29 Nov Supported Employment Programme in NHS Trusts for Young People with Disabilities: Piecing the Puzzle Together

A report commissioned by Health Education England and undertaken by King’s College London explores the status of supported employment in NHS Trusts for young people with learning disabilities and Autism. Amanda Griffiths, Supported Employment Programme Lead at West London Alliance, contributed significantly to the research and the report includes examples of successful programmes within West London, established at Northwick Park Hospital and West London NHS Trust. Read the full report here.

Some key findings:

• The report highlights the positive cultural change brought about by these individuals and the value placed by Trusts on their supported employment programmes reflected in their efforts made to maintain them during the pandemic.
• An initial objective to meet ‘corporate social responsibilities’ and develop a workforce reflective of the local community, quickly gives way to more tangible benefit realisation not only for the young person, who typically finds a route into employment, but also for the Trust able to establish to a new pipeline of enthusiastic, commitment and often highly skilled employees.
• The study provides insights and guidance on the development cycle of programmes and highlights the different ways these programmes develop and thrive.
• The West London Alliance partnership with NHS in NW London is cited as an example of a successful integrated systems approach working at a regional and local level to increase the number of skills training and job opportunities for young people who struggle to access the workforce.

The Report concludes with a series of recommendations directed at different levels of NHS and aimed at furthering the start-up of such programmes and ensuring that young people with disabilities do not become lost in the uncertainties of the post-COVID labour market.

We look forward to building on this great piece of work into 2022, and continuing to support young people with learning disabilities and autism into good employment.

To find out more about the Research or the Supported Employment Programme more generally, visit the programme page or contact Amanda Griffiths: griffithsa@ealing.gov.uk.