1. Job coaching and disability
Disability and Skills Unit
Top Tips:
Job coaching and disability
28 September 2017

2. Overview Disability Rights UK / Disability and Skills Unit
Job coaching - supported employment
Engaging with employers
Equality Act 2010
Disability and impairments
Reasonable Adjustments
Engaging with clients

3. Disability Rights UK National charity
We are disabled people leading change
working for equal participation for all
Majority of trustees, staff and volunteers have lived experience of disability or health conditions
Strategic priorities:
Independent living- getting a life
Career opportunities – getting work, education and skills
Influencing public attitudes and behaviours

4. Core work
Information and advice designed by and for disabled people and people living with long term health conditions
Website reaches 1.6 million people per year; over 43,000 twitter followers
Over 100,000 downloads of our factsheets
1500 advice given through Disabled Students helpline

5. Guides

6. Disability and Skills Unit
Share best practice to make learning, apprenticeships, traineeships and supported internships inclusive
Organising a range of events including online publications, seminars, webinars and other activities providing opportunities for sharing resources, updates, stories, experiences and for networking
DR UK Website:

8. Stories

9. Job coaching: roles and qualities
To encourage clients to fulfill their potential
To support clients to do the work independently
To identify workplace support that will assist the client in becoming/staying employed (rather than just getting an individual ready for a job someday) 
then work out the best way for client to be inducted into the job.
checking that the client has understood and, if necessary, repeating instructions
Misconception: You do not do the work for the person

10. Person centred approach
Role adapted to individual need
Working with the client to develop the necessary skills related to performing specific job tasks
Clear action planning and goal setting
A job coach could also help with interpersonal skills necessary in the workplace
One size does not fit all
SMART
Boundaries- limits of relationship – cycle - time frame

11. Job coaching skills and qualities
Able to build good rapport with client
Good listening and communication skills
Flexible
Understanding of different personalities and learning styles
Able to adjust or alter material according to client needs
Problem solving skills
Committed
Empathy

12. Having experience of working with client group
Understanding how people define themselves
Understanding about different health conditions or impairments, but not making it the focus
To be aware that not all health conditions/ impairments manifest themselves in the same way
PEOPLE FIRST: not their disability.

13. Engaging with employers
Job coaches understanding the business community
Where their input can be most effective for the benefit of both client and employer

14. Business attitudes to hiring disabled workers
Biggest personal worry when interviewing someone with a disability:
Knowing when to offer help -38%
Using incorrect terminology - 32%
Breaking the law by asking questions not permitted under the Equality Act -22%
Biggest barrier to employing someone with a disability:
Concern about ability to do the job - 45%
Concern about cost of adaptations - 28%
Concern about integration with team - 15%
(Survey done by Purple)

15. Convey how individuals with disabilities add value to the workplace and how jobcoaches add value
Be upfront with employer about the support your client will need, time frames etc.
Range from short induction support to longer ongoing process
Have a good profile of client prepared
convey positive messages, stories, role models
Do not expect things to always go smoothly: The important thing is how you handle the situation, as that will give you the credibility with the employer

16. Workplaces are enriched by the distinctive contribution made by people of differing backgrounds and experiences
Recruitment to reflect and celebrate the diversity of the area eg. if 10% of people in the area have LD then the workforce should reflect this
Does the workforce reflect this?
To provide information on other support available such as ATW and Remploy

17. talking to employers about equality, inclusion, discrimination, reasonable adjustments, barriers

18. Equality Act 2010
A new Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010, bringing together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single act
The Equality Act 2010 provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals, advance equality of opportunity for all and tackle disadvantage and discrimination

19. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination against people with the protected characteristics:
Age
Disability
Gender Reassignment
Marriage And Civil Partnership
Pregnancy And Maternity
Race
Religion Or Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation

20. Types of discrimination
Direct discrimination
Indirect discrimination
Discrimination by failure to make reasonable adjustments
Discrimination by association
Harassment
Victimisation

21. Under the Equality Act 2010 ‘disability’ is defined as: “A physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to do normal daily activities”

22. Impairments and health conditions
Sight impairments
Hearing impairments
Physical and mobility impairments
Long term health conditions
Mental health conditions
Learning difficulties

23. What do we understand by impairment and disability?
Mental / physical health condition
Disability

24. Barriers to employment
Discrimination
Negative attitudes
Limited support
Inaccessible transportation, public buildings, information formats, products and built environments
Inflexible organisational policies, procedures and practices
Issues with service delivery
Poor management

26. The focus should be on removing disabling barriers rather than thinking that the ‘problem’ is caused by the person’s condition

27. Reasonable Adjustments
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers, local authorities, housing, education, goods and service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people

