A heaven for growing self-confidence: Kloosterhotel de Soete Moeder

Kloosterhotel de Soete Moeder tells a story of transformation and inclusion. This national monument in the Amsterdam School style of architecture was once the home of the Sisters of Love and was transformed into a work experience location for adults with poor job prospects. Eline van Lith, the owner, has been offering people a place where they can grow since 2014.

The hotel, which has 24 rooms, a chapel and a lush garden, exudes warmth and openness. It is not an ordinary hotel, but it is a place that offers opportunities. The hotel officially opened in 2016. De Soete Moeder is a fine example of inclusive and non-formal learning. Not only beds are made here, it is a place where skills are developed and, in doing so, lives are changed. Eline notes: ‘The hotel is more than a workplace: it is a learning environment where people feel better. Some people need a different way of interacting and a safe working environment.’

From monastery to work experience location

The journey from putting an idea on paper to the hotel as it is today was not always easy. Funding, getting permission from the council and being able to offer employees supervision requires quite a lot from the entrepreneur. The work experience concept is funded by wage subsidies and revenues from the hotel. Funds provide extra possibilities, but entrepreneurs are often opposed to arranging funds because it is time-consuming and difficult. Moreover, entrepreneurs often don’t have the skills to supervise and guide participants properly. The national government and local authorities also have a responsibility here. They should be willing to invest in a national monument and willing to use the property to create jobs. ‘You have to be very dedicated if you want to be a social entrepreneur. Legislation and regulations often complicate things,’ says Eline.

A reflection of society

Since the opening of the hotel, 90 participants have been accepted. On average, they needed between six months and a year to grow in self-confidence with respect to work. The participants have varying backgrounds: from university and vocational school graduates to those seeking a fresh start due to personal circumstances. Eline notes: ‘That was a conscious choice because this is also what society looks like. People learn from each other. This is different from the formal education system in the Netherlands with its different levels.’

Not everyone at the hotel has a paid job. It is primarily a preliminary path to a paid job. Participants that failed at other jobs are aware of the existence of the work experience company. They sometimes just need a different way of interacting and a safe working environment. There are also people who need to start up slowly after a burnout and regain their work rhythm. Or people who need a period to think things over and decide whether they still wish to return to that job. Participants sometimes go back to school or start in specialist care and support services rather than going to a specialist job. The hotel also functions as a preliminary path to paid work, or a place for adult day care.

Employees speak out

Sana is 21 years old and she does housekeeping work. She is not the studious type. She goes to school one day a week during her vocational training path and works at the hotel on the other days. An added bonus, according to Sana, is that she gets paid. At the start of her training some things were difficult for her, such as calculating the number of toilet rolls: how many per room and how many rolls to take with her. As the philosophy is that anything goes and one can learn anything, Sana gets help from school and from the supervisor at the hotel. She can also get extra help if so required. She now uses a note pad as an aid for when she forgets what she needs to do. Sana is also very glad that they clean the rooms in pairs so that they can divide the work and it is more fun. Sana will complete her training in July and she is definitely going to pass!

Celine is 24 years old and is doing an internship. She already has several MBO (secondary vocational education) diplomas in other fields. She is now enrolled in the Travel & Hospitality programme at an MBO institute. She started at the reception desk and is now working in housekeeping and has a part-time job in the kitchen. She was able to put her skills to use across a range of settings. She enjoys the contact with guests and does everything to make their stay enjoyable. The hotel has helped her discover how versatile she is and that she has good organising and planning skills. Moreover, she has learned to make contact more easily. She now works one day less per week as her mother is seriously ill. There is room for flexibility when it comes to participants’ home situation.

And then there is Simon, aged 27, who found adult day care at De Soete Moeder. A paid job is not an option because he would lose track of things because of his mild intellectual disability and autism. He applied for this place. The hotel can give him the one-on-one supervision that he requires. The supervision has taught him that structure and keeping an overview are greatly needed.

He works in the kitchen and uses work lists and instruction lists. Simon also has ‘in-between lists’ for times when he doesn’t know what to do. Too many stimuli can trigger his tics, causing him to drop things. To prevent this, efforts are made to ensure predictability and a clear start and end to the day. Simon would prefer a paid job, but at the hotel he has learned to accept that he needs supervision. He appreciates being heard and enjoys the good atmosphere amongst his colleagues.

‘It’s very good of Sana, Simon and Celine to share their stories. It was great to see the positive impact of the work experience hotel De Soete Moeder on their lives and self-confidence. It shows how valuable informal learning can be for people looking to find their way in their work.’

Mark Guerin, EPALE Ireland