OCS has become an official partner of Ambitious about Autism, the national charity for autistic children and young people. The partnership builds on work already under way at Chessington World of Adventures Resort and expands this September, when a new supported internships site opens at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort.
OCS delivers integrated facilities services for Merlin Entertainments across its UK portfolio of 12 attractions, from Alton Towers Resort and Thorpe Park to the London Eye and Madame Tussauds. The contract covers building maintenance, cleaning, security, waste management, landscaping and pest control. At Chessington World of Adventures Resort and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, that work also gives autistic young people a real workplace in which to build skills and experience.
What a Supported Internship Involves
Supported internships are courses for young people aged 17 to 25 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and want to move into work but need extra support to get there. Interns take part in tailored work experience placements. They also receive on-the-job coaching and classroom learning focused on employability skills. Ambitious about Autism has run the programme with Chessington since 2024.
From Placement to Permanent Job
The results are already visible. Young people on the programme have taken part in placements across many of OCS’s operations at Chessington. Three have gone on to secure permanent roles in the park’s presentations department after graduating, moving from work experience into paid jobs with OCS.
A Ministerial Visit to Chessington
Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP visited Chessington on 7 September 2026 to see the programme first-hand. Sarah Williams, Chief People Officer at OCS UK & Ireland, joined the day at the invitation of Ambitious about Autism and Merlin Entertainments. She met the Minister, toured the park, and spent time with the interns and colleagues who make the programme work.
Cam Moss and Cheyanne Meghie spoke with the Minister and his delegation about the difference the programme makes. Cam graduated from the internship and now works on the presentations team at Chessington. Cheyanne, an OCS line manager, supports each intern through their rotation, helping them settle in and grow at work.
Our Supported Internships programme is literally changing lives, by giving autistic young people the confidence, connections and skills to prepare for the world of work. Many of our interns have successfully moved into paid employment, including three young people who joined OCS after completing placements with the organisation. We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with OCS through an official partnership and look forward to continuing to work together to open up even more opportunities for autistic young people.
Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism
Expanding to LEGOLAND Windsor
From September 2026, the programme extends to a second Merlin destination. The new site at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort opens more placements, and OCS’s status as an official partner of Ambitious about Autism is designed to create further opportunities across its operations.
Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not always shared equally. We are proud that OCS, in partnership with Merlin Entertainments, is working with Ambitious about Autism to change that, opening up more opportunities for autistic young people. The charity’s expertise gives our interns a real workplace to learn in, along with the training, coaching and confidence to succeed. The work they do is central to keeping the resorts running for guests, and their contribution speaks for itself.
Chief People Officer at OCS UK & Ireland
Why This Matters
Access to work remains uneven for autistic people. Only a third are in any form of work. The evidence for supported internships is strong: research found that 70% of young people who graduated from the programmes went on to secure jobs, and 60% moved into full-time permanent roles.¹
Ambitious about Autism runs supported internships across the country with DFN Project SEARCH and local authorities. The OCS partnership brings the destinations sector into that reach, with the Chessington and LEGOLAND Windsor sites at the centre of the next phase.
¹ Research from DFN Project SEARCH, 2023.
