mencap supported employment presentation

‘REAL PEOPLE, REAL JOBS ’

Supporting Young People with

a Learning Disability into

the World of Work

Stuart Mackinnon – Services

Manager

Mencap Cymru

• OVERVIEW

• UNDERSTANDING

LEARNING DISABILITY

• MISCONCEPTIONS,

SOLUTIONS AND

SUPPORT

• REAL OPPORTUNITIES

PROJECT

• AN EMPLOYER /

EMPLOYEE VIEW

• MENCAP AWARDS

What will we be doing today?

Finding out more

about learning

disabilities

Thinking about

some of the

barriers faced by

people with a

learning disability

seeking

employment

Looking at the benefits of

employing someone with a

learning disability, and the

support available to

employers.

What is a Learning

Disability?

‘A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability,

which affects someone for their whole life.

People with a learning disability may take longer to learn

and develop new skills, understand information and

interact with other people

The level of support someone needs depends on the

complexity of their learning disability. For example,

someone with a mild learning disability may only need

support with things like getting a job, whereas someone

with a profound learning disability may need full-time

care and support in every aspect of their life.’

A learning disability may

affect:

• Learning

• Understanding

• Communicating

People are all different

• Everyone with a learning

disability is an

individual. Learning

disabilities can be mild,

moderate, severe or

profound.

• A learning disability

lasts all your life. It

is not a disease or

illness that can be

cured.

How can I tell if somebody has a

learning disability?

You will

not

necessar

ily

know!

Some

people

have

physical

things you

can see. The way someone speaks or

responds can give you a

clue - some people may not

use speech at all

How many people have learning

disabilities?

• About 60,000 people in

Wales have a learning

disability

This number is growing

40% of people with a

learning disability also

have a physical disability

Causes of learning disability

• We don’t always know the exact cause of learning disabilities

• All learning disabilities are caused by the way the brain develops:

- before birth

- during birth

- soon after a baby is born

What is the difference between mental ill-health and learning disability?

Learning

Disability

• From birth

• Affects the way

you learn,

communicate and

understand

• Can not be

treated medically

or cured

Mental Ill-Health

• Can start at any

point in life

• Affects the way you

think, feel and

behave

• Can be treated with

therapy or drugs,

which can help some

people

POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS

Live in nursing homes

Cant Communicate

Need care all the time

Cant travel independently

No skills or Qualifications

No Work Experience

ALL

OF

THESE

STATEMENTS

ARE

SWEEPING

GENERALISATIONS!

Living Independently Working

Studying Travelling

Mencap and it’s Partners

want society to change

its negative assumptions

about people with

learning disabilities so

that they are valued

positively and equally.

Employment

Statistics

Only x in 10 people with a

learning disability have

any sort of paid

employment.

Only 1 in 10 people with a

learning disability have

any sort of paid

employment.

Only x in 50

people with a

learning

disability earn a

living wage.

Only 1 in 50

people with a

learning

disability earn a

living wage.

x% of people

think that

people with a

learning

disability can’t

work.

62% of people

think that

people with a

learning

disability can’t

work.

Why Employ

People with a

Learning

Disability?

1 – SKILLS

2- LOYALTY

3 –COMMITMENT

4 – DIVERSITY

5 – ADDED VALUE

6 – DDA / EQUAL

OPS

JRF Research 2004 – ‘disabled

employees generally stay in the

job for longer than their non-

disabled counterparts. They

have a strong commitment to

work, as well as good

punctuality records and low

absentee rates.’

POTENTIAL

BARRIERS

-Benefits

-Culture

-Family Influence

-Infrastructure

-Lack of Opportunity!

How we

support people

with a learning

disability to

gain work

placements or

employment

•Vocational profiles and C.V

• Job searching and action plans

•Applications and interview

support

• Building individual confidence

through team building events

• Workshops on social skills

• Travel training

• Work tasters and trials

• Consistent support through

entire process

• Initial health and safety

checks

• Support to make reasonable

adjustments

• Monitoring and review

• Support to address

difficulties and concerns

• Buddying system

•Ongoing support of employment

officer for both employer and

employee

SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYERS

•Training and Awareness

•Disability Employment

Advisors (DEA’s)

•Funding / Access to Work

•Personal Support

•Assessed Labour Pool

Real Opportunities is a project that

works across 9 local authorities in

South Wales to support young people

aged between 14-19 who have severe

and complex needs, a learning

disability, those with an autistic

spectrum disorder, and their

families/carers.

The project offers a comprehensive package of support

based on individual need. Working in a person centred way

the project aims to increase young peoples’ vocational

skills, live more independently, overcome psychological

barriers and move towards employment.

Support Offered:

•Transition Planning

•Person Centred Planning & Family Liaison

•Skills for Living Independently

•Work Preparation & Employment

•Psychological Support & Behaviour Management

•Youth Inclusion & Peer Mentor Development

The project is funded by the European Social Fund and supported by

the Welsh Government and match funded by the Local Authorities it

operates within:

• Bridgend • Caerphilly • Carmarthenshire • Merthyr • Neath Port Talbot

• Pembrokeshire • Rhondda Cynon Taff • Swansea • Torfaen

For employers the project offers:

•1 – 2 -1 Support for all

Clients from a specialist

Job Coach

• Structured Approach to

work through OCN / ASDAN

• Fully Risk Assessed

•Preparatory visits to

employers

•Disability Awareness

Training

• Positive publicity

Benefits

Employer Case

Study:

Luigi Ciaburri –

Manager

Carwyn Owens –

Employee

Co-operative

Cross Hands

MENCAP / REAL

OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

AWARDS!

Thank You/Diolch

Stuart Mackinnon – Services

Manager

01267 23256 ext 303

Stuart.Mackinnon@Mencap.Org.

Uk