Employers’ Views of Supported Employment for Disabled People in Scotland Pippa Coutts.
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Transcript of Employers’ Views of Supported Employment for Disabled People in Scotland Pippa Coutts.
Employers’ Views of Supported Employment for Disabled People in
Scotland
Pippa Coutts
SUSE
• Welfare Reform more focussed on work• 52 % of claimants fit for work (DWP, Jan
2013)• In a year 203,700 FFW (2011/12)• 21 % of claimants were placed in the Work
Related Activity Group (WRAG)• Work Choice, 11,000, April – Dec 2012.
The Context to the Research
• How do employers understand supported employment and what are the opportunities and challenges afforded by supported employment?
• What has been their experience of supported employees?
• What changes would be needed to make supported employment work more effectively?
Research Questions
FINDINGS
• Micro-enterprise to large retail
• 4 public sector
• Teams of about 15-55 people
• 1-2 supported employees
• 6 still received a wage subsidy
The organisations
• In post on average for 10 years• Majority had learning disabilities
and/or physical disabilities
• Entry level jobs
• Most working > 16 hours / week
The Supported Employees
• Small number in workplaces• Declining willingness?• Subsidies as an in incentive?
Discussion
• Experienced, good work colleague. …Does a great job (Large national company).
• She’s quite good at what she does. … She’s keen to work. … Keen to prove her worth (Micro business).
• He’s a valued member of the team (Care
home).
Managers’ Views of employees
• Reliant, motivated
• Positive impact on colleagues
• Adaptations can benefit all
• Good PR
• Can have an affinity with clients.
Opportunities
• A ‘learning curve’ • Have to take time and be patient• Manage staff teams’ grumbles• Fast paced environment• Changing nature of work:
• More multi-tasking• More computer literacy/IT.
Challenges
• Mentoring, buddying or regular
supervision• Adapted training for people with learning
difficulties
• Adapted communication; 1-to-1
• Physical adaptions; wheelchair
Support provided by employers
• Recruitment of Staff
• Review visits• At specific points, e.g. redundancy
and relocation• Not sure the help really for the
employer, nor should be
Support from Work Choice
• Want more of it (advice to funders)
• Most managers satisfied with the SE support provided over time
• If in previous DWP programmes, had issues with Work Choice.
Managers’ opinions
• Just > ½ felt no effect on their ability to take on supported employees
• Minority mentioned shrinking business and tighter budgets
• Statutory sector cap on recruitment• Pace and nature of work affecting
disabled employees’ chances of work
Recessionary Effects
CONCLUSIONS
• Trusting relationship between the employee and manager;
• A real job for the employee; • Good fit between the job and the
individual’s skills and aspirations;• A situation which suited both the
employer and the employee
Managers’ Critical Success Factors
• Workplaces reached “saturation” point
Strategic engagement to include:– Increase awareness that supported
employees good staff members– Support employers to spread good practice
across their organisations.
Strategic engagement with employers
• Reverse the decline of supported employment
• Make sure there are supported employment services funded to suit those not in the Work Choice programme
• Specialist employer engagement focussed on the employment of more disabled people.
Policy Makers & Commissioners
Promote and protect quality: that’s what employers want
Supported Employment Providers
Pippa Coutts, Scottish Union of Supported Employment Professor Sheila Riddell, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh
Contact:[email protected]