Preparing for Adulthood :

employment pathways for young people with

special educational needs and disabilities

Carol Robinson

Nicola Gitsham, NDTi

What we know about the benefits of employment and current outcomes

Myths about work for young people with SEND The principles and practice of supported

employment research about what works in finding and keeping

work How employment links to the education, health and

care plan- an example Some of the options that should be available

Most of the research has been done with adults with learning disabilities /intellectual disabilitiesYou will also hear mental retardation and handicap on some films.

The Language Used

Poor outcomes for young people, especially in relation to employment: less than 7% of adults with learning disabilities are in paid work

10% of recent NEETS said they had a learning difficulty (DBIS 2013)

Young people with special educational needs likely to enter the labour market much later than their peers.

What we know..

3

Someone with a learning disability;

• can’t work

• www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-zeVeY2zYY

Pathways into employment - the myths

6

• They can only do certain jobs

• They can only work 2 hours a week

• They will not do a good job

• They won’t be welcomed by an employer

• Employers?

• Individuals?

• Parents/carers/advocates?

• Support providers?

• Us?

Barriers to employment - real or perceived

7

We know that young disabled peopled can do a good job that they enjoy and their employers value their contribution

Evidence suggests that getting more young disabled people into work would reduce welfare dependency and improve their health and happiness

To be financially better off, and to maximise savings to the taxpayer, people need to work 16+ hours per week. This is also important for inclusion.

Employers who recruit disabled people report: cost savings from workplace analysis and simplified processes; increased customer satisfaction; reduced staff turnover etc.

Work - positive and possible

4

Real Work◦ That would be done by others

Real work settings◦ Interaction with non disabled co-workers and supervisors

Real money◦ At going rates of pay for the job

Research evidence shows that there are number of approaches that work:

Raise employment aspirations and expectations of children and young people, families and everyone who supports them

Person-centred transition planning with a focus on employment

Welfare advice, advice and guidance and positive work experience, so that families see that work is positive and possible

A vocational curriculum that supports young people’s aspirations and meaningful work experience for young people in community-based settings

Supported employment agencies working with young people whilst they are at school, and good supported employment from 16+

Training on the job- Systematic Instruction Job coach support on-site Breaking tasks into steps “Chaining” tasks together Hierarchy of cues

◦ Physical guidance◦ Gestures◦ Verbal prompts

Job adaptation if needed Managing praise and

reinforcement more closely Specific social training strategies Work-based accreditation of skills

demonstrated

Pre-employment training is possible Verbal instruction & demonstration Simple language Greater time to learn Use of naturally occurring praise and

re-inforcement through:◦ Supervisors, work-mates◦ Ordinary pay incentives

Managing work pressure/ productivity demands

Shaping social contact through co-workers

Qualifications for job and career development

Severe Moderate Mild

Greater use of support to find & plan◦ Families◦ Job coaches

Extended Vocational Profiling/ Discovery

◦ 20+ hours in various environs?◦ Interests and what good at◦ Relevant experiences◦ Work types and environments◦ Days and schedules◦ Welfare benefit planning

Use of practical job tryouts to aid decision-making

Aided CV and support planning Proactive and specific job finding and

matching jobs to people Employer presentation and negotiation Adaptation of interview and induction

Greater independent action More use of generic help to

identifying strengths, interests and experience

Use of more generic sources for vacancies

Greater use of courses, “job clubs”◦ CV development◦ Job search◦ Writing applications

More use of mainstream job application & interviewing and induction processes

Severe Moderate Mild

Fabian, Lueckin & Tilson (1995)- comparison of views of disabled people, job coaches and employers

People with disabilities and job coaches: “employers’ understanding attitudes and flexibility to make

accommodations”

Employers: “quality service from employment specialists and competence in particular workers ”

Benefits to employershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJTtSn9H_NU

Overarching guiding principle

Fundamental to supported

employment is that everyone can work

with the right job and the right support.

Work readiness is not a helpful concept!!!!

