police Force?

[Mary Anne]

(Almost) Everything You Need to Know About Sheltered Workshops (Part 1 of 2)

This article mentions “50 cents an hour at one sheltered workshop, and another who wanted to take her family out to a nice meal after getting a real job,as finding her paycheck being “only 38 cents.” That is shocking!

 

[tree]

While it is true that some employment for disabled people
provides very low wage, that is not the topic of this thread.

It isn't necessary to exchange snark/sarcasm/insult here, either.

Basically, as stated by OP, the topic is whether he has a chance
of being hired, given his physical disabilities. If anyone has an
informed opinion regarding the advisability of another try,
feel free to comment upon the original topic.

Thanks.

 

[Starfire]

If Rich can do the job, he should of course be paid the same as his colleagues. However, based on his own admission, that he will more than likely not pass the physical regardless of not being in control of his finances, it would probably be a waste of his time to apply for the same job again as he does not fulfill the criteria for applying.

I would say focus your efforts in a different direction which may bear fruit in the future, good luck to you.

 

[Mary Anne]

While it is true that some employment for disabled people
provides very low wage, that is not the topic of this thread.

It isn't necessary to exchange snark/sarcasm/insult here, either.

Basically, as stated by OP, the topic is whether he has a chance
of being hired, given his physical disabilities. If anyone has an
informed opinion regarding the advisability of another try,
feel free to comment upon the original topic.

Thanks.

There now is a whole new thread called “wages” for those wishing to continue on the topic.

 

[Mr Allen]

@Rich Allen
In Post #8 you said :
"SYP kind of know me from when I volunteered for them in a different capacity a few years back."

What capacity was that?
What did you get to do for South Yorkshire Police
as a volunteer?

Yes, I volunteered for them from October 2008 to July 2015 at an educational facility called the Lifewise Centre, under a scheme called "Crucial Crew" which teaches Year 7 school kids about stuff like road safety, drug and alcohol awareness, Internet safety (even though most of them are 10 and 11, and officially the minimum age for a Facebook account is 13) and arson, knife crime and a mock "Courtroom" case.

I'll dig up the link to their website after tea.

Here you go! fresh from Google.

 

[Mary Anne]

Yes, I volunteered for them from October 2008 to July 2015 at an educational facility called the Lifewise Centre, under a scheme called "Crucial Crew" which teaches Year 7 school kids about stuff like road safety, drug and alcohol awareness, Internet safety (even though most of them are 10 and 11, and officially the minimum age for a Facebook account is 13) and arson, knife crime and a mock "Courtroom" case.

I'll dig up the link to their website after tea.
Here you go! fresh from Google.

Why didn’t you stay with that? I would love to do that. Quite an admirable volunteer job. You could have used that as part of your training to become a “Support Specialist” (see the link I posted above in this thread) in the UK. Volunteer hours count towards certification here in the USA.

 

[pjcnet]

Can disabled Americans be paid below the minimum wage?

“Under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are able to pay a wage below the federal minimum wage to workers whose work is affected by a mental or physical deficiency. (The ADA does not change this provision.) The reduction in wage corresponds to the reduction in productivity as compared with a worker without a disability. This means that some disabled workers can make significantly less than the minimum wage, in some cases even less than a dollar per hour.

Employers must obtain a certificate from the Wage and Hour Division to set a wage below the federal minimum. According to the U.S. Labor Department, the certificate program has been implemented in the employment of over 420,000 disabled Americans.

This reduced wage, known as the subminimum wage, has been in effect since the 1930s, with several changes over the years. The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of 1933-1935 set the first productivity-based subminimum wage, which was adopted again with the passing of the FLSA in 1938.”

Nasty, I can see this being abused too where people that are doing as much work as everyone else, if not more are told they're being paid a lot less because they've got what they call a "disability". Disabled people also usually can't help being disabled and this just makes the world a little more unfair for them.

The jobs that @Rich Allen states pay only a few pounds a day in the UK are classed as volunteer jobs where any payment is only classed as expenses, otherwise they'd have to pay the minimum wage unless it's an illegal "cash in hand" job. The only other exception to this is if it's a controversial government scheme where the person works for benefits, E.g. they used to have Youth Training Schemes in work placements.

 

[Mary Anne]

It’s only the sheltered workshops and hopefully with only quite cognitively disabled people. I have seen a sheltered workshop at a mental health agency that I used to attnend in the beginning of my recovery.

