Making it Work: Embedding a supported employment approach in vocational education and training for people with learning difficulties

People with learning difficulties want and have the right to work. Work provides opportunities for people to develop their skills and confidence and it aids social inclusion. Many people with learning difficulties are able to contribute to society by working, if they are given the right support. However, it is estimated at present that only 7.5% of people with learning difficulties is in any type of employment. In 2009 the Government published Valuing Employment Now: Real Jobs for People with Learning Disabilities. It emphasises the importance of work experience and work based learning, and sets out plans to radically increase the number of people with learning disabilities in real jobs by 2025. Furthermore it states that, amongst other things, better work preparation at college and more high quality job coaching needs to be in place.

The Making it Work project had three main aims:

1. To produce a book for practitioners and managers working with people with learning difficulties in learning and skills sector. The Making it Work book is a guide to embedding a supported employment approach in vocational education and training for people with learning difficulties. It will be officially launched this afternoon
2. To develop a training programme to accompany the book. There will be more information about this on the NIACE website shortly.
3. To use the findings of the Making it Work project to inform and influence policy developments concerning employment and people with learning difficulties

A draft version of the ‘Making it Work’ book was produced in March 2009, the end of the first year of a two-year project funded by the Department of Health. At the beginning of the project, a call for information was sent out to providers in the learning and skills sector asking for examples of provision for learners with learning difficulties that were embedding a supported employment approach. The information received from the call for information provided the project with a list of sites for fieldwork visits and a list of providers to invite to a seminar held in October 2008. Colleagues who attended the seminar were asked to:

• comment on a draft framework for the book;
• suggest what they thought should be in the book;
• provide case studies for the book.

There were also a number of fieldwork visits to sites throughout the two years. A number of learning providers piloted the draft version of this book in the summer term 2009. Feedback from these providers and from critical readers of informed the writing of this final, updated version, launched in March 2010. A training day to support the use of the book was also trialed with the pilot sites and will be the basis of a regional training programme.

The ‘Making it Work’ book is for practitioners and managers working with people with learning difficulties in learning and skills sector including: Further Education (FE) colleges, Independent Specialist Providers, Adult and Community learning services, work-based learning, and voluntary and community sector organisations. It may also be useful for supported employment agencies and welfare to work organisations. Feedback from those working in the learning and skills sector indicates that there is a need and desire for information and training on how to develop vocational provision based on the supported employment model.

This was a two year project starting in April 2008 and ending in March 2010.

The Making it Work book was launched at a national conference in London on March 23rd 2010.

The book provides information about the supported employment process and how this can be embedded in vocational training and courses for people with learning difficulties. The book was developed in consultation with providers who are developing a supported employment approach in their courses, and case studies are provided throughout to illustrate how this work is being put into practice . Each section ends with a list of ‘Points to consider’ for the reader to reflect on how they could introduce the supported employment approach and the implications that this will have for their existing provision. An action plan to take this work forward is provided at the end of the book with a list of publications and useful resources.

Making it Work focuses on:

• the voice of the learner
• disability rights legislation and learning and skills policies
• principles and processes of supported employment,
• person-centred approaches in vocational courses and training;
• supported employment in the Learning and Skills sector
• collaborative working · curriculum development and supported employment 
• working with parents and carers
• working with employers

The Making it Work Regional Courses

The book can be downloaded here.

Following the launch of the Making it Work book, over 230 staff and 140 learners attended nine regional training courses held between June and November 2010. Photos, from the training days including posters drawn on the day to capture what the learners had to say, and notes from staff discussions can be seen here.

Participants from the training events said:

"We thoroughly enjoyed the conference last week and have returned fired up once again for seeking ways in which we can support learners in to paid work."
College support worker/mentor

"Just to let you know again it was a fantastic day."
Guidance and curriculum officer

"Excellent training session."
Learner

"I will use the Making it Work document and utilise contacts & resources."
Lecturer

The Making it Work training was delivered for:

1. teaching staff in further education colleges, adult and community learning services, work-based learning, voluntary sector organisations and post-16 school provisions involved in running vocational courses and training for people with learning difficulties, and,
2. learners with learning difficulties who are on vocational courses or training, and want to get a job. NIACE, with the support of the Valuing Employment Now team, is running the training in each of the nine English regions. The Making it Work training team includes: a supported employment expert; facilitators with extensive experience of working with people with learning difficulties, and experienced staff trainers.

Teaching staff attending the training had the opportunity to:

• explore supported employment through the recently published book Making it Work: Embedding a supported employment approach in vocational education and training for people with learning difficulties [Available here]
• work with learners to write an action plan about learning and work to take away at the end of the day.

Learners attending the training had the opportunity to:

• talk about work and what it means
• think about what is important in the future around work
• talk about what a job can help you do
• work with staff to write an action plan about learning and work to take away at the end of the day.

Photos and Feedback from training days

Please see below for links to photographs and feedback from each of the nine regional events:

Thursday 10 June 2010, Preston
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/preston/index.html

Thursday 23 September 2010, London
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/london/index.html

Tuesday 28 September 2010, Birmingham
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/birmingham/index.html

Wednesday 6 October 2010, Derby
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/derby/index.html

Wednesday 13 October 2010, Leeds
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/leeds/index.html

Thursday 21 October 2010, Durham
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/durham/index.html

Tuesday 2 November 2010, Cambridge
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/cambridge/index.html

Thursday 11 November 2010, Reading
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/reading/index.html

Wednesday 17 November 2010, Somerset
http://www.niace.org.uk/documents/making-it-work-photos/somerset/index.html

Documents
	Birmingham Notes
	Cambridge Notes
	Derby Notes
	Durham Notes
	Leeds Notes
	London Notes
	Preston Notes
	Reading Notes
	Taunton Notes
	Training Report 23/03/2011

Web Links
	Making it Work
	Making it Work: a free one day course for staff and learners

The impact of the Making it Work project will be:

• Increased knowledge and confidence of staff in post -16 education and training about how to implement supported employment approaches to people with learning disabilities move into work
• Increased joint working between post-16 education and training and supported employment agencies and services
• Fewer people with learning disabilities repeating courses with no real progression route the revolving door syndrome
• A greater awareness of post-16 education and training staff on how to use person-centred approaches in their work
• Increased involvement of key players in the supported employment process, employers, parent/carers, Jobcentre plus, Connexions and Next Step services

A national training programme to accompanies the Making it Work book. Please see the above link for details.

Yola Jacobsen
Programme Director
NIACE
yola.jacobsen@niace.org.uk