Challenges and lessons for supporting

disabled young people.

Tony Wilson, Policy DirectorCentre for Economic and Social

Inclusion

Content

Disabled young people – the challenges

Supported internships – what works

Employment support – what works

The evidence base – challenges & lessons

The value of monitoring soft outcomes

Challenges for disabled young people Disabled young people are far more likely

to be NEET. The proportion of disabled 19 year olds

without a Level 3 qualification has fallen. But disabled young people are less likely

to be in Higher Education. Having a degree level qualification can

significantly improve disabled people’s employment outcomes.

Challenges for disabled young people Employment rates for young disabled

people have dropped. Disabled people are less likely to be in

work than non-disabled people. Young disabled people have high

aspirations but by the time they reach adulthood their aspirations have reduced.

What works in supported internships Project SEARCH supported internship

model for young people with learning disabilities.

Uses many features of the Supported Employment model:Employer and customer engagementVocational profilingJob matching / job analysisPersonalised in-work support including TSI

What works in supported internships Strong partnerships and senior ‘buy in’ Early focus on job search and employer links Flexible approach – adapt to local circumstances

Sites reported key benefits of the model as:Experience of ‘real work’Alternative to cycle of education/trainingSocial and personal benefits for internsImprovements and efficiency for employersSome evidence of financial savings

What works in employment support Participant engagement and raising aspirations. Vocational profiling used to inform job search

and job matching. Employer engagement and the use of ‘place and

train’ approaches. In-work support including systematic instruction

and development of natural supports. Career development. Individual focus and personalised support. Continuity in smoothing transitions.

How robust is the evidence base?

Approaches accepted as effective are Supported Employment for learning disability and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for mental health.

But costed evidence is limited. Issues for measuring economic impact include:

How economic analysis is measured.Some lack of clarity on the models.Employment rates are often around 50% - what happens to the other 50%?

The value of monitoring soft outcomes Distance Travelled: the progress

customers make in terms of achieving soft outcomes that lead towards sustained employment or associated hard outcomes.

Why? To capture the benefits resulting from programmes that may be missed if only hard outcomes are recorded.

Value of such a tool identified in the evaluation of the specialist disability employment programme WORKSTEP.

The value of monitoring soft outcomes Good for customer confidence and self

esteem. Good for support worker motivation. Good for supporting tailored and efficient

interventions. Good for programme development. Good for showing development to potential

employers. Provides structure and depth to development

planning.

Key references for more info

DWP (2013) Fulfilling Potential: Building a deeper understanding of disability in the UK today.

Purvis et al (2012) Project SEARCH Evaluation: Final Report, ODI. HM Government (2010) Valuing Employment Now: Job Coaching

or Support Employment – Approach and Progress in Development Standards.

Hasluck and Green (2007) What works for whom? A review of evidence and meta-analysis for the Department of Work and Pensions, DWP Research Report No. 407.

Wilkins et al (2012) Economic Evidence Around Employment Support, National Institute for Health Research.

Purvis et al (2009) Exploring a Distance Travelled approach to WORKSTEP development planning, DWP Research Report No. 566.