1. Denise Bushay & Nick Campbell Office for Disability Issues
Improving choice, control and outcomes for disabled people & Project SEARCH
Denise Bushay & Nick Campbell
Office for Disability Issues

2. Overview Aim of session:
This session is about two locally led models that demonstrate practically how giving disabled people more choice and control can improve their employability and job prospects.
It will cover:
Policy context and language
Barriers to employment – models of disability
Project SEARCH
Support Planning and Brokerage project

3. Introducing the Office for Disability Issues
Set up to coordinate disability policy across government
Lead the government’s vision for achieving equality for disabled people
Work with other Government Departments, disabled people and external groups

4. Context Independent Living Choice and control Personalisation
Concept / Language
Independent Living
Choice and control
Personalisation

5. Employment – why it matters?
10 million disabled people in Britain, around half of whom are of working age
But less than half are in employment (48 per cent) compared with nearly 80 per cent of non-disabled people …
And employment rate for some impairment groups e.g. people with learning disability & mental health is estimated to be as low as 10 per cent

6. Barriers to employment - Models of disability
Medical model of disability
A person’s impairment is the ‘problem’
We should try to fix the ‘problem
Charity model
Pity
Need to be looked after
Social model of disability
Society creates barriers:
Environment
Attitudes
Organisations

7. Taking a different approach … Project SEARCH
For those not here in 2010, a re-cap …
An employer-led internship model
Focuses education system on jobs for young disabled people
Goal of full time paid employment for interns

8. A little local context … the Manchester based Project SEARCH site

9. Project SEARCH – one year on
Achievements …
All 14 sites have nearly completed the demonstration year
More than 120 interns (average 9 per site) with 90 per cent expected to complete the year
Some interns have already moved into full time jobs
Real evidence of changed lives and attitudes of parents, employers and interns themselves …

10. Challenges Building and maintaining local partnerships
Sustainable funding routes for job coaches and tutors
Embedding employment as a goal in further education
On-going support for interns, especially those who do not immediately find jobs

11. User-led Support Planning and Brokerage project
Aim
To demonstrate how changes in traditional assessment and care management and the use of user-led Support Planning and Brokerage can enable disabled people to have more choice and control over the support they need.

12. What does ‘user-led’ mean in this context?
Organisations run by disabled people
Work from a social model of disability perspective
Peer support based and promotes independent living

13. Open up networks and widens disabled people’s horizons
Why is User-led Support Planning better than traditional care services?
Support planning more creative – job outcome discussed as part of support planning
Open up networks and widens disabled people’s horizons
Positive role models

14. Examples of how ULO support planning can help disabled people and carers to take employment
Opening up networks – more opportunities for participation, in SAB one man had become an advisor on to the BBC on audio-description
Employing personal assistants – gives people greater flexibility around organising their days
Financial freedom - personal budgets allow people to pay for specialist employment support

15. What these projects have demonstrated …
That real change can happen and in relatively short space of time and deliver outcomes for disabled people
Evidence of shifts in culture of working collaboratively at local level
Changing attitudes and embedding the notion that employment is a realistic and important option for disabled people

16. Looking to the future – the policy landscape
Recently published Sayce Review of specialist disability employment provision
Building capability of ULOs - ODI fund to offer both financial and practical support
Right to Control and Jobs First
Big Society

17. QUESTION TIME www. odi. gov. uk http://odi. dwp. gov
QUESTION TIME Contacts: