Employ My Ability

02/03/2026

👏Amazing work from Kody - stepping up yet again to help run events at Moreton.

As featured in The Walled Garden Moreton blog this month. Kody has been volunteering his time to help with Bug & Exotic Animal events - joining the Animal Care professionals in introducing the animals to members of the public during half-term in educational hands-on sessions.

This is not the first time Kody has helped out with an event, he has now completed four exotic animal events, speaking to groups of 20 people or more at a time, and also been a part of our Provider Access Events in December for the past two years running, representing EMA alongside our staff to parents, carers, and professionals. ✅

🗣️"When I first joined EMA I couldn’t imagine doing something where I had to speak to large groups of people or members of the public, but now it’s no problem at all and I love doing these. The more I do them the easier it gets. I love learning about the animals and sharing that knowledge, and it really helps with my anxiety. I’m very happy to do the events!” – Kody

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02/03/2026

📣It's National Careers Week and we have a busy few days which will allow our students to meet with professionals and explore their futures!

"This week a range of employers and services are joining us to talk about careers in their sectors and the next steps available to our students.

We always value visitors who support career learning, but this week our students are taking an even deeper dive into their potential futures. Through their 'All About Me' activities and interactive discussions, they’ll have the chance to explore work and talk openly about their aspirations. It will be an incredibly valuable week for us all!" - Shannon Ford, Career's Lead at EMA

We look forward to sharing a few highlights as the week goes on. 😃

National Careers Week |

25/02/2026

💼We're hiring at our Gillingham campus in North Dorset!

🌳Role: Learning Support Workers
✅Full-Time & Part-Time positions available

The supportive and enriching environment at EMA is shaped by our proactive, approachable, and forward-thinking team, and the LSWs are vital in enabling this ethos.😃

If this opportunity interests you, please take some time to review the full job description and person specification. They can be found on our website at the link below, along with the application form.

We look forward to hearing from you!

🔗https://employmyability.org.uk/job-learning-support-workers-gillingham-full-time-part-time/

25/02/2026

Ru’s Journey - Building focus, confidence, skills and independence at EMA ✅

Moreton student Ru, now in his second year at EMA, is a fantastic example of how personalised support can help young people with SEND prepare for adulthood, become more confident, and develop skills which can be applied in a work setting.

After time away from education, Ru’s transition to us was a big step for him, and with the support of our staff, he’s embraced college life. From working on maintaining his focus, gaining experience in the gardens building bird feeders and using a range of tools, to cooking meals from scratch in the training kitchen, and working front of house in the Dovecote Café, Ru continues to challenge himself and achieve his goals.

🗣“Seeing my son run in to start his day, whatever that may entail, lifts a smile to my face. For the first time in his ‘school’ life, we’ve found a team and placement of amazing, non‑judgemental individuals who welcome and encourage my son in ways not before experienced. I know he feels happy, safe and comfortable. He’s getting so much out of being at EMA” - Karen, Ru's mum.

We adapt our teaching and support to meet every student’s needs, helping them feel safe, and ready to learn. Read more about Ru's journey and his achievements over on our website:

🔗https://employmyability.org.uk/rus-journey-at-ema

24/02/2026

Thank you to staff from The Coach and Horses Wimborne for helping us host our first Greene King Supported Internship drop-in event today. Don't worry if you missed it - we're back here again on Thursday 19th March.

🗣"I started here part-time, and after 6 years I'm now a full-time assistant manager. This job has helped me develop in so many ways. We're very much a community pub, and we look forward to welcoming interns joining us to give them an opportunity to learn in our environment. For us, we see these placements as being beneficial to them, and our community here in Wimborne" - Mel

🗣"The internships resonate a lot with me, as I'm a parent to someone with autism, and seeing opportunities like this for people like him, makes me feel hopeful there's a decent pathway for young people in the future, as we need more of them. We're very happy to be involved" - Liam

We have two more Supported Internship drop-in events coming up.
🗓Monday 9th March at The Red Lion, Poole
🗓 Thursday 19th March, back to Coach and Horses Wimborne again.

Free to attend - parents, carers, young people and SEND professionals welcome.

✅For more details and to RSVP, please visit our website.

23/02/2026

🌳Discover EMA this week!🌳

🗓️Tomorrow (24th Feb) you can find us at The Coach and Horses in Wimborne talking all things Supported Internships!

🗓️Thursday 26th Feb - Stop by our community drop-in in Wareham at Not Just Sundaes to find out all about EMA and what we do for young people with SEND.

Both events are free to attend. Find out more details below!

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18/02/2026

📢Reminder! Our Supported Internship Drop-In at The Coach and Horses Wimborne takes place next Tuesday!

If you're interested in coming along to find out more, all details can be found below and on our website. We look forward to meeting you. 😃

EMA Supported Internships with Greene King at The Coach & Horses in Wimborne. Find out more at our drop-in sessions!

