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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
This research was about the employment support available
for people with learning disabilities and/or autistic
spectrum disorders (
ASD) in Scotland. 'Employment support'
covered a wide spectrum of provision, including 'supported
employment'. In the research, 'supported employment' was
defined as real work for 16 hours or more in an integrated
setting with ongoing support.
Recent policy including
The same as you? (Scottish Executive, 2000) and
Working for a change? (Scottish Executive, 2003),
has emphasised the importance of supporting people with
learning disabilities and/or
ASD in employment. This research was
commissioned to inform the work of
The same as you? National Implementation Group in
reviewing progress with this agenda.
AIMS & METHODS
The study aimed to 'map' the nature and availability of
employment support for people with learning disabilities
and/or
ASD in Scotland; to identify aspects of
good practice; and to explore the direct experiences of
individuals and their families. Its key objectives were
to:
- Review the literature and identify features of good
practices in 'supported employment'
- Identify which organisations offered employment
support to people with learning disabilities and/or
ASD
- Identify links these organisations had with other
bodies
- Collect and analyse Partnership in Practice (PiP)
agreements
- Identify the number and characteristics of the
people supported
- Identify any methods local authorities are using to
evaluate employment support
- Identify examples of good practice in the support
offered
- Explore the perspectives of supported employees,
their families and employers
The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods
and involved a review of the literature published in the
past 5 years; telephone interviews with 10 key
stakeholders; a postal questionnaire survey of 204
employment support providers in Scotland; in-depth
qualitative interviews with 15 supported employees, their
families and 10 employers.
KEY FINDINGS
Mapping 'employment support'
- The commissioned study was about employment support
in its widest sense not only 'supported employment'. As
such, it gathered information about a plethora of
approaches, a small proportion of which would pass for
what is internationally recognised as 'supported
employment'
- A wide range of small and large-scale organisations
were providing employment support, the majority being
part of broader services. Some provided this as part of
"lifestyle" support, while just over a third were
dedicated employment services
- Local authority social work/services departments or
their equivalent and the voluntary sector were the main
providers. Local authorities were the main funders of
employment support
- Employment services tended to be in urban or mixed
urban/rural areas and were relatively mature. Services
in the voluntary sector were newer and relied on more
diverse funding sources
Features of best practice
- Best practice in 'supported employment' advocates
individuals controlling their vocational destinies
through self-determination, facilitated by person
centred planning and a career-based approach. This
means employment specialists acting as facilitators
rather than experts
- Other features of best practice include taking
account of employers' as well as individuals' needs;
using 'natural supports' and supporting jobs in ways
that are 'typical' for each setting; using intentional
strategies to enhance social integration; supporting
self employment; post or follow-up support; and
ensuring people with severe disabilities can access
'supported employment'
- There was evidence that quality outcomes resulted
when services adopted a principled and values-led
approach to 'supported employment'
Experiences of supported employment
- Individuals with learning disabilities and/or
ASD interviewed for this research
were highly satisfied with 'supported employment' and
reported positive outcomes:
e.g. increased self-esteem,
self-confidence, vocational integration, an increase in
income, and improved quality of life
- From an employer's perspective, deciding to employ
someone with learning disabilities and/or
ASD was influenced by the
predisposition of the company; difficulties with
filling posts; labour shortages; the 'business case';
and importantly, the professionalism of the 'supported
employment' service
- Employers' anxieties about staff reaction and
individuals' ability to cope were largely unfounded, as
was an expectation that the 'charity return' would
outweigh the 'business return'. Other employees were
more tolerant, accepting and supportive than
expected
- Employers who had experienced the successes,
resolution of problems, and the wide range of outcomes
for their business and other employees, were
enthusiasts and champions of 'supported employment'.
