mencap supported employment presentation
DESCRIPTION
The Supported Employment Team working for the Real Opportunities project under Mencap delivered this presentation at an Employment Fayre held in Carmarthenshire in February 2013 to help debunk some preconceptions about employing a person with a learning disability.TRANSCRIPT
‘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!
