Improving choice, control and outcomes for disabled people & Project SEARCHDenise Bushay & Nick CampbellOffice for Disability Issues

OverviewAim of session:

This session is about two locally led models that demonstrate practically how giving disabled people more choice and control can improve their employability and job prospects.

It will cover:• Policy context and language• Barriers to employment – models of disability• Project SEARCH• Support Planning and Brokerage project

Introducing the Office for Disability Issues

Set up to coordinate disability policy across government

Lead the government’s vision for achieving equality for disabled people

Work with other Government Departments, disabled people and external groups

Context

Concept / Language

Independent Living

Choice and control

Personalisation

Employment – why it matters?

10 million disabled people in Britain, around half of whom are of working age

But less than half are in employment (48 per cent) compared with nearly 80 per cent of non-disabled people …

And employment rate for some impairment groups e.g. people with learning disability & mental health is estimated to be as low as 10 per cent

Barriers to employment - Models of disability

Medical model of disability

•A person’s impairment is the ‘problem’

•We should try to fix the ‘problem

Charity model

Pity

Need to be looked after

Social model of disabilitySociety creates barriers:

•Environment

•Attitudes

•Organisations

Taking a different approach … Project SEARCH

For those not here in 2010, a re-cap … An employer-led internship model

Focuses education system on jobs for young disabled people

Goal of full time paid employment for interns

A little local context … the Manchester based Project SEARCH site

Project SEARCH – one year on

Achievements … All 14 sites have nearly completed the demonstration year

More than 120 interns (average 9 per site) with 90 per cent expected to complete the year

Some interns have already moved into full time jobs

Real evidence of changed lives and attitudes of parents, employers and interns themselves …http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elhCbuaVWIk

Challenges

Building and maintaining local partnerships

Sustainable funding routes for job coaches and tutors

Embedding employment as a goal in further education

On-going support for interns, especially those who do not immediately find jobs

User-led Support Planning and Brokerage project

Aim

To demonstrate how changes in traditional assessment and care management and the use of user-led Support Planning and Brokerage can enable disabled people to have more choice and control over the support they need.

What does ‘user-led’ mean in this context?

Organisations run by disabled people

Work from a social model of disability perspective

Peer support based and promotes independent living

Why is User-led Support Planning better than traditional care services?

Support planning more creative – job outcome discussed as part of support planning

Open up networks and widens disabled people’s horizons

Positive role models

Examples of how ULO support planning can help disabled people and carers to take employment

Opening up networks – more opportunities for participation, in SAB one man had become an advisor on to the BBC on audio-description

Employing personal assistants – gives people greater flexibility around organising their days

Financial freedom - personal budgets allow people to pay for specialist employment support

What these projects have demonstrated …

That real change can happen and in relatively short space of time and deliver outcomes for disabled people

Evidence of shifts in culture of working collaboratively at local level

Changing attitudes and embedding the notion that employment is a realistic and important option for disabled people

Looking to the future – the policy landscape

• Recently published Sayce Review of specialist disability employment provision

• Building capability of ULOs - ODI fund to offer both financial and practical support

• Right to Control and Jobs First

• Big Society

QUESTION TIME

www.odi.gov.uk

http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/odi-projects/independent-living-strategy/independent-living-strategy-projects.php#ils

Contacts: denise.bushay@dwp.gsi.gov.uk nicholas.campbell@dwp.gsi.gov.uk