Having lived experience of social anxiety, Ben knew he needed to re-enter the workforce. Following a conversation with a family member who had successfully secured full-time employment with Forrest Personnel, Ben decided to approach Forrest Personnel and discuss the services available to him.

After his first appointment on the 8 November 2021 Ben was asked if he would be interested in trolley collecting, and by the end of November he had completed his training and started his role as a casual trolley collector with Forrest Personnel Trolley Collection Services in Esperance.

Ben said, “To overcome my social anxiety, I got help from my doctor with a mental health plan, I followed that plan and then started back into work, with a few shorter shifts per week and increased those hours gradually so as not to feel overwhelmed”.

As time went on, Ben gained in confidence and took on extra employment with the Esperance Exchange Depot and continued extra gardening work at a local school.

After showing his ability to communicate and supervise other members of the team, Ben accepted the permanent part-time position of Leading Hand and no longer needed to work three jobs. Ben’s ability to take on additional tasks while also assisting the Albany and Kalgoorlie Trolley teams with admin and rosters, made him the perfect candidate to become Trolley Facilitator.

Ben has been in the full-time Trolley Facilitator role for about 3 months now and said the best part of his job is, “Being able to help and support people with achieving job satisfaction as I have, and the supportive work environment that Forrest Personnel has created and that I am now able to pass onto the Trolley team”.

Since taking on the role, the rest of the Trolley staff have felt really supported by Ben.

When asked if he had any tips for other people facing challenges seeking employment, Ben said, “Don’t give up on your goals, there is many opportunities out there to get help and celebrate the small wins, every step forward is a step in the right direction.”