challenges and lessons for supporting disabled young people. tony wilson, policy director centre for...
TRANSCRIPT
Challenges and lessons for supporting
disabled young people.
Tony Wilson, Policy DirectorCentre for Economic and Social
Inclusion
Content
Disabled young people – the challenges
Supported internships – what works
Employment support – what works
The evidence base – challenges & lessons
The value of monitoring soft outcomes
Challenges for disabled young people Disabled young people are far more likely
to be NEET. The proportion of disabled 19 year olds
without a Level 3 qualification has fallen. But disabled young people are less likely
to be in Higher Education. Having a degree level qualification can
significantly improve disabled people’s employment outcomes.
Challenges for disabled young people Employment rates for young disabled
people have dropped. Disabled people are less likely to be in
work than non-disabled people. Young disabled people have high
aspirations but by the time they reach adulthood their aspirations have reduced.
What works in supported internships Project SEARCH supported internship
model for young people with learning disabilities.
Uses many features of the Supported Employment model:Employer and customer engagementVocational profilingJob matching / job analysisPersonalised in-work support including TSI
What works in supported internships Strong partnerships and senior ‘buy in’ Early focus on job search and employer links Flexible approach – adapt to local circumstances
Sites reported key benefits of the model as:Experience of ‘real work’Alternative to cycle of education/trainingSocial and personal benefits for internsImprovements and efficiency for employersSome evidence of financial savings
What works in employment support Participant engagement and raising aspirations. Vocational profiling used to inform job search
and job matching. Employer engagement and the use of ‘place and
train’ approaches. In-work support including systematic instruction
and development of natural supports. Career development. Individual focus and personalised support. Continuity in smoothing transitions.
How robust is the evidence base?
Approaches accepted as effective are Supported Employment for learning disability and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for mental health.
But costed evidence is limited. Issues for measuring economic impact include:
How economic analysis is measured.Some lack of clarity on the models.Employment rates are often around 50% - what happens to the other 50%?
The value of monitoring soft outcomes Distance Travelled: the progress
customers make in terms of achieving soft outcomes that lead towards sustained employment or associated hard outcomes.
Why? To capture the benefits resulting from programmes that may be missed if only hard outcomes are recorded.
Value of such a tool identified in the evaluation of the specialist disability employment programme WORKSTEP.
The value of monitoring soft outcomes Good for customer confidence and self
esteem. Good for support worker motivation. Good for supporting tailored and efficient
interventions. Good for programme development. Good for showing development to potential
employers. Provides structure and depth to development
planning.
Key references for more info
DWP (2013) Fulfilling Potential: Building a deeper understanding of disability in the UK today.
Purvis et al (2012) Project SEARCH Evaluation: Final Report, ODI. HM Government (2010) Valuing Employment Now: Job Coaching
or Support Employment – Approach and Progress in Development Standards.
Hasluck and Green (2007) What works for whom? A review of evidence and meta-analysis for the Department of Work and Pensions, DWP Research Report No. 407.
Wilkins et al (2012) Economic Evidence Around Employment Support, National Institute for Health Research.
Purvis et al (2009) Exploring a Distance Travelled approach to WORKSTEP development planning, DWP Research Report No. 566.