I agree it could be horrible when bad business people totally take advantage, and if the worker is aware of what is going on. I can understand how initially in the beginning it was thought of as getting low functioning people to work and have something to do, and if they are working they should be paid way more, but I can also understand the argument for it not being a minimum wage rate as the rest of society has. But the rates of $2.00 a day is just way too abusive. Even $2.00/hour sounds abusive to us.

Here is the debatable thoughts (My mind always looks at all angles of controversial subjects- I cannot help it):

Should a person be so cognitively or physically challenged that they can only actually produce enough work at only a $2.00 value- should they be paid more just because they are disabled? Is this fair? Is it reasonable?

Should people be given a greater rate if they can only work / produce at a poorer rate? We all have worked with people that do not pull their weight on the job....and we wish they would get fired or do their job. Does being disabled mean that be given the same wage even if we cannot do the equal work for the set wages? Some of society would disagree on this.

What is a reasonable hourly wage for extremely low functioning people?

What is the criteria for assessing a person in the workforce as so low functioning that they are given such a low rate of pay?

It’s my opinion that not only the work establishments are to blame, but the agencies and families also, for placing their adults in these situations. I can imagine that they feel it’s better then locking the person up in some institution.

 

[Mr Allen]

Why didn’t you stay with that? I would love to do that. Quite an admirable volunteer job. You could have used that as part of your training to become a “Support Specialist” (see the link I posted above in this thread) in the UK. Volunteer hours count towards certification here in the USA.

I would've stayed with it, but it cost me £18 a time in transport fees to attend a day a week every month, that's £72 a month, I couldn't afford it.

 

[Starfire]

I would've stayed with it, but it cost me £18 a time in transport fees to attend a day a week every month, that's £72 a month, I couldn't afford it.

Could you not claim your traveling expenses back? I’ve done volunteering for a few organisations before I could drive, and they would always take a photocopy of my tickets then reimburse me from petty cash as I was on disability at the time too.

 

[Mary Anne]

I would've stayed with it, but it cost me £18 a time in transport fees to attend a day a week every month, that's £72 a month, I couldn't afford it.

Could you have gone onward to a paid position utilizing this skill Set? I already shared those links to you for jobs I. Which they would HIRE you at a good wage with past volunteer experience like this! You did not respond.

 

[Mr Allen]

Could you not claim your traveling expenses back? I’ve done volunteering for a few organisations before I could drive, and they would always take a photocopy of my tickets then reimburse me from petty cash as I was on disability at the time too.

No.

It wasn't that kind of job.

@Mary Anne I couldn't have signed up to a paid position at the Lifewise Centre, for reasons discussed previously, I can't work full time.

 

[Mary Anne]

No.

It wasn't that kind of job.

@Mary Anne I couldn't have signed up to a paid position at the Lifewise Centre, for reasons discussed previously, I can't work full time.

Part time. You CAN work part time and find something you like and are skilled in. AND BUILD UPON YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES. You never responded to any of the posts in finding a focus, and choosing the right kinds of volunteer and paid work in order to create a future for yourself.

Also, disabled people - many but not all- can often work themselves up and off of disability. IMAGINE THAT. Many people just have been so beaten down into submission, that they do not realize that they could have a full time job and get off disability. Aftter decades on disability, and a lot of hard word and focus, this is what I am currently doing. I will continue to work into my eighties if I am able, because disability does not earn me enough to live on, and I have never been able to acquire subsidized housing. I am off the food stamps, and eat so much healthier. I have my own place- not in some ghetto high crime area, but in a peaceful safe place. (I could not afford this on disability payments). I will be able to live on a higher amount after retirement because I paid into the system we have in th US.

I refuse to be a disability victim while still being technically disabled.

 

[Mattymatt]

Above.

I'm half considering applying again to South Yorkshire Police Special Constabulary, even though I promised Mum and Dad in August 2011 that after 3 failed attempts to get in, I wouldn't do attempt #4.

But that was nearly 7 years ago obviously.

Due to other physical disabilities I doubt I'd pass the medical requirements, and I'm also type 2 Diabetic, would this be an outright no?

I know about Google and the SYP website.

