Supported Employment in Britain

Abstract

T his paper describes supported employment, its growth as an alternative to traditional day services and research which indicates potentially beneficial outcomes in the areas of increased employee income, social integration, satisfaction, engagement in activity, employer satisfaction, and in the relationship between financial costs and savings. Outcomes may be reduced due to welfare benefit restrictions that hamper transition into employment, and more part-time jobs are found as a result in the UK compared to the USA. Providers face problems with low expectations among carers, lack of knowledge of disability among employers, and their funding is precarious. If people with severe disabilities are not to be excluded from supported employment, commissioners need to consider the outcomes they require and the priority needs of clients when setting day service contracts.

Psychological Factors Associated with Obtaining Employment

“…Group models are usually aimed at people who need intensive levels of support, and encompass work crews and small businesses (Rusch & Hughes 1989). The individual model is the basis for more than 200 supported employment services established in the UK since 1986 (Beyer & Kilsby 1997). There are variations on how the model is implemented.…”

“…All models, however, include identifying the participant's work preferences and work skills, and helping them to obtain employment. Beyer & Kilsby (1997) defined supported employment as:…”

‘Real Jobs’, ‘Learning Difficulties’ and Supported Employment

“…Such as approach is, however, not without its problems. Callahan (1992) has drawn attention to the difficulties the co-worker may have in being able to sufficiently teach the person with 'learning difficulties' the tasks of the job and, furthermore, the fact that the nature of the relationship of the person with 'learning difficulties' to their co-worker may in itself undermine their confidence and self esteem (Beyer, 1997). In addition, the disabled person remains dependant on other workers to help them cope with specific tasks.…”

Learning disability policy and practice in the UK

“…Given the ready transfer of US ideas about community-based residential services to the UK, it is not clear why the enormous progress made in supported employment in the US has been so difficult to replicate here. There is knowledge and skill, and there have been excellent demonstration projects (Beyer & Kilsby, 1997), but the number of supported employment schemes for people with higher support needs remains tiny. Employment is an example of a general trend in learning disability policy and practice in the UK: raising the profile of learning disability in other relevant sectors in pursuit of people's rights.…”