Guiding principles:•Choice and control

•Partnership

•Full inclusion

•Rapid job search

•Careers

•Natural supports

•Long-term support

•Assistive technology

•Continuous quality improvement

•Right to work in a safe workplace

•Protection of human rights and freedom from abuse

Work with the job seeker•Engagement•Getting to know you/vocational profile•Agreeing a plan togetherWork with the employer•Engagement•Understanding needs and identifying vacancies•Getting to know the jobJob match•Employers get the right worker and jobseekers get the right jobArranging the right supportDEVELOP A CAREER

What needs to be put in place for young people with special

educational needs?

We need a good person centred Preparing for Adulthood review in year 9.

We need a clear plan with a sense of direction towards life outcomes.

If there is an education, health and care plan We need: aspirations (Section A) We need outcomes (Section E) We need to know what support will be provided

across education, health and social care (F, G H1 and H2)

We need partnership working- Employment is Everyone’s Business !

Code says: reviews from year 9 should include identifying appropriate post-16 pathways including training options such as supported internships, apprenticeships and traineeships or support for setting up own business. The review should also cover:

support in finding a job, work experience opportunities the use of a job coach and help in understanding welfare benefits available in

work.

AspirationTo get a paid job when I leave education

Outcome(s) By September 2017 I will have had 4 meaningful work experiences in a

range of community based settings so that I have an understanding of different type of job roles By Sept 2016 I will have a vocational profile that clearly sets out what I’m

good at, what type of employers need my abilities and what support I need to get a paid job when I leave education In 12 months time I will be able to travel independently around my local

community by either walking using the bus or the tube. By Sept 2017 I will be able to make my self understood in the workplace

by work colleagues (by whatever means)

NB EHC plan brings all outcomes together in integrated plan i.e. housing and employment needs looking at together

Outcome example – employment

Steps towards the outcome

To be aware of different types of paid work environment and rolesTo know what I am good at, interested in and who needs my skills To travel independently to college and around my local areaTo develop work skills such as telling the time, punctuality, make

simple decisions, using the phone To act appropriately when I am angry or frustrated To develop an awareness of appropriate social behaviourTo have experience of working in real work environments For my mum and dad to think work is possible and positiveTo develop a CV/vocational profileDevelop expressive and receptive communication skills

Outcome example – employment

Health Weekly anger management sessions from a psychologist to help find appropriate ways of managing frustrationPsychologist spends 30 mins a month teaching their family and teacher how to help the young person manage their behaviour appropriately

Social CareAssessment to identify whether young person eligible for Adult social care Short breaks taken as a direct payment to employ a job coach to support paid or voluntary job in the local community.

Examples of provision and support

for employment

SEN ProvisionWork awareness curriculum that covers different types of job roles and careersSchool invite a job coach to attend annual review and help to plan work experience in local community, including holiday/Saturday jobs. School captures experience and feedback in a digital CVSchool invites job coach to work with Mark to develop vocational profile School hosts workshops for families where local supported employment service invited to talk about what is possible and what good employment support looks likeIndependent travel training made available

So what’s the school’s role here?

Other agencies working closely with schools to support transition (paras 8.22 - 8.28)

All activities and outcomes in line with young people’s career aspirations (para 8.9)

Start early (Para 8.8)

Create flexible packages

Linked to all aspects of life and five day packages

Study Programmes (Paras 8.32-8.40)

Supported Internships www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/what-we-do/supported-internships

Embed meaningful work experience17

A focus on supported internships

supported internships – what they are and what they are not

Factors that contribute to success The role of the job coach What Ofsted are looking for in relation to

supported internships Funding from Access to Work A bit about traineeships and apprenticeships Resources

It’s not just another college course It’s not a work experience programme It’s not for learners who have not thought about

getting a paid job before It’s not for learners who are unsure whether they

want a paid job It’s not for learners who could progress onto either

a Traineeship or Apprenticeship

Study programme listed in a prospectus For those with a Learning Difficulty Assessment,

Statement of SEN or EHCP Based on the ‘place and train’ approach to learning Based primarily at an employer’s premises- most of the

week there Meets the career goals of young people Meets the business needs of an employer On-the-job training Qualifications linked to work

The majority of the young person’s time is spent at the employer’s premises

Young people are expected to comply with real job conditions, such as timekeeping and dress code

Systematic instruction, a method specifically designed to help people with complex learning difficulties learn new tasks, is used where appropriate

Stretching learning goals are set, including English and Maths Both the young person and employer have support from a Job

