At Level Best, we see every day how much the right opportunity can change a person’s confidence.
For some young adults with a learning disability, that journey begins with a place where they feel welcome, supported and able to try new things. That is one reason our relationship with Essex Cares (ECL) matters so much.
ECL supports adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in Essex through services including Community Connectors and Inclusive Employment. Its Community Connector programme helps people gain meaningful experiences and connections within the community, while building confidence, independence and practical skills for life.
For some of the people ECL supports in North Essex, Level Best forms part of that journey.
A Supportive Place to Build Confidence
Through its work, ECL helps people with a learning disability access opportunities that can build confidence, strengthen everyday skills and create pathways into volunteering, community participation and, where appropriate, future employment.
Level Best can play an important role in those first steps.
Level Best is a place where young adults with a learning disability can explore their strengths, develop social and employability skills, and gain practical experience in a place that feels encouraging and inclusive.
Our café and social enterprise also offer a welcoming community setting that is valued as a place for ECL job coaches to have meetings with their customers in a welcoming, inclusive space.
We’re delighted to share a case study from ECL. Melanie’s story helps show what that support can look like in practice.
Melanie is a 25-year-old who loves classic films, television programmes and story writing. At the time she came into contact with ECL, she felt her life lacked purpose. She had been spending two days a week at a day centre to build employability skills, but it was not giving her the progress she needed. An earlier part-time role at a local primary school had ended in disappointment because she did not have the support she needed, and her confidence had been badly affected.
Melanie’s mother, Cath, describes that period clearly: “Before we met ECL, life for Mel was very stressful. She had no confidence or motivation, struggled with social skills, and was plagued by anxiety.”
After being introduced to ECL, Melanie and her mother met Katie Connah from the ECL Community Connector programme. Katie quickly saw Melanie’s potential and identified Level Best Enterprises as the right setting for her to explore her talents, build confidence, and improve her social and employability skills. Katie then worked with Melanie’s social worker to secure and fund a place for her at Level Best.
It was during her time as a Trainee in our café enterprise that Melanie’s enthusiasm for hospitality began to grow. After six months at Level Best, she felt ready to take on a voluntary role at Food For Thought, a community-focused café and events business in Harwich. There, she began volunteering one day a week, developing skills in food preparation, customer service and using the till.
Melanie says: “Since meeting Katie, everything has improved. I’m more confident, travelling to work independently, and even making new friends.”
Her experience also had a visible impact at home. Melanie’s Mum Cath says: “Mel is far more resilient to unexpected events, communicates well with the public, and walks more, so she is much more active. She now has direction in her life, and for the first time, we’re even discussing the possibility of her living more independently.”
The Value of Working Together
Stories like Melanie’s show what can happen when support is joined up, personal and rooted in real community experience.
At Level Best, young adults can build confidence in a welcoming environment. They can discover strengths, develop practical skills and begin to picture a future that feels bigger and more possible.
