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Seashell students are four times more likely to be in paid employment than the national average for adults with learning disabilities . That’s incredible! It means young people with the most complex disabilities have so many more opportunities to achieve their dreams when they attend Seashell.
We provide training and work experience placements for students who want to flourish in the workplace. Having access to work allows a young adult with complex disabilities to defy the norm and gain meaningful employment.
Many disabled people face huge barriers to employment, but many young adults at Seashell have incredible skills to offer employers – from their passion and great personalities to their hard-working nature.
We give Seashell students opportunities. Your £20 donation could help towards giving a student the training to overcome the barriers to employment that disabled people face.
Arthur
Arthur was diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) when he was three years old, is waiting on an ADHD diagnosis, and has complex learning disabilities.
At his former school he could only be there two hours a day and his anxiety had reached such high levels he was self-harming. Although he has only been at Seashell since last year, he has already made vast improvements and his parents have been overwhelmed by the support they’ve had from Royal School Manchester.
Dad Paul said: “He runs into school and he comes out settled. You can see the difference in him – he is mentally stimulated and he is motivated for that. We’ve gone from having no hope, to having hope that in the future he can go on to do something.”
His mum Neryssa added: “The minute I saw ‘progressing towards paid employment’ on his [report] that was another moment for me – it’s about raising aspirations.”
Max
Max has been developing his social skills and independence. He has been doing work experience at the National Trust and says it is “a really nice place to work.” He explained it is noisy and busy, but a lot of fun.
He added: “When I leave Seashell’s college I would like to work at Quarry Bank Mill.”
Kaitlin
Kaitlin is a current Royal School Manchester student and is also an ambassador like Max. She enjoys helping to represent Seashell out in the community and around campus. 
She is currently doing some work experience at the National Trust’s Quarry Bank Mill. She has been working with them on the menu design, helping to make it more accessible for people with learning and communication difficulties.
In the future she’d love to be a DJ! Her DJ name would be DJ Kaitlin.
Armaghan
Armaghan is an ex-Seashell student now working at Laltex – an importer and supplier of clothing and footwear with a range of more than 7,000 product lines.
When he was younger, Armaghan was diagnosed with autism and ADHD and used to struggle with communication skills and could become easily distract. But his family knew in the right environment he could be suitable for a variety of roles.
His school helped him to get a place at Seashell’s Royal College Manchester. His mum Hajeera said: “We wanted him to have something to do that meant his day had a structure. Seashell have a team dedicated to finding the right environment and the right employment for the right candidate.
“A good work ethos is very strongly engrained in our family and we think there is a lot of dignity and respect in working.”
Armaghan’s employment at Laltex means he has a meaningful life and a good quality of life. And as Laltex staff have said, Armaghan is an asset to the company and a joy to have on the team.
I'm a student and an Ambassador at Royal School College. That means I help the fundraising team and I help my friends. I've also been doing work experience and I enjoy doing the different jobs. When I leave College I want to do something that makes me happy.
Max, Ambassador at Royal College Manchester
A bit about Seashell…
Seashell is an extraordinary place for extraordinary people.
We help children and young adults with the most complex disabilities and their families to live their best lives through our Cheadle-based school, college, residential care homes and inclusive activities program.
The children and young adults who come to Seashell have profound, multiple and complex disabilities, for example severe learning and communication difficulties, multi-sensory impairments, and physical disabilities to name a few.
They are all superheroes combatting incredible challenges on a daily basis.