Gordon Jeffs – Security Guard, Manchester

“When I started working at Mitie, I felt elated. I wasn’t a nobody anymore. I felt like I was worth something - contributing to society again.”

For someone like Gordon Jeffs, who used to be a keen footballer and five-a-side player, not being able to play his favourite sport anymore was quite a challenge. Even more of a challenge for Gordon however, was getting back to work after a catalogue of health problems.

Self-belief and persistence

In 2001 Gordon was seriously injured in a motorbike accident which left him with steel pins in his left arm, knee and lower leg. During winter, the pins swell up and affect his mobility. Ten years previously, Gordon survived brain damage after being injured in service. In spite of all the physical and psychological consequences of those injuries, Gordon was determined to work and as far as he was concerned, was fully capable of working. But many employers did not share his enthusiasm and as far as they were concerned, he was a walking liability and would either need lots of time off work or would be a danger to others.

Gordon wasn’t discouraged by the negative response from some employers and in spite of the frustration of being rejected for employment, his self-belief and persistence paid off. In May 2007, he started work as a Security Guard for Mitie Security and is currently based at the My Pet Stop shop in Denton, Manchester.

Employer's story

As a Personnel Officer with Mitie, it’s Gaynor Johnson’s role to match the right people to the right jobs. As an equal opportunities employer that genuinely tries to practise what they preach, at Mitie the ‘right person’ for the job is the person who meets the criteria for the job. For positions as a Security Guard, this includes having the ability to gain the SIA (Security Industry Authority) licence.

When Gordon applied for a job with Mitie, he was treated as an individual. The main focus of the selection process was to determine whether he had the ability to fulfil the duties of a Security Guard, and it further included eye, colour and smell tests. Gordon successfully met all of these criteria and was subsequently employed.

An excellent employee

All employees at the company are offered the opportunity to have ‘reasonable adjustments’ made where necessary, to enable them to do their job. In Gordon’s case no adjustments were required.  “Gordon turned out to be an excellent employee and exceeded my expectations. He’s never had any time off work and carries out his duties expertly” says Gaynor.

Both as a recruiter and an employee, Gaynor Johnson has more than just a professional interest in disability and employment issues. She is fifty per cent deaf and wears two hearing aids. She also has severe tinnitus and takes medication for asthma. As a disabled employee herself, Gaynor understands the barriers faced by disabled people seeking work and has been excluded from certain jobs because of her disability. Similarly to Gordon, Gaynor fulfils her duties as a Personnel Officer without requiring any adjustments or additional support at work. “Colleagues know to look at me when they speak because I lip read” says Gaynor.

The culture at Mitie is one of support for all staff, irrespective of whether they have a disability. Employees like Gordon Jeffs value not only the opportunity to work but also the respect they are given as individuals who have valuable skills they can bring to the workplace.

Employee's story

It took great determination for Gordon to eventually find a job after the injuries he sustained. He didn’t only have the physical side to deal with but also the psychological effects of being disabled, being inactive and in his words ‘stuck at home’.  Gordon was supported back into employment by Working Links, an organisation that works with groups such as disabled people, to help them find employment. Staff at Working Links helped Gordon gain the confidence to re-enter the job market and assisted him in completing application forms and preparing for interviews.

Think about the person

Facing up to discrimination against disabled people was clearly an obstacle that Gordon had to overcome. However, he believes that there are employers out there who are willing to give disabled people a chance. His message to employers is quite simple, “Don’t look at the disability, think about the person”.

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