Supporting People with Disabilities into Employment

Wednesday 24th April 2013

Kieran Molloy – The Cedar FoundationPeter Shields – Action Mental Health

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Supported Employment Solutions

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Supported Employment SolutionsBackground

• Partnership of locally-based organisations

• True sense of partnership working and collaboration

• Pan-disability

• Strategic context

• Shared set of values

Implementing a Supported Employment

approach in the delivery of programmes

to assist people with disabilities and health

conditions to enter and stay in employment.

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www.sesni.org.uk

Supported Employment SolutionsValue Base and Ethos

• Commitment to provide the best quality service to programme participants, employers and programme commissioners;

• Provision of person-centred services to people with disabilities and health conditions which respect the dignity, aspirations and choices of each individual;

• Sharing resources, knowledge and expertise to ensure delivery of a high quality, standardised service;

• Openness and accountability to ensure partnership working is carried out in a spirit of trust and mutual support;

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Work Connect is a voluntary programme administered by the Disability Employment Service, (DES), to facilitate the employment needs of people with disabilities and/or health conditions.

Supported Employment SolutionsWork Connect

It has been designed to support these individuals to help them move from incapacity related benefits into lasting, paid employment through three clearly defined stages.

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• Pre-Employment Support-during which all clients are offered a range of assistance to improve their employability and to assist them to find a job. This may last up to 26 weeks, ( and with prior approval, it can be extended for another 13 weeks)

• Job Entry Support to assist the client prepare to move from economic inactivity to start employment

• Supporting Sustained Employment to assist clients who start work to maintain employment by providing support through their first 26 weeks in work.

Work Connect3 Stage process

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Work ConnectPeople and Places

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• Is a programme that gives people with disabilities the opportunity of working in a wide variety of jobs.

• The person’s disability must have a significant adverse impact on their ability to carry out the particular job they are currently doing or the job they are applying for

• Workable (NI) is delivered in three Regions across N.Ireland

• The programme is delivered by three Providers

- Supported Employment Solutions (SES)

- Ulster Sheltered Employment (USEL)

- Disability Action

Workable (NI)

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• Workable (N.I.) provides a range of supports to employers and employees

• Workable (NI) tailors support to individuals to meet their specific employment needs. The provision can include support such as:

- An Employment Support Officer to assist the disabled worker and their colleagues adapt to the needs of the particular job - Developmental costs to the employer - Extra training - Disability awareness training

Workable (NI)

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www.cedar-foundation.org

• Northern Ireland (NI) has one of the highest incidences of disability in the UK

• Overall 21% of adults were found to have a disability but this rises from 5% for 16-25 year group; 11% 26-44 year groups and 23% 45-59 year group.

• Nearly two-thirds of working age disabled people in Northern Ireland are economically inactive, which is 3 times the rate for non-disabled people

• 42% of disabled people of working age had no qualifications compared to 16% without a disability.

Disability in Northern IrelandContext

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www.cedar-foundation.org

Disability in Northern IrelandSpecialist Employment Programmes

• Access to Work (NI)

• Workable (NI)

• Work Connect

• Job Introduction Scheme

• European Funded Specialist Programmes

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• Lack of holistic, person-centred approach• Lack of accessible accredited, pre-vocational and vocational

training opportunities for people with disabilities• Financial barriers• Transport, inaccessible and prohibitive costs• Lack of long-term job support interventions• Disability ‘un-awareness’ • Support to Employers• Lack of opportunity to progress

Why Specialist Supports are Required

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www.cedar-foundation.org

• Assist Prime Contractors to achieve successful outcomes• Provide ‘end to end’ client support• Comprehensive knowledge of the supports required by those

furthest away from the labour market• Strong, existing relationships with a range of statutory,

community and voluntary organisations• Extensive employer network across N.Ireland

Benefits of Working with Specialist Providers

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