Dan Olney

After finishing his degree in Sociology, Dan did various different jobs, mostly in warehouses and building sites. He knew that in the long term, he wanted to work with disadvantaged people. Originally he thought that he’d most like to work with people with disabilities. However, he saw the advert for the Broadway traineeship and it really jumped off the page as it looked like something he could do. It looked exciting and more importantly, he could see that he’d be able to do a job that makes a difference in people’s lives, helping people at a disadvantage. Wanting to be sure that this was an area he wanted to get into, Dan arranged to do a few days shadowing a friend who worked in Project 2041 in Uxbridge, in their hostel and resource centre. He found that he really enjoyed the shifts, and he successfully joined Broadway in January 2004 as a Trainee.

At the time that Dan joined, the trainee scheme was still quite new in Broadway. Dan was in the second batch of trainees. Looking back, Dan said that the scheme was not quite what he thought it would be. Having no previous experience in the sector, he did not really know what to expect. When asked what advice he would give to people who are considering the scheme, he said:

“The whole experience was very memorable -  I was constantly learning and experiencing new things! I really enjoyed it and it was a great way to learn. It’s a great introduction to the line of work we do if you have no prior experience. You’re not expected to know everything, and you get good support and development opportunities. It is also helpful to know that there are other trainees since it’s a nice way to learn with other people who are in the same boat, who you can also turn to. It’s a great way to learn,  so do it and don’t be afraid to ask you manager and colleagues questions and ask to get involved.”

Dan is the Project Manager at Broadway's Coninghams hostel.

Dan is responsible for managing the hostel and its 12 members of staff. The Coninghams consists of 31 beds and 7 Training flats. It is a short term assessment hostel for people with medium to high support needs including Mental health, offending and drug and alcohol needs.