Getting A Life Beth Peal Medway Learning Disability Partnership Board Co-ordinator

What is the Getting A Life Project? Valuing People Now Valuing Employment Now Was set up to find out why young people with learning disabilities do not move into adulthood with jobs and the lives they want.

How the Getting A Life project works? Getting A Life national team worked with 12 places around the country to find out about the problems about employment and to solve them. Each Getting a Life place worked with 30 young people (between years) and their families. Free training was given to all sites (included family leadership sessions, person centred reviews, inclusion web training)

Who was involved in Medway? Abbey Court School Bradfeilds School Mid Kent College Medway Youth Trust Job Centre Plus Department Work and Pensions Families Shout Out Medway Council Sunlight Development Trust

Self-Directed Support Co-ordinator The Getting A Life project had it’s own Self-Directed Support worker. Worked across Children and Adult Services. Met with families on individual and group basis. Really helped to keep families and young people focused on getting a paid job.

Project Lead By Example Employed a person with learning disabilities for 16 hours a week. ‘Real job’ Really important – –Gave project important experience of employing (including using Access to Work funding) a person with moderate learning disabilities. –Showed what was possible to people - employment. –Helped us deal with project risk.

3 things worked well project in Medway Really high take-up of Direct Payments by families in project Person centred reviews developing in schools Close link and feedback into with Aiming High

4 things that worked not so well Low aspirations of families and organisations about employment Difficulties supporting good work experience Access to Work – really difficult for people with learning disabilities to access People choosing not to work

Main 5 messages from Getting a Life Project to Medway Learning Disability Partnership Board

Main message 1 Nobody wants to swap funding from leisure activities (e.g. ‘accessing the community’, swimming, short break, café trips, holidays, disco, day opportunities) for paid work. ‘Jobs First’ message.

Main message 2 Most families we worked with in Medway had very little expectation their son/daughter would ever work. Medway needs a plan to support people with moderate and profound learning disability from an early age through to adulthood.

Main message 3 Families need good self- directed support and Direct Payment advice throughout their life (not just in adulthood). Self-directed support workers really help families think differently about work and using a person’s gifts and talents.

Main message 4 If there is no target towards paid work then work ‘is often forgotten. So it is even harder to get a paid job.

Main message 5 - Access to Work Fund Very complicated Being reviewed Currently only fund job coaches for 6 months Doesn’t support the business case.

What next? Family leadership session beginning of March Survey

Thank you Listening Supporting the Getting A Life project