VALUING EMPLOYMENT NOW

4th March 2010

Susan Underhill

The Strategy

Valuing Employment Now was launched in June 2009

It is a cross government strategy to radically increase the numbers of people with learning disabilities into employment by 2025.

Focus on people with moderate to severe learning disabilities.

Understanding the Need for Change For non-disabled people of working age employment levels are

currently at more than 80%

" For disabled people employment levels are at 47% (up from 38%a decade ago – Valuing People Now: Three Year Strategy2009)

" For people with learning disabilities employment levels, for paidwork, remain disappointingly low. Less than 10% known toservices, and of these only half are in employment as defined bythe DWP.

65% of people with learning disabilities would like to have a job

Overarching Principles of the Strategy

If real disability equality is to be achieved work needs no longer to be seen as optional. The default must be that everyone will have the chance to get a job.

Work means real jobs in the open market that are paid at the prevailing wage or – Self Employment

As many people as possible working at least 16 hours per week because this is the point at which they are better off.

People with profound and complex disabilities should not be excluded from the world of work.

Delivering change will need strong leadership at all levels.

Economic and Financial Realities

No new funding. The emphasis is on making better use of existing funding for adults with learning disabilities

More effective use of existing resources including education, adult learning and employment support.

Local authorities will be encouraged to refocus spend on adult day services to supported employment and review and align provision under their new learning funding responsibilities.

Valuing Employment Now –What needs to happen?

Changing attitudes Growing the presumption of employability from an early age

Joint Working for individual employment paths Close partnership working and aligning of funding streams

Better work preparation at school and college Foundation Learning, better work experience opportunities

The role of Personal budgets and social care Personal budgets can and should be used to support adults with

learning disabilities into work Increasing high quality job coaching

The Delivery PlanAt national level a Cross-Government Delivery Team will

report to the Minister for Disabled People and the Minister for Care Services as well as the national cross-government Learning Disability Programme Board.

At regional level Deputy Regional Directors for Social Care and regional Valuing People Leads will coordinate delivery and support local areas.

At local level Learning Disability Partnership Boards will include progress on this strategy as part of their annual reports London Skills and Employment Board

Valuing Employment Now - What’s Happening Now?

Getting a Life programmeRunning in 10 Local Authority Areas

Project Search Access to Work New Work Choice programmeFoundation LearningLocal Authority Commissioning for 19 -25

Valuing Employment Now –DiscussionWhat are the challenges to delivering Valuing

Employment Now?How can we raise expectations?How can we provide better and more effective

work experience?How can a partnership approach increase

opportunities for sustainable paid employment?

Valuing Employment Now –DiscussionWhat are the challenges to delivering Valuing

Employment Now?How can we raise expectations?How can we provide meaningful work

experienceHow can a partnership approach increase

opportunities for sustainable paid employment?

Find out moreThe following websites will give you more information on some of the

projects and programmes outlined in this programme:

Valuing Employment Now - Strategyhttp://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/

DH_101401

Valuing Employment Now – Delivery Planhttp://www.officefordisability.gov.uk/docs/wor/pro/ven-delivery.pdf

Real Roles websitehttp://www.realroles.co.uk/

Project Searchhttp://www.officefordisability.gov.uk/working/project-search.php

Getting a Lifehttp://www.gettingalife.org.uk/

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/

Susan UnderhillJH Consulting

0791 808 8194Susan.underhill@jhconsulting.org