Overview
- Bryan Rowe, 21, completed a nine‑month unpaid supported internship as a lorry loader for Southampton City Council from November 2024 to June 2025.
- After his placement, he applied for paid loader roles and was rejected twice, then was invited back for an interview after the council cited a previous communications error.
- He was turned down again after that interview, leaving him devastated and saying he felt he was not good enough.
- His mother, Claire Rowe, called the treatment cruel and unfair and said the setbacks have badly hit his confidence and plans for paid work.
- The council said it received a high volume of applications and that all steps followed its recruitment process, while the family’s complaint has prompted a review of recruitment services.