Margaret Turley has been employed as an assistant at EY, working mainly with the firm’s Turnaround and Restructuring Services team, since 2017. It was her first job after graduating from the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID) Certificate in Contemporary Living programme in 2013.
“I didn’t have much to do after I graduated,” Turley recalls. “One day [Pathways co-ordinator] Marie Devitt in Trinity asked me if I was working and I said no and that I would love to get a job. She asked me to send in my CV. We met after that and had a chat about what I would like to do. I said I’d like to do office work. Trinity has business partners and Marie said she would find out if any of them had something for me.”
In early 2017 one of those business partners, professional services firm EY, offered Turley a position on a six-month trial basis. Within a few months she was told the firm would like to offer her a permanent, part-time role.
She was informed of the offer by EY restructuring manager Brenda Kealy, who is also Turley’s workplace ‘buddy’. Every new EY employee is assigned a buddy and a counsellor to help them settle in.
‘A gas emergency would quickly turn into an electricity emergency. It is low-risk, but high-consequence’
The secret to cooking a delicious, fuss free Christmas turkey? You just need a little help
How LEO Digital for Business is helping to boost small business competitiveness
‘I have to believe that this situation is not forever’: stress mounts in homeless parents and children living in claustrophobic one-room accommodation
“She said I could think about it,” says Turleyt. “I said there was no need to think about it. It was great to be able to ring my parents to tell them the good news. They were delighted for me.
“I had to go over the contract. My mam and dad helped me to understand it. Brenda helped as well. Once I signed it, I said they’re stuck with me now.”
Turley’s role has evolved over time – and Covid forced big changes.
“I had to work from home,” she explains. “I’m from Kilkenny and was living in digs in Castleknock at the time. My mother was nervous about Covid because I was sharing with other people who were coming and going all the time. She thought it would be best if I moved back to Kilkenny and we could be in our own bubble.
“EY supported my move back to Kilkenny. They provided equipment and identified tasks which could be carried out remotely.
“Now that I have come back into the office I help other people on the team with things they are doing when they need it.
“I found it hard at the beginning because different people could give me work at the same time. I could get a bit overwhelmed but was afraid to say it because I was afraid they wouldn’t want me to work there any more if they thought I couldn’t do it. Brenda sorted that out.”
When Turley became a colleague it was the first time Kealy had worked with someone with an intellectual disability.
“The leadership in EY was keen to develop the partnership with TCPID,” says Kealy. “We identified roles and tasks in the team that added value and offered meaningful work to people that come from the programme.”
She admits she was “a bit nervous in the beginning”.
“Margaret and I built up our relationship over time and became able to rely on each other and have very good conversations,” adds Kealy. “Margaret and I still work closely and can rely on each other. I am constantly learning things from Margaret. It was very important that I was given the time and space to work with Margaret, both supporting her and challenging her.”
In Kealy’s view, Trinity has been “an exceptional partner”.
“We also work with other partners, like Inclusion Ireland, As I Am and Walk,” she says. “We have learned a lot from all of them. We have learned what works and what doesn’t – but the only way to learn is by getting people like Margaret into the business. For example, hot-desking doesn’t work for everyone. Margaret is certainly not a fan of it.”
“Brenda looked after that for me,” says Turley.
“Being able to fix little things like that helps other candidates coming into the business,” adds Kealy.
Inclusion Ireland CEO Derval McDonagh believes that Ireland is falling behind other countries in the employment of people with intellectual disabilities.
“It has never been more important to shine a light on inclusive workplaces and the many benefits they bring for employers and employees,” says McDonagh.
“Employers are struggling to find staff and there is a significant opportunity to look towards groups of people who have been traditionally outside the labour market, and to make the necessary reasonable accommodations to support recruitment and retention efforts.
“Inclusion Ireland is proud to work with many employers and future employees as they start their journey together.”