What does the service offer?

We can support unemployed adults over 18 who live in Worcestershire and have a learning disability and are in receipt of adult social care support.

We can offer support to:

• find out what your skills and interests are and what type of employment would be right for you
• provide information and advice on where you can find other work activity and employment related support, training and experience
• advise you on how to find suitable work activity and employment
• support you with applications, interviews, taster days and work placements
• help you with completing pre-start papers, checks and travel to work plans if you are matched to a job
• advise you and your employer on support, work buddies or reasonable adjustments you may need when you are learning a new job
• continue support with calls and visits at work to review how you are settling into your job

The service

The Supported Employment Service offers a service to match people that have a learning disability to work activity and employment opportunities within local organisations and business. Many people with disabilities are unemployed but are motivated to work. Some organisations and business could be missing out on an opportunity to recruit from more diverse sources.

The service is government funded service with no fees attached.

Types of Work

The Supported Employment Service have worked alongside organisations and business to recruit and retain people in various types of employment including a Kitchen Assistant in a local restaurant, a Merchandising Assistant in a national supermarket, Porters within a healthcare setting, Administrative Support in a local Council office and outdoor work such as a Landscape Assistant or Farm Hand.

We have worked in partnership to progress work opportunities and employment for as little as 2 hours a week and over 25 hours a week. No role or hours too small to consider.

Positive impacts of employing people with disabilities:

• it can provide motivated and committed employees
• it can increase knowledge and experience of practical and cost-effective ways to support and retain employees
• it can encourage morale and team working
• it can lead to innovation in products and services
• it can champion diversity
• it can enhance reputation with customers

How the Service can support your business or organisation

• we can visit you to understand your business, the work you do, ideas about job opportunities you have or could develop. This helps us to identify the people skills and qualities you are looking for and enables us to match the most suitable candidates to your opportunity
• we can support our candidates to attend an informal interview to meet you, look at a job, where it is and understand what would be required. As a practical reasonable adjustment, we can also help set up supported working interviews
• we can advise our candidates on sorting out ID requirements, application forms, references, and checks.
• we can support you and the candidate to arrange shadowing and work tasters
• we can support our candidates to arrange provision to get to a place of work and sometimes we can apply for funding to transport our candidates to work
• we can provide initial onsite "in work support" or advise on adjustments or work buddies, to ensure our candidates understand their role and expectations
• we can advise on how to arrange longer term support in the workplace if required
• we offer regular calls and visits to review progress and support you and the candidate during the initial 6 months

Employer Testimonial

"With the help of the WCC Supported Employment Service, we have employed a person to work within our organisation. The employment has been hugely successful.

I wanted to assure providers and businesses that if they were considering this, we have found the process of recruitment relatively straight forward, and the ‘employee’ has been extremely motivated and hard working within their job role.

So much so… we decided to increase their hours!

We are now in discussion with The Supported Employment Service about employing another person to work as a Health and Safety Checker.

I would urge any providers that may be able to employ a person with disabilities to really consider this as a valued opportunity, in a sector, where let's face it, recruitment is difficult."

Donna - Manager, Worcestershire Care Home.