1. Ellen Atkinson 28th June 2011 Working together to reduce barriers to employment

2. How can we ensure that for someone with a learning disability that employment is part of their life? We know that paid work is often not an expectation for people with learning disabilities Challenge negative stereotypes Learning at school and college will help them get a job and a meaningful life Working together to reduce barriers to employment

3. What works to get people with learning disabilities jobs Start at the beginning Raise the aspirations and expectations of children and young people with learning disabilities with a particular focus on employment. Help people see that getting a job is possible and a good thing

4. Key outcomes of the campaign Raised awareness about employment from a much earlier age What are you going to be when you grow up? Positive role models of people with learning disabilities in work and planning for work Increased partnership working to share learning and influence practice Toolkit of free resources

5. Getting a Life Person centred transition planning with an employment focus from 14 Pathway to employment More young people got real work experience and paid jobs Saturday jobs and holiday jobs More people believed people with learning disabilities can and should work Help young people to think about what they can do after school or college to help them get a job and full life

6. Jobs First Test the use of an individual budget to support someone to get a job and keep it – Cost of supported employment Personal and Individual budgets - to give people greater choice and control Community activities and leisure as part of someone’s life

7. Jobs First Jobs First evaluation will report in September 2012 Different funding streams Co-funding The learning from Jobs First will be taken forward in collaboration with Remploy to support their personalisation agenda.

8. What is a good job ? Paid – same rate as anyone else doing that job Over 16 hours a week Builds on a person’s strengths and interests Could be self employment

9. What needs to be in place? Raising employment as an option instead of day services Everyone should be supported to understand what a job is and the difference it can make to their life, both financially and socially Early intervention Data sharing from Children’s to Adult services Strategic commissioning

10. What needs to be in place? Practitioners involved with people with learning disabilities should believe that work is possible Person centred planning should include employment as an outcome Individuals should have an employment focused review, where employment is the priority goal and funding is allocated to support this goal.

11. What needs to be in place? Agreement across agencies that they will work together to make the funds available Agreement to ensure there is a process for funding to flow from one organisation to another, to create an Individual Budget Individuals should be supported to understand what funding sources are available such as Access to Work

12. What works to get people with disabilities jobs The support to help the individual get a job could be available either by an ‘in house’ supported employment service Bespoke supported employment service A freelance job coach Via Jobcentre Plus Consistent quality and meet the Government’s best practice guidelines for job coaching and supported employment

13. Good supported Employment Discovery - get to know the clients strengths Work development plan - takes time Job search and analysis Work with employers - raise awareness Risk assessment & Health and Safety Working Interview or work trials Independent travel Ongoing support and monitoring - client and employer REAL jobs!!

14. What works ? Good Supported Employment Project Search Support to set up your own business College with job coaches Apprenticeships

15. SEN and Disability Green Paper Some of the ideas in the Green Paper include, Testing out a new single multi-agency Education, Health and Care Plan that focuses on outcomes (including employment) More families and young people being offered the choice of a personal budget More help in schools to help young people plan for employment Better choices after 16 – things that really help young people go into employment, have independent living and be part of their community Pathfinder sites Sharing good practice

16. Reducing Barriers to Employment Valuing Employment Now resources are now available on the BASE website

22. Useful web links Valuing People Now Employment Resources: www.valuingpeoplenow.dh.gov.uk/content employability hubwww.valuingpeoplenow.dh.gov.uk/content BASE: base-uk.org Getting a Life website: www.gettingalife.org.ukwww.gettingalife.org.uk Aspirations for Life: www.aspirationsforlife.orgwww.aspirationsforlife.org SEN Green Paper: Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability www.education.gov.uk/consultations/www.education.gov.uk/consultations