13/02/2026

📍Hello Dorchester – and welcome to our new Supported Internships hub!

We’re excited to finally be up and running with a new hub for our Supported Internship interns in central Dorchester. If you’re local, you may have already walked past and spotted the EMA logo on the windows.

✅This new base allows our interns to learn in the heart of the community, and encourages greater independence through easy access to the town. It also provides a new way to support learning, and showcase the brilliant work our young people do on their journeys into adulthood, and getting ready for work.

🗣“It was important to us to make sure everyone on a Supported Internship is having their needs met, and they can learn in the best way possible. Everyone is especially excited about being able to go into town and learn through real community experiences.

Units such as travel training, budgeting, and communication skills link perfectly with being out and about, helping them navigate real-life situations in meaningful ways. Whether that’s getting to their placements, or just popping out for lunch and browsing the shops. It enhances the experience for young people on our supported internships, like those currently on placements at Dorchester County Hospital, which is very close by.” - Shannon Ford, EMA Careers Lead

Read more and hear from our interns themselves on our website: 🔗https://employmyability.org.uk/ema-supported-internship-hub-in-dorchester/

09/02/2026

The Red Lion, Poole Supported Internship Drop-In Sessions

🗓Monday 9th March
🕚10am-2pm
📍The Red Lion, 294 Blandford Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 4JQ

📣The Red Lion is officially joining our list of venues hosting EMA Supported Internships with Greene King this September.

We will be holding a free event on Monday 9th March where you can drop-in to find out more about Supported Internships in a relaxed session to chat, ask questions, and discover more about working in the Hospitality Industry.

Parents, carers, young people, and SEND professionals are welcome to come and meet with staff from EMA, and The Red Lion to learn how these placements can help develop skills in an industry setting with a national employer, at your own pace, with support from a dedicated job coach.

These informal information sessions are free to attend, and if you’d like to stop by, please fill in the form on our website (link below)

🌳Supported Internships are designed for young people aged 16+ with SEND who need a little extra support to kick-start their careers. We look forward to meeting you! For any questions about these sessions, or info about our supported internships, please get in touch.

Attend our free drop-in event for EMA Supported Internships in partnership with Greene King, at The Red Lion, Poole, Dorset.

05/02/2026

✅Supporting sensory needs, and enhancing wellbeing.

The Gillingham campus has recently added new fidget boards, which are a brilliant way for our students to improve focus, develop their motor skills, encourage independence, and support self-regulation.

🗣“The students have all taken such a keen interest in the boards - they love the noisy parts! Everyone is very curious about the wide range of sensory tools. They enjoy sitting on the indoor grass in our sensory corner and exploring the many different elements - even the staff enjoy them too! They have been put together so well. We love them.” - Sarah, Tutor

These boards were built by David and Natalie from D A Cowperthwaite Interiors, and David shared a few words about the process involved in crafting them:

🗣“Most of our work focuses on room interiors and painting and decorating, so it’s interesting to do something a little different. Colour choice is an important aspect - there is a science behind how different colours make you feel, with greens being calming and reds more lively.

Decisions had to be made regarding the fidgets themselves, and we initially chose 16 per board, but once we started, we couldn’t stop and the number increased somewhat! Variety is key, as is safety, so there are no sharp edges, but plenty of elements that twist, spin, twang and make noise, etc. It was highly enjoyable and almost addictive making these for EMA, and we are very happy that you are pleased with the results.” - David

We’re so glad to see our students engaging with them. A huge thanks to David and Natalie once again for supplying them.

🌳Our Gillingham campus in North Dorset is a welcoming and inclusive environment designed to meet the needs of students with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and other special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). If you'd like to find out more, please get in touch for a tour, taster session, or initial chat.

02/02/2026

📣February events! Discover EMA and our diverse opportunities in Dorset for young people with SEND.

It's a busy month as we are hosting two events in Dorset to help young people with find their future, and for us to connect with the local communities.

🗓Tuesday 24th Feb - Find out more about Supported Internships - Wimborne
👨‍🍳 We're collaborating with The Coach and Horses Wimborne to offer supported internships from September. Kick-start a career in hospitality with the dedicated support of industry professionals.
✅ Parents, carers, young people and SEND professionals are welcome.

🗓Thursday 26th Feb - Drop-in to Discover EMA in Wareham
The local community is invited to learn all about EMA and what we do, as our students serve soup and refreshments at Not Just Sundaes Community Cafe Wareham.
✅ Community groups, local businesses, schools, parents, carers, young people and SEND professionals are welcome.

Both events are FREE to attend. More info and RSVP details are on our website (links below). We look forward to meeting you!

Dorset Council

30/01/2026

Notice (30th Jan): Both EMA campuses are open as normal today. Thank you.