Heather's Blog #3: Realising Your Potential

"I was very quiet, shy and in a place where I thought I was happy and I didn’t realise that there was more I can do. I thought I was at my limit of me doing my upmost best until now."

A lot of things have changed since my last blog. I’m more confident on the coffee machine. I can make more drinks on the coffee machine (Flat Whites/Lattes/Americano/Cappuccino/Hot Chocolates). I’m getting more confident with my cappuccino milk. I have started to make espresso’s and mochas. I can take people’s orders and gave their change if there is any. I can also take card payments on the card which I am much more confident at doing. I can help give Boris (work placement trainee) jobs and help him if staff are busy with customers. I can collect snacks from the stock cupboard and put them in their place behind the bar. I also make sure the theatre what’s on programmes and adverts are unto date in the coffee shop behind where people sit. I measure and restock the Decaf coffee. I restock the chocolate tin for the Cappuccinos and I also restock the brown and white sugars. I can book tickets for events on the ipad.

I swapped my work days from Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays to Monday, Tuesday, Fridays. But Fridays I work with a group of people that have more profound learning disabilities. On Fridays there is a lot more responsibility for me as I help Claire (Facilitator). I organise sessions, keep an eye on people. I help with music when they are playing team games. As I said before I switched days from Wednesday to Monday. This is because there is more responsibility as there is so much going on. There is the Free Play form Parents and their little ones where I help set up, clean and keep things tidy in between sessions. The Cafe is really busy and then we have Parkinson Yoga in the afternoon. It is a much more different day for me as there is much more going on.

My confidence has grown because I work Mondays and there is a range of ages come in and out of Gosforth Civic Theatre on a Mondays. As they’re toddlers to much older adults and much more responsibility which has also given me more confidence and I am able to work more independently a lot more. It does get busier a lot more faster. As Mondays give me more confidence, that confidence is set for the week which helps my performance in the coffee shop and also on Fridays when I help with the Yip Yaps.

Before this I didn’t have the confidence to talk to anyone (Customers). I was very quiet, shy and in a place where I thought I was happy and I didn’t realise that there was more I can do. I thought I was at my limit of me doing my upmost best until now. I am happy in the coffee shop when it is busier and the staff in and out of the coffee shop are always happy to help.

The Staff at Liberdade and the staff at the coffee shop helped to get where I am today. I am highly grateful to them. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I still think there is more things I can do and learn. But at the moment it is getting more confidence to do them things. But at the minute I’m working on making my milk better and milk art. Hopefully this will improve.

In the future I am hoping to answer the phone, be good at milk art and help the work placement trainees if they are stuck and also be more confident.