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:Pippa.suse@btinternet.comwww.susescotland.co.uk