28. What is considered a ‘reasonable adjustment’ depends on individual circumstances

29. change a practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of its services
Remove or alter obstructing features so that it no longer has that effect
provide a reasonable alternative method of making the service in question available to disabled persons

30. General adjustments in the work place
Disability and equality awareness training for staff
Staff should act as role models
Access to pastoral support, e.g. particular staff member a client/employee can go to with any concern
Additional time to complete tasks
Assistive technology

31. Work place environment
Clear glass doors at the end of a corridor could present a hazard for someone with a visual impaired. Adding stick-on signs or other indicators to the doors so that they become more visible is likely to be a reasonable adjustment
Clear, bold and large-font signage will make a space more accessible to all
Good lighting for people with visual impairments or those who lip -read. Avoid glare and spotlights
Adjustable desks and chairs

32. Self actualisation achieving one’s potential
Self -esteem needs feeling of accomplishment
Social/belonging needs relationships, friends
Safety needs security, safety
Basic /physiological needs food , water , warmth, rest
Maslow's hierarchy of needs

33. Long meetings, long days
Impairment
Task/difficulty
Adjustment
Epilepsy
Long meetings, long days
Frequent breaks, cold drinks, and a fan available
Visual impairment
Unfamiliar location /site
Someone meets him/her at the bus stop/
Support with familiarising work/learning space
Autism
Unfamiliar environment/people
Assign a 'buddy' to assist and explain
Depression
Early start
Adjust to different part of day – eg. after 11am
Anxiety
Travel in rush hour
Allow flexible so they can avoid the rush hour
You can support clients and employers by making things explicit and presenting solutions to specific issues
Adjustment should have the desired outcome for the learner

34. Engaging with client Get to know client Building trust
Working together- person centred approach that caters for individual needs
Always ask how clients want to engage or communicate
Be clear about the relationship

35. What needs to be in the client profile
Skills audit- break it down
Is about finding a way for that person to manage a task- ask what client likes to do
Some methods will work with one person, not the other

36. Ask employer to explain and to show what the job involves exactly - do the task yourself to have a good understanding of the job

37. Use a task/job description that clearly lays our the routines and tasks to be done
Step-by-step guide
Easy read and relevant pictures

38. Career Companion

39. Make tasks meaningful so that the person understands
When they have to use a photocopier, use picture of that photocopier, not a photocopier (ask permission of employer first)
Some people who have difficulties with memory recall, from for example a stroke or brain injury may need memory joggers
Flow chart of tasks- step by step guide- small processes

40. Use separate folders with different task- or coloured drawers containing instructions for each task

41. Task: Photocopy packs of documents
Pack by pack or
Sheet by sheet Or

42. Clearly explain routines, tasks, breaks eg. lunch is at 12 o’clock
Maybe remind client it is ok to go to lunch 5 minutes before, as client may get agitated
Ask how a person would like to be addressed when they are going through a difficult stage eg. red card, verbally, picture

43. For those with poor eye/hand co-ordination you could do over hand over hand technique (ask permission first)
This can work if the person has never done a similar movement before ( eg. scooping in a different direction- different spoon movement) may need prolonged practice- do not do the job for the person but practice together.

44. Arrange regular short meetings to check on priorities and progress- this reduces anxiety levels for the employee that they can see they are on task and helps to gain confidence

45. Specific learning difficulties (for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia)
Extra time to read, understand and do tasks
  Use of literal language and keeping oral instructions simple and concise
  Papers printed on coloured paper or printed in ink other than blue or black
  Use of coloured filters or overlays
  Use of coloured pens (other than blue or black)

46. Autism/ Asperger's syndrome
 Dedicated support worker
 Written material in literal language,
Alternative ways of completing team work
Time to get used to locations or site
 Preparation for changes of routine

47. Visual impairments Time to get used to the location/site
 Support worker, or a sighted guide
 Large print, tape or Braille transcription services
 Exercise area for guide dog
Good lighting, adequate signs and good colour contrasts on signs and buildings
Notetakers - digital recording of instructions

48. Deaf or hearing impairments
BSL interpreter
 Video materials with subtitles
Extra time to process information
Flashing light or vibrating pad for the fire alarm

49. Medical conditions Specific dietary needs, e.g. use of a fridge
Rest room
Medical support and emergency arrangements
Place of privacy to take medication and assistance if required
Designated parking space
Specialist or adapted computer equipment, e.g. a screen filter or monitor without flicker if you have photosensitive epilepsy .

50. Mental health condition
 Named contact to go to for support when necessary
Flexibility of time schedule if treatments or therapies are tightly scheduled or during times when difficulties are worse than usual
Maintenance of confidentiality about employee mental health condition
 Sufficient information and awareness among staff who do know about employee condition, to prevent major misconceptions

51. Thank you for listening
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