Luke Dent talks about his experience of interning at Anchor and neurodiversity

I’m Luke and I’m a Trainee Assistant Accountant in the Income Team. I’m always learning whilst helping people both in my team and outside it, and the chances I get to attend away days, conferences, and visit locations are some definite high points to my job.

Before Anchor, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a job so I did a Supported Internship. My college partnered with Lighthouse Futures Trust, a specialist college that helps young neurodivergent people develop skills and confidence for employment, and I was given a tour around Anchor’s Finance Department. I was really nervous about this, but seeing someone I knew, and seeing Anchor colleagues smile at me put me at ease and before I knew it, I was starting my internship!

I’m grateful for the team I started with. We had a mentor system to help me pick things up, and I learned fast. Connor, my mentor, checked for mistakes and coached me towards answers rather than telling me them, and I soon felt comfortable with the work. After a couple of weeks, I was also laughing and joking with everyone in my team rather than the few people I knew, and it felt like I had purpose. I was thrilled when I got the call during COVID telling me that I got the full-time job, and I’ve been here since.

One tricky part was starting the job during the merger and the training whilst during COVID. I had to adapt to a lot of changes quickly and didn’t realise that some adjustments were even possible until my line manager, Trish, suggested them to me. Alongside receiving some basic equipment for working from home, we also adapted as a team throughout COVID. My working days were adapted to help me avoid burnout, and changes were made to the guides we use to make the language clearer and easier to navigate. All this taught me a valuable skill: change isn’t always bad! It’s helped me talk to new people and discover similar interests rather than assuming differences, and it’s given me the confidence to start pushing myself out of my comfort zone even if I don’t always enjoy it! I’m more accepting of making mistakes rather than worrying about everything being perfect, I’m encouraged and I’m growing in confidence: between my line managers and peers I feel supported when asking for help. 

How Anchor colleague networks help raise awareness and encourage colleagues to share experiences

By having colleague networks, Anchor is a better and more welcoming place to work for current colleagues, and they help everyone be more open-minded. I love raising awareness, sharing my own and listening to others’ experiences, and attending our yearly Colleague Network Conference. The away-days are always inspiring, motivating, and they just make you feel good! When I first joined, I was a bit in denial of my condition – I didn’t want to be treated any differently – but hearing others share their experience with similar conditions and seeing those people in leadership has really helped. You hear about people with neurodiversities not being able to do things, so now I’m proving people wrong every day, and proving the people who believe in me right.

Luke Dent is a Trainee Assistant Accountant at Anchor

Diversity and inclusion at Anchor

At Anchor we ensure that dignity and respect are central to the way we work, and that the unique contributions of our colleagues and residents are valued and celebrated. Find out more about our approach to Diversity and Inclusion here.