Jobseekers
 

What is Supported Employment

Supported Employment is the specialised assessment and matching of people to paid employment which suits their needs, abilities, skills and preferences.  It involves ongoing support and training, ranging from jobfinding, interviews and on-the-job training when employment has been found.  Employment can range from 1 hour per week to full-time and is centred around the individual and availabillity of employment in the person's local community.  Support and training is provided on a one to one basis.  This support is gradually withdrawn until the person attains independent status at their own workplace.  However, there is structured monitoring to ensure that an individual does not experience difficulties or to enable career development.


What precisely is the support offered by ELITE?

Following specialised assessments, ELITE job hunts on an individual's behalf to find the most appropriate job for that person.  Job hunting will involve completing applications and paperwork on a person's behalf and accompanying individuals to interviews to support them through the experience.  When a job has been found, ELITE provides one to one direct support and training at the workplace until the individual can work independently.  ELITE assists individuals to socially integrate with colleagues in the workplace and to learn their job through specialised instruction, gradually reducing support to enable independence.  ELITE assists individuals to become familiar with travel routes where this will last for a short period of time.  ELITE also trains the person in Health and Safety as part of their jobtraining, producing Risk Assessments relevant to the workplace.  Likewise, ELITE acts as a co-ordinating body, providing support in relation to Benefits Agency paperwork, applications for equipment or travel costs that maybe provided by the Department for Work and Pensions, and contact with other support mechanisms that may be necessary for the individual.  The period of time that ELITE supports the individual varies depending on their individual needs.  Support and training needs have ranged from one week to three years.  Prior to the job commencing, ELITE negotiates an individual's wages, responsibilities and hours of work with the employer to ensure that we meet individual need.

How do people with a learning disability learn about and seek employment?

ELITE aims to enable people, for whom there is an identified need, to gain the skills and knowledge to seek employment.  When the individual has developed the necessary awareness for work and requests the opportunity and support to move on to employment, we enter into explicit discussions around paid employment with service users, parents / carers and care managers.  Through discussons an agreement is reached on whether or not to proceed and make a referral to ELITE.

Given the assumption that individuals should lead as normal a life as possible, is pressure being put on individuals and parents / carers for service users to seek employment?

ELITE recognises that people have the right to expect encouragement and support to enable them to reach their full potential and to achieve a lifestyle akin to other people in the community.  Our service is not there to put pressure on individuals and their families to move on to paid employment if they do not wish to do so.  Our primary function is to equip each individual with the skills, knowledge and experience of work, enabling them to make informed choices.  The decision to enter paid employment will only be made after full consultation between the service user, parent / carer and care manager.

How and when do parents / carers become involved in the jobfinding process?

The service, at all times, involve parents / carers in the development of work opportunities for the individual in their care.  This partnership enables parents / carers to participate fully with the service in maximising the opportunities for service users to take up paid employment, where appropriate.  This process must form an integral part of the individuals Care Plan.

Can I take an advocate with me when I attend a meeting about supported employment for the person I care for?

YES - you have the right to take along a member of your family, or an advocate which could be a member of your district forum or a representative from a professional body.

Where and when do Daytime Opportunity Services become involved in the process?

Any individual with a disability can be referred to ELITE.  Daytime Opportunity Services will have an essential part to play in the process if the individual is already receiving provision from the service.   The process begins with a referral made to ELITE via the Senior Development Officer (Employment & Training).  The referral will be made as a result of an individual's need which will have been identified by the Assessment Care Manager (i.e. a Social Worker or Community Nurse).  Once the referral has been made, the Senior Development Officer, who will remain the key contact between ELITE and the individual (alongside their parent / carer), constantly monitors progress.

What happens if a person does not like the job undertaken?  Do they have to take another?

Employment choices lie with the individual.  If an individual does not like the job they have chosen, they are free to end their employment after providing their employer with full notice.  Individuals are not pressurised or forced to take another job, but are assisted to look for other employment if they so require.  When someone ceases employment they are provided with a "Termination of Employment" interview, where it is identified whether the person wishes to continue looking for employment or revert to their previous status.

What if the parent / carer does not like the job offered or undertaken?

Parents / carers are a key source of support whenever an individual chooses to look for paid employment.  It is essential that everyone who will support the individual is involved in the process.  Anxieties or concerns that parents / carers have in relation to the job offered or undertaken will be discussed with the supporting Employment Training Co-ordinator.  Following joint consideration, and the wishes of the individual, the employment will be continued or discontinued as applicable.

What happens to an individual if, for whatever reason, their employment ceases and they wish to access Daytime Opportunity Services?

A request for re-assessment of need is made to the Care Managr in order to establish what type or form of service the individual requires.

What happens to an individual if, for whatever reason, their employment ceases and they wish to access the Benefits System?