I hate to pour cold water on your efforts but being a cop would not be a good job for someone who is Autistic. Situations can become very hairy and very quickly if a subtle message is misunderstood or not properly communicated. It is difficult for neurotypicals to be police, let alone someone whom is neurodiverse. I wanted to be a cop at one time and I am glad it did not work out because I would be terrible. You have to have a really good instinct for watching and interpreting body language and making quick, reliable judgements about a scene. Furthermore, you have to have a hide as thick as a buffalo's because you will be often seeing people at their worst and you may have insults hurled at you. You have to be the bigger person and take the insults without getting insulted. Do you think you could arrest someone for panhandling because they're homeless and need to eat? I know I couldn't do this ... it goes against every moral fiber in my body. You would have to enforce laws you disagree with. What about having to arrest a person for possession of a controlled substance? Again, I couldn't do that either because they're sick, not bad.

That much said, I feel your pain and I am empathetic to your frustration. Just keep plodding along and never give up. We quit when we die, and until we're dead, we must never give the man the satisfaction that we're going to throw in the towel.

 

[Mr Allen]

Could you not claim your traveling expenses back? I’ve done volunteering for a few organisations before I could drive, and they would always take a photocopy of my tickets then reimburse me from petty cash as I was on disability at the time too.

No because it was paid for out of my social services "budget", and at the moment I don't have a named social worker, I did but she left 2 years ago due to childcare problems.

 

[Mary Anne]

No because it was paid for out of my social services "budget", and at the moment I don't have a named social worker, I did but she left 2 years ago due to childcare problems.

Disability does not have to hold you back. I think some of the continued negativity you bring in all threads, is because you have allowed disability to control you. Focus on your passions, and the jobs you are good at, and bring you satisfaction. Then find ways to use them to get a paying job in the same field. There are specific part time jobs that want disabled people with your background that pay, and they will use all your past volunteer experience. You have excellant background work experiences! So why are you taking crappy poor volunteer jobs?

 

[Mr Allen]

Disability does not have to hold you back. I think some of the continued negativity you bring in all threads, is because you have allowed disability to control you. Focus on your passions, and the jobs you are good at, and bring you satisfaction. Then find ways to use them to get a paying job in the same field. There are specific part time jobs that want disabled people with your background that pay, and they will use all your past volunteer experience. You have excellant background work experiences! So why are you taking crappy poor volunteer jobs?

I've tried to get paid work, believe me I've tried, but every time I declare my disability and being Aspie, they never get back to me either way.

I know I should probably just not declare at application stage, but in the extremely unlikely event I get an interview for any given job, they'd see I wear a hearing aid, which counts as disability, and use it against me.

 

[Mary Anne]

I've tried to get paid work, believe me I've tried, but every time I declare my disability and being Aspie, they never get back to me either way.

I know I should probably just not declare at application stage, but in the extremely unlikely event I get an interview for any given job, they'd see I wear a hearing aid, which counts as disability, and use it against me.

People work who wear hearing aids. I work with people who wear hearing aids at a big box chain called Home Depot. I also work in another field where it’s mandatory to HAVE a lived experience /disability with mental illness or aspergers! I keep telling you to get into the same field, and I posted you links in your country, but you ignored them. I just got a second part time job in MY mental health field where having a disability is mandatory, and it pays the biggest hourly rate I have ever gotten in this field! It’s fantastically awesome! I am only working 13 hours a week (but the rate of pay works out to the same monthly pay I made working full time for a year at my last job). It’s extremely unusual to have this rate of pay, but they offer absolutely no benefits so there is a trade off.

Once I quit using my disability as a crutch and started empowering myself, and changed my attitude, (not easy, but it can be done), it changed my life! You can move up and onward too, Rich.

 

[Starfire]

No because it was paid for out of my social services "budget", and at the moment I don't have a named social worker, I did but she left 2 years ago due to childcare problems.

You could try phoning or emailing Lifewise Center or SYP finance department and asking them what their policy is on reimbursing volunteers for their traveling expenses.

It looks like a great place, I checked out the website link you posted. It would be a shame if you couldn’t continue to work there because of a measly £72 a month, but that money should never come out of your pocket. You are donating time and experience and should not be paying for the privilege. Your traveling expenses will be tax deductible for them and classed as business expenses so I’m sure if you apply yourself, you could find a way to make this happen.

 

[Starfire]

No because it was paid for out of my social services "budget", and at the moment I don't have a named social worker, I did but she left 2 years ago due to childcare problems.

It just me 2 minutes to find this on Lifewise site -

Expenses: Where appropriate, you will be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses.

Where there is a will, there is a way!