Coach and Tutor Young people continue to be supported after the course of study Of 190 students on this scheme during pilot phase, 36% got

paid work. Project SEARCH rate is 51.5%

Partnership approach Effective communication Personalised and flexible Skilled job coaches Job matching Instilling the work ethic

To support young people to enable them to gain, learn from, develop in and maintain their internship and to make a positive progression on to paid sustainable employment;

and to support employers to enable them to offer a meaningful internship and recruit interns where possible

The best outcomes are likely to be achieved if job coaches adhere to the principles of supported employment

They need : a diverse skill set, including the confidence to work effectively

with young people, employers and parents/carers to be flexible and creative willing to work outside term time, sometimes including anti-

social hours to be willing to undertake specific training job coaches need to be able to recognise when and how to

provide support, and when to increase, decrease or remove support;

high levels of energy and enthusiasm a belief in the young person’s right and ability to achieve

paid employment. contract that acknowledges that there will be a need for flexible

working hours outside of term times

Inspectors will make a judgement on outcomes for learners by evaluating the extent to which:

Learners develop personal, social and employability skill

Learners progress to courses leading to higher-level qualifications and into jobs that meet local and national needs

Ofsted inspectors will be looking for:Progress-how well interns develop their employability and vocational skills and personal effectiveness

Support- how well interns are supported, and the extent to which they are set challenging tasks at work and receive good feedback on progress

Leadership and management – purposeful and appropriate for interns, and how well work activity fits with other aspects of their study programme

An Access to Work grant can help pay for:Travel (when young people are unable to use public transport)Support workersJob coachesYoung people will not have to pay any money back and it won’t affect their benefits

Eligibility:Your disability or health condition must affect your ability to do a job or mean you have to pay work-related costsMight not qualify if person gets Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, Income Support, National Insurance Credits

To apply:Application must come from either education provider from supported employment providera move from one form per month, to one per placement for each student; andthe ability to make applications up to three months in advance.Must use the stencil on the Preparing for Adulthood or BASE websiteEmail to atwosu.London@dwp.gsi.gov.uk and put supported internships in the subject box

http://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/what-we-do/supported-internships/access-to-work-fund

Bicton collegehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65-97Qe1Gjw

Traffordhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZwcOvQNxjw

Some films about supported internships

A traineeship is a course with work experience that gets young people ready for work or an apprenticeship. It can last up to 6 months.

It is open to those who are:• eligible to work in England• unemployed and have little or no work experience• aged 16 to 24 and qualified below Level 3

What is offered: help with English and maths (if needed) a work experience placement It is not a paid position (usually), but employers sometimes give

expenses for things like travel and meals. There is a new find a traineeship service online: https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/traineeshipsearch

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. Apprentices: work alongside experienced staff gain job-specific skills earn a wage and get holiday pay (min of £2.73 per hour for 16-18 year

olds) study towards a related qualification (usually one day a week) Apprenticeships take 1 to 4 years to complete depending on their level. Levels of apprenticeship An apprenticeship has an equivalent education level and can be: Intermediate - equivalent to 5 GCSE passes Advanced - equivalent to 2 A level passes Higher - can lead to NVQ Level 4 and above, or a foundation degree

Part 3 - Funding

Education * Public Health and Council funding * European Social Fund (ESF) Social Care and Health * Department for Work and Pensions * Business Sponsorship Charitable Sources

Element 1Funding that all students at the college attract for their study programmes.  Most institutions with post-16 provision are funded on a lagged student basis, using the national post-16 funding formula.  Total allocation for 2016/17 based on number of students recruited in 2015/6.  Colleges should not seek funds from LAs for any shortfall in element 1 in 2016/7 – this will be rectified in the lagged allocation for 2017/8.

Lower-level SENFunding for students with support costs lower than £6,000 is provided within the institution’s disadvantage funding, calculated within the institution’s mainstream 16-19 funding allocation 

Element 2£6,000 towards the additional support costs for high needs students (i.e. those students also receiving element 3). Element 2 is additional to, and not separate from, Element 1.   Element 3Top-up funding - the funding required over and above the place funding (Elements 1 and 2) to enable a student with high needs to participate in education and learning.  Paid by the LA in which the pupil or student is resident or belongs (in the case of LAC), from the high needs budget.This must reflect a pupil’s needs and the cost of the provision they receive in a particular setting

Note: Although most high needs students will have EHC plans, not all students with plans will be high needs for funding purposes. 