The majority of individuals that ELITE works with are in receipt of some form of incapacity benefit or disability benefit and therefore if employment is obtained, and then lost, these rights need to be protected.  This has been recognised by the  Government and Form F220C is held by the Benefits Agency for completion prior to a job commencing.  This protects a person's right to return to their previous benefits if their job fails within a 52 week period.  If employment does cease within a 52 week period (e.g. due to an individual being unable to cope) following application for benefits, the individual simply reverts to their previous benefits.  ELITE will guide individuals and their parents / carers through the application process and will assist with the completion of forms or liaise with the Benefits Agency if an individual experiences difficulties.  With people who have been in employment for a number of years, an individual will need to reapply for Disability Benefits if their employment ceases.  Where individuals work for 15 hours or less per week, their job is set up under the  Supported Permitted work ruling, where an individual can earn up to £88.50 per week (as at October 2007), with the first £20 of earnings being disregarded against benefits.  If a person earns between £21 and £88.50, their Income Support type benefit is adjusted accordingly.  If employment ceases, the Benefits Agency Income Support Section is informed and the individual reverts to their previous level of benefits.

When an individual is offered employment what input does the Benefits Agency have before the position is accepted?

ELITE deals with three types of financial and employment benefits as detailed below:

a)  Lower Limit Supported Work

This is where an individual works a limited number of hours (less than 16 hours) and is only allowed to earn an income which will not affect benefits, e.g. £20 earnings disregard.  ELITE has an excellent relationship with the Benefits Agency's staff and has developed joint paperwork to expedite agreements in relation to this ruling.  Likewise, paperwork has been produced to inform the Income Support Section of the Benefits Agency to ensure all departments are kept informed and acknowledge changes.  This takes place prior to employment commencing.

b)  Supported Permitted Work
This is where an individual works less than 16 hours per week and is allowed to earn up to £88.50 per week.  The first £20 of this income is ignored if the person receives Income Support, but Income Support is reduced £1 for £1 to the Income Support limit.  This does not affect Severe Disablement Allowance or Incapacity Benefit.   With authorisation, people can also keep Disabillity Living Allowance.  ELITE has an excellent relationship with the Benefit Agency's staff and has developed joint paperwork to expedite agreements in relation to this ruling.  Likewise, paperwork has been produced to inform the Income Support Section of the Benefits Agency to ensure all departments are kept informed and acknowledge changes.  This takes place prior to employment commencing.

c)  Work of 16 Hours Plus Disability Benefits
In some cases individuals can maintain benefits when entering paid employment and receive top up tax credits to subsidise their earnings.  ELITE provides a co-ordination service to individuals by working with the Benefits Agency to maintain Disabillity Living Allowance (prior to employment commencing) and the Inland Revenue to receive Tax Credits.  We also liaise with the Housing Benefit section to check if a person can maintain a level of housing benefit (where applicable).

d)  Giving Up Benefits in Place of Earnings
Where an individual's hours and wages exceed the rulings for support from the Benefits Agency or Inland Revenue, ELITE advises individuals to contact the Benefits Agency prior to employment commencing to simply sign off.  This is usually the system applicable to anyone who is not in receipt of Disability Benefit.

Employers

What Types of Occupations can ELITE Support?

The type of jobs we support people in are many and varied and not linked to any specific occupation.  Vacancies are persued based on an individual's choice, skills and abilities.

How Will Someone Manage Health and Safety at a Workplace?

ELITE training staff will build the Health and Safety requirements of the job into someone's training plan.  They will also produce a workplace Risk Assessment that suits the individual with a disability.  This paperwork is then provided to an employer for their perusal.  An employer is also asked to sign off this paperwork to demonstrate it has been acknowledged.

Will a Person's Medication Affect them at Work?

A specialised job matching system is utilised to enable our candidates to progress into paid employment.  The side effects of a person's medication would be taken into account within this process and if it was identified that it would be detrimental to the individual they would not pursue the vacancy.

What if We Don't Have the Time to Train the Person or They're Slow at the Job?

Employers and candidates are supported by ELITE throughout the recruitment and induction period.  To save an employer's time, a member of ELITE's training staff will enter the workplace and learn the job tasks, including pace and standards.  This member of staff then cascades this information to the individual through specially tailored one to one training and support, saving on an employer's workforce time.  If an individual's pace is lower in the initial stages, the member of training staff makes up for their productivity levels.  As an individual progresses, the member of training staff gradually withdraws from the workplace.  We can also put you in touch with organisations who can provide financial assistance to compensate for a person's pace if it was identified that they would not reach the required goals.

What if a Candidate was Unsuitable?

All candidates would undertake a probationary period in ine with any new recruits.  If it was identified that the person was unsuitable during this period, their employment would terminate in line with any other candidate.  However, if it was identified that the person simply needed further training, an extension of the probationary period would be negotiated and ELITE would continue to train the individual and support the employer.

Would our Building Need to be Specially Adapted, Which Could be Costly for our Business?

The majority of ELITE's candidates do not need specially adapted buildings or equipment at work as either they do not have a physical disability or their disability does not impair their abilities.  In the event that adaptations or equipment are needed, specialised grants can be obtained under the Governments "Access to Work" Fund.

We Need People to Complete an Application Form and Undertake an Interview.  Would Candidates be Able to Cope With This?

The qualification levels, abilities and skills of our candidates are varied, ranging from people educated to degree standards to people who have no literacy skills.  People may need support with an application form or interview for a variety of reasons and this support would be provided by ELITE to enable an individual to pursue a vacancy.