Luxury chocolate factory provides employment for people with special needs

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A luxury chocolate retailer is helping young people with special needs find employment and self-confidence at their factory in Eastern England. Harry Specters is a chocolate maker with a difference. This social enterprise seeks to employ neurodiverse workers. It was founded by Shaz and Mona Shah, originally from Islamabad in Pakistan. When their son Ash was born, they faced exclusion and discrimination because of his special needs. It was Ash who came up with the name Harry Specters, which he says he plucked from his brain. Mona always loved chocolate and after enrolling in a chocolate-making workshop, she discovered not only her passion for making chocolate but also its therapeutic benefits for her son. She says: “And it was while I was there, I realized that it could be suitable for autistic people because of the processes involved in this quite structured work. And plus, it’s quite a sensual experience as well. And you know, it’s the sensory part of it would be really good for autistic people.” Harry Specters currently employs 11 people with special needs and has three people with work experience with neurodiversity but has worked with many more over the years. One of those who have graduated from apprentice to chief de-molding officer is Joseph Carass. He says: “And I’m just glad that they’ve been a company that has accepted me because after I left college in 2017, I found it very, very difficult to get a job. I would apply for many, many jobs and I just get turned down.” He is grateful for the opportunities he has been given. “You know, no other company has ever done that,” he added. Shaz and Mona Shah say a neurodiverse workforce is loyal, hardworking, and incredibly honest. Harry Specters is a social enterprise, which means it is eligible for specific grants, but Mona Shah is clear this is a business first and foremost and is not a charity or daycare. She would like Harry Specters to serve as a role model for other companies to show that you can be both a profitable business and have a neurodiverse workforce. This article was provided by The Associated Press.