Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Support on the job
- Author:
- LITTLE Mathew
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Young People Now, 24.7.12, 2012, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Haymarket Business Publications Ltd
Young people with special educational needs seeking jobs often come up against reluctant or inflexible employers. The Realistic Opportunities for Supported Employment Project (Rose) at Havering College of Further and Higher Education works with students with learning difficulties when they have finished Havering College courses, and actively seeks to find them paid employment. It uses job coaches to work alongside them in the first weeks of work. One young person explains how the Rose project has helped him. The article also draws parallels with the Rose project and the recently announced government supported internship pilot scheme.
Personalisation and supported employment
- Authors:
- DAVIES Huw, MEILLING Kathy, WILSON Paul
- Publisher:
- British Association for Supported Employment
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 50p.
- Place of publication:
- Tottington
For most people, employment is essential to gain a sense of engagement and fulfilment. However, for many people with learning disabilities who are actively seeking work, only a few actually have a job. Published jointly with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD), this guide sets out what the key issues around personalisation and supported employment are, particularly for people with a learning disability and people with autism. It describes the supported employment model and current funding streams that can be used. The guide explores some of the challenges for jobseekers and for supported employment providers and how these might be overcome.
Jewel in the crown
- Author:
- LOONEY Linda
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, June 2011, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
A social enterprise set up by learning disability support provider Norwood enables gifts and jewellery made by people with learning disabilities to be sold via the internet. The success of the project is discussed. The social enterprise project are an expansion of Norwood's successful supported employment programme.
The role of supported employment agencies in promoting the health of people with learning disabilities: a briefing report for Department of Health and agencies
- Authors:
- VIGNA Elisa, BEYER Stephen, KERR Michael
- Publisher:
- Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 22p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
Health promotion is particularly important for people with learning disabilities. Particular health problems faced by people with learning disabilities include obesity, smoking and alcohol use. This research examines the role of supported employment agencies (SEAs) in promoting the health of people with learning disabilities. A web survey was set up to investigate the strategies used by the UK SEAs to prevent behaviour that risks health. Fifty agencies completed the survey: 79% from England; 13% from Wales; 4% from Scotland; and 4% from Northern Ireland. The report presents the results regarding the activities of SEAs in assessing, training and providing ongoing support in relation to health and well-being promotion initiatives. Data on the agency’s awareness of the health problems people with learning disabilities face were included in the survey results. The research identified health promotion assistance agencies either delivered directly or outsourced to health professionals. The paper identifies the potential for agencies to capitalise on their role as employment mediators to promote healthy lifestyles for employees with learning disabilities.
Supported employment for people with learning disabilities in the UK: the last 15 years
- Authors:
- MELLING Kathy, BEYER Stephen, KILSBY Mark
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 16(2), April 2011, pp.23-32.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
In the April 1997 issue of Tizard Learning Disability Review these authors wrote of their aspirations for the development of supported employment in the United Kingdom. This paper revisits these aspirations against a changing policy context with the introduction of Valuing People and Valuing People Now. It reviews developments in employment policy, innovation, the framework for funding supported employment and changes in the level of employment for people with learning disabilities since 1997. Despite significant improvements in policy, not much has changed for England in terms of the number of people with learning disabilities employed. However, there are a number of positive developments to draw on to ensure that this number increases. This article summarises the progress in this area over this 15 year period and the challenges that remain. It suggests the need for further action to deliver the Government's vision of employment inclusion and to secure the rights of people with learning disabilities to a place in the workplace.
Employment: what we have learned
- Author:
- SPENCER Charlotte
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 16(2), April 2011, pp.33-38.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
It is clear from many UK and international examples that people with learning disabilities can secure and retain jobs that employers value. With the right support, this applies to people with severe impairments as well as those with milder disabilities. This article summarises work done under Valuing People Now to improve employment prospects and outcomes for people with learning disabilities in England. It summarises the barriers to improvements, such as the benefit system, employer prejudice, and families’ low aspirations. It explains how understanding these barriers has helped to unlock solutions and new approaches. The Valuing People Employment Team has been attempting to tackle the barriers through: the Getting A Life demonstration sites; Project Search internships; the Jobs First project; and campaigns and training to increase work aspirations and expectations. Case examples demonstrate the use of these initiatives.
Employment and volunteering for adults with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- TREMBATH David, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 7(4), December 2010, pp.235-238.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Employment is a fundamental part of adult life. Adults with intellectual disability face multiple barriers to employment, however, and are underrepresented in the paid workforce. Formal volunteering has been promoted as both a stepping stone and an alternative to employment for some adults with disability. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of research findings relating to volunteering and employment for work-age adults with intellectual disabilities. Few studies have examined the experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities who volunteer. The findings indicate that volunteering alone is unlikely to lead to employment for adults with intellectual disability. However, some adults with intellectual disability view volunteering as a meaningful and desirable alternative to paid work. The article concludes that there is a need for further research to examine the relationship between volunteering and employment for adults with intellectual disability. In addition, there is a need for practice guidelines to ensure that the outcomes for adults with intellectual disability who volunteer, and those who seek employment, are successful.
A preliminary investigation of factors affecting employment motivation in people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- ANDREWS Abbye, ROSE John L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 7(4), December 2010, pp.239-244.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Relatively small numbers of people with intellectual disabilities are engaging in paid employment and those who are tend to be working only part-time. This study aimed to address the question of what factors motivate people with intellectual disabilities to work. The issue was investigated in a sample of 10 young work-age adults attending supported learning courses at a further education college in England. The participants were asked directly about their feelings through 2 focus groups, each comprising 5 people. A set of questions with additional prompts was used to elicit responses, and cards and scales were used as visual aids. Participants were asked about what factors motivated them to work and what factors deterred them from working. Thematic analysis of the transcribed tapes revealed three major themes that affected participants' motivation to work: monetary gain, social aspects, and perceived competence. More detailed research is needed in order to validate these findings with a larger, more representative sample.
Starting a new job: the social and emotional experience of people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- JAHODA Andrew, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 22(5), September 2009, pp.421-425.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Thirty-five individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities were recruited from supported employment agencies in Scotland. The participants were interviewed around the time of starting their jobs, and again 9-12 months later. The content analyses of the semi-structured interviews indicated that the participants perceived continuing benefits from entering mainstream employment, including more purposeful lives and increased social status. However, over the follow-up period the participants reported few social opportunities that extended beyond the workplace, and an anxiety about their competence to meet employers' demands remained a concern for some. The discussion addresses the importance of understanding work in relation to the participants' wider lives, along with the longer-term role for supported employment agencies to help people achieve their social and emotional goals in a vocational context.
Let's make it work
- Author:
- WHITTAKER Ray
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, November 2009, pp.32-35.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
This article provides examples of how supporting people with learning disabilities into employment can change lives.