A high needs student on a full time college course generates funding for the College of £5,200 per year (Element 1). The young person’s support package costs £18,000 and the College additionally receives £6,000 for additional learning support (Element 2). This means that the college will require ‘top-up’ funding of £6,800k which they should receive from the home LA of the student (Element 3 or top-up funding).

Working Example

Supported internships Traineeships - EFA funding for up to 6 months.

through a provider’s existing funding allocation Apprenticeships funded by SFA .Provider must be on the UK register of learning providers and have a contract with SFA. Funding is dependent on the apprenticeship and sector as laid out in the apprenticeship framework. If needed, LA pays for additional support. In addition, providers have a budget of up to £19,000 per year for additional learning support to cover any exceptional payments.

Education funding to secure positive destination

other sources of funding which may provide longer-term support include:

Personal Budgets Department for Work and Pensions

programmes.

In 2015/16 the Better Care Fund will be created from £1.9bn of NHS funding and £1.9bn based on existing Health and care funding in 2014/15

Strategic Economic Regeneration money for deprived groups

Funding available through Young Peoples Voice

Discretionary money spent by a local authority on supporting people into work.

For young people with education, health and care plan- education personal budget is possible

For those with continuing health needs- personal health budgets (CC G can also use discretion to fund if not eligible)

Social care - resource allocation system usually indicates value of payment to be made up front.

Can fund:◦ Job coaches and enabling teams◦ Assistive technology◦ Commissioning employment support for a person

Short breaks monies

Fund for care leavers

Carer’s grant

Care Act funding/Better Care Fund.

Access to Work (AtW) limited to £40,800 per person can be used for supported internships and traineeships

Sector-based work academies Pre employment training in growth areas

Self-Made Work Trials

http://base-uk.org/sites/base-uk.org/files/knowledge/Supported%20Internships%20and%20benefit%20entitlement/supported_internships_and_benefits.pdf

Work Choice provides disabled people who have more intensive support needs – modular programme

Work Trial - a chance to ‘try before you buy’ to both the customer and the employer.

Youth Contract- 2-8 week work experience placements for young people aged 18 to 24

Work Programme - for those people who are at risk of long-term

unemployment.

New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) provides For Jobcentre Plus customers :

A mentor who will offer expert guidance and support Workshops offering practical advice on topics such

as marketing and book-keeping. Practical help tailored to individual needs in the

early months of trading, including a business mentor and support for writing a business plan.

Financial support – a total package worth up to £2,274.

DfE Advice on Supported Internships https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-internships-for-young-people-with-learning-difficulties

Evaluationshttp://base-uk.org/topics/programmes-and-delivery/supported-internships

http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wor/pro/project-search-report.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learning-difficultiesdisabilities-supported-internship-evaluation

Factsheetshttp://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/resources/pfa-resources/factsheet-supported-internships http://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/studyprogrammes

Information for learnershttp://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/media/341562/supported_interships_guidance_for_learners_8th_april_2014.pdf

Fundinghttp://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/what-we-do/supported-internships/access-to-work-fundhttp://base-uk.org/knowledge/supported-internships-and-access-work https://www.gov.uk/16-to-19-education-funding-guidance Traininghttp://base-uk.org/training-and-consultancyhttp://www.niace.org.uk/campaigns-events/events/conferences-seminars-training-coursesFor South West Employment Institute courses email:Helen Maunder h.maunder_office@btinternet.com

Further reading, information and videos

http://shop.niace.org.uk/media/catalog/product/f/i/file_3_43.pdf

http://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/what-we-do/supported-internships

• Commissioned by DfE to support the testing and implementation of SEND reforms

• Delivered by the NDTi and CDC

• Free training, support and resources

Contact Information:

Dr Carol Robinson: carol.robinson@ndti.org.uk

Mobile: 07816 034463

• www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk

• info@preparingforadulthood.org.uk

• www.facebook.com/preparingforadulthood

• Twitter - @PfA_Tweets

Preparing for Adulthood Programme•Public Health and Council funding