Disability Employment Service Employing people with disabilities in mainstream jobs in Northern Ireland Terry Park - Department for Employment & Learning

Strategic Purpose  To help people with disabilities progress towards, move into and sustain paid employment  To assist and support employers to recruit and retain employees who have disability related barriers to employment

Business Objectives  Management and delivery of mainstream disability employment programmes  Improve the quality and range of client interventions  Build and maintain relationships with key partners  Develop future Policy and Strategy

Employment Programmes and Services  Access to Work (NI) participants  Workable (NI) participants (replaced the previous Employment Support programme)  Condition Management Programme participants last year  Work Connect participants since launch in September approx 340 clients into paid employment at 31 July 2015

Supports to work in mainstream employment Access to Work –Aids and Equipment –Support Worker assistance, e.g. Interpreters –Travel to Work support Workable –Dedicated Job Coach –Training for Employer and fellow employees –Support with employee relations Work Connect –Pre-employment support / training –Work Experience –Advocacy and job preparation ALL THREE PROGRAMMES ONLY APPLY TO REAL PAID JOBS

Workable Nature of Disability: Mental ill health - 23% Physical Disability - 13% Sensory Disability - 6% Learning Disability - 43% Autistic Spectrum Disorder - 9% Other – 6%

Workable Employment sectors: Private (76%) Public (21%) Third Sector - 17 (3%) Examples of occupations / employment areas: Auditor; Engineer; Forensic Science Officer; Nurse; Occupational Therapist; Physiotherapist; Pharmacy Assistant; Social Worker; Teacher; Hospitality; Retail; Call centres.

Access to Work Nature of Disability: 37% Physical disability 30% Sensory disability 23% Learning disability 9% Other, i.e. diabetes, epilepsy etc 1% severe mental ill-health

Access to Work Employment sectors: Private / Self Employed – 349 (50%) Public – 244 (35%) Third Sector – 107 (15%) Examples of occupations / employment areas: Teachers, Nurses, Quantity Surveyor, Architect, Physiotherapist, Company Director, civil servants, farmer.

Other Client Interventions and Support  European Social Fund projects  Residential Training Facility  Employment Assessments  Special Positive Action Recruitment Exercises  Retention services for employers and employees

Examples of recent Success Stories Recruitment exercises with: –Premier Inns (3 job outcomes) –Fitzer’s Catering (2 job outcomes) –Belfast City Council (5 job outcomes) Queen’s University ‘Inclusive Employment Scheme’ (12 twelve month paid work placements of £14k) Pilot with Further Education Discrete Learning Units (45 job outcomes over two years) All of these are leading to people with disabilities moving into mainstream jobs, with or without specialist in-work support.

Recruitment Model Engagement with Employer Negotiation around nature of positive action DES works with disability sector organisations to identify and pre-select most suitable and able candidates Pre-employment briefings / training organised (in conjunction with employer) Final preparation of candidates for specific job roles Support at interview, if necessary Agree in-work support package for those who are successful, and who require support

Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities Developed in full partnership with NI Disability Sector through a Strategic Working group, established in 2013 Using key principles of Supported Employment Model – - Initial engagement and assessment - Personalised and intense pre-employment support - Job matching and testing - In-work transitional support - Sustained support, as necessary - Withdrawal of support when time is right

How will it be delivered? Employment staff, who are disability competent, with appropriate knowledge and skills Close working arrangements with Careers Service, Further Education colleges, Skills Training programmes, the Employment Service, and other employability projects delivered by the Community &Voluntary sector Targeted Employer Engagement Robust tracking of progress and employment outcomes

Other Proposals Implement a new ‘Pathway to Employment’, for people with significant disability related barriers Design and implement a disability employment one-stop-shop service for employers Establish a network of high profile Disability Advocates / Champions Commission at least one major disability research project per annum Establish a new, fully inclusive Disability Employment Stakeholder Forum, to monitor the Strategy outcomes and to inform future policy decisions.

Proposed Timeline Public Consultation - October/November Draft final Strategy - January 2016 Launch - March 2016 During this time and beyond, the Disability Employment Service will continue to work with others, including the disability sector, “To directly assist as many disabled people as possible to find, sustain and progress within paid employment; or to start up their own business”