They wanted the Government to be more proactive in
selling 'supported employment'
Survey findings
- A Scotland-wide questionnaire survey found 3,024
people with learning disabilities and/or
ASD being supported by 69 separate
providers in jobs (both paid and unpaid)
- Although obviously progress in terms of an increase
in the numbers of people supported in employment, it
was plain that 'supported employment' was rare
- Only a third of supported jobs were full-time as
defined by the Department of Employment (
i.e. 16 hours or more), and the majority
therefore would not have met the definition of
'supported employment' used in the research
- The majority were people with learning
disabilities. Around 7% were people with severe
disabilities and just 4% were people with
ASD
- The model of 'supported employment' was being used
effectively to find and support employment for people
with
ASD. However, just 180 people with
ASD were being supported by a few
specialist services, and the majority were people with
Aspergers Syndrome
- There were basic inequalities in terms of who was
able to access employment support, not least of which
were the group that served as the original inspiration
for 'supported employment'
i.e. people with severe disabilities
- Also, less well served by existing services were
people with
ASD, women with learning
disabilities and those from minority ethnic
communities
Barriers to employment
- The biggest barrier to employment was perceived to
be the lack of leadership and not having a consistent
framework from which to commission and audit the
performance of 'supported employment'
- The traditional view that the biggest barrier to
employment is the welfare benefits system was
challenged by the stories of individuals in this
research who were financially better off in full-time
employment, and by a growing body of evidence that with
the right knowledge and motivation there are ways to
work with the system
- In the longer term however, change is required
within the social security and related systems to
address the problems experienced by those living in
registered accommodation who want to work
- Some identified negative attitudes and expectations
as a major barrier to employment. This included the
attitudes of a range of professionals such as care
managers when they did not consider employment as an
option during community care assessments. To become
more effective, the attitudinal barriers to employment
will need to be addressed
A more coordinated & strategic approach
needed
- Although present on the landscape, 'supported
employment' was not firmly embedded as a primary
strategy for improving quality of life and providing
opportunities for social inclusion. A more coordinated
and strategic approach was called for
- Survey respondents identified a need for a better
and "more secure" financial infrastructure for
'supported employment' calling for more mainstream
funding of the sector, and greater investment in
services in rural areas as well as for people with
severe disabilities and people with
ASD
- Alongside an increase in employment opportunities
has grown confusion around terminology especially in
relation to 'supported employment'. This lack of
conceptual discipline has led to a watering down of
'supported employment' as defined in the research
- Effective 'supported employment' services were
placing people in interesting jobs that closely matched
their individual preferences, but the predominance of
part-time jobs and jobs in certain sectors suggests
stereotyping of the abilities of people with learning
disabilities and/or
ASD
- It was argued that employment support should be
separated from welfare or disability services, as this
would increase their credibility not only with
individuals and families, but also with employers
- Self-employment opportunities for people with
learning disabilities and/or
ASD were rare in Scotland.
Self-employment can mean a closer match between
individual preferences and contribution with the job,
and a better fit with individual values and lifestyle
preferences. As such, self employment has been viewed
by some as "the next logical step" in 'supported
employment'
- There is ongoing debate about the merits of
supporting mainstream agencies to get better at
catering for everyone's needs or whether both
generalist and specialist agencies should co-exist and
complement each other. Anxiety about mainstreaming
services is particularly strong in respect of meeting
the needs of people with
ASD.
IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE
The findings from this study point to the need to build
on the well-developed practice, skills and expertise of the
'supported employment' services in Scotland who are already
achieving quality outcomes. In addition, there is a need to
further develop practice through initiatives in certain
priority areas. In particular, the research suggests
practical developments or initiatives in the following
areas would be helpful:
- The strategic development of a national definition,
framework and standards for 'supported employment' in
Scotland
- Drawing upon person centred planning approaches
(including personal life plans) that show how to
achieve a more consumer-driven and career planning
approach
- Targeting school leavers to expand expectations and
options for the future directly linking career
assistance and 'supported employment' providers with
schools
- Equipping employment specialists to facilitate self
employment for people who want supported self-directed
employment
- Implementing ways of delivering 'supported
employment' for people with more severe
disabilities
- Ensuring 'supported employment' is offered to
people with
ASD, in particular to adults with
autism
Because there is little known about some of these,
participatory development and action research models would
seem to be appropriate both in terms of their development
and evaluation. Such an approach would also be in keeping
with the values and philosophy of
The same as you? and recommendation 9 of
Working for a change? which called for an
employment-related participatory action research programme
run by, and for, people with learning disabilities.
In addition, it will be important to continue to promote
and publicise good practice and innovative services such as
North Lanarkshire's Supported Employment Service, that have
found ways to tackle the benefits issues and place people
in full time jobs. Engaging employers and people with
learning disabilities and/or
ASD as champions for 'supported
employment' would also be beneficial strategies.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, while there are grounds for optimism,
there is some way to go before the aspirations of people
with learning disabilities and/or
ASD for real paid jobs are met,
especially for people with
ASD. The positive experiences related in
this report illustrate what can be achieved when best
practice in 'supported employment' is implemented. Good
practice was identified and while the results were life
changing for the individuals involved and their families,
'supported employment' as originally intended was not being
put into practice. It would seem that securing jobs with
higher rates of pay and for more hours remains a key issue.
There is a pressing need for central and local government
to adopt a more strategic and coordinated approach to
developing and funding 'supported employment' in Scotland
so that its implementation can be more widespread.
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