Supported Employment &
Welfare Rights
Welfare Rights and Supported
Employment Services
How we can work together
Alison Ryan Welfare Rights Officer &
Nerise Oldfield-Thompson
Service Co-ordinator Operational & Partnership
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What we are going to cover
• Who are we?
• What is supported employment?
• What perceived barriers do disabled people face when
moving towards employment?
• Overcoming the barriers
• What have we done in Durham?
• Advantages of working together
• Challenges we face
• Who are Base?
• What steps can you now take?
2
Who are we?
• Alison Ryan
Welfare Rights Officer
Develops services with Alzheimer’s groups,
domestic abuse services, older people.
• Nerise Oldfield-Thompson
Manager Durham’s supported employment
service, WorkAble Solutions and also sits on the
National Executive Committee for BASE.
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What is supported employment?
• Help disabled people in securing employment
and retaining employment.
• 1000s of people are supported in work;
developing their careers and life opportunities.
• Work in a person-centred way to support the
person in finding a job right for them.
• Work closely with employers and other agencies
to make work a reality.
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Question
• What are the benefits of being
employed?
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Benefits of Employment
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Improved self-esteem
Increased confidence
Part of the community
More friends
Learn new skills
Increased Independence
Money
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What a customer should expect
from supported employment
services?
•
•
•
•
•
Information, advice and guidance
Work with individual on a one-to-one basis
Action plan for the customer to work towards
Support in applying for jobs
Support in the workplace if required and support
to your employer
• Link in with other relevant agencies
• Support with Welfare Benefits
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What should an employer expect
from supported employment
services?
• Information, advice and guidance on
employment issues
• Support in recruitment and retention of disabled
employees
• One to One support for the employee
• Disability Awareness
• Access to Financial Assistance
• Regular monitoring visits
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Question
• What are the perceived barriers of
disabled people finding employment?
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Barriers as seen by the disabled
person
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Transport
Lack of Confidence
Lack of Skills/Qualifications
Lack of experience
Lack of disability awareness through employers
Carers/Family Expectations
Lack of jobs
Welfare Benefits
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Overcoming the Barriers
• Transport – Bus Passes, travel training,
Access to Work
• Lack of Confidence – working with people
on a can do attitude and building their
confidence
• Lack of skills/qualifications – short
vocational courses, interview techniques,
basic skills assessments
Dealing with the Barriers
• Lack of Experience – work placements,
work trials, work preparation, signposting
• Lack of Disability Awareness – awareness
sessions, breaking down barriers,
reasonable adjustments, Access to Work
Recognising the Barriers
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•
•
•
Carers/family expectations
Lack of jobs
Affordable childcare
Welfare Benefits
Trying out a job
•Benefit linking rules
•Work Trials
•Work Preparation
•Employment on Trial
•Job Introduction Scheme
•Return to Work Credit
•In-work Credit
•Self-employment Credit
Help when you start work
• HB and CTB extended payments
• Housing costs run on
• Job Grant
Benefits and Work
•
•
•
•
Less than 16 hours
16 hours or more
Permitted Work
Supported Permitted Work
Case Study
(19 yr old working 20 hours a week)
Income prior to
employment
Income Maximised prior
to employment
Income in employment
Income Support
£
Income Support
£
Earnings
£96.60
IB/SDA
£
IB/SDA
£
Tax Credits
£85.00
DLA (care)
£
DLA (care)
£18.65
DLA (care)
£18.95
DLA (mobility)
£
DLA (mobility)
£18.65
DLA (mobility)
£18.95
Other (specify)
£
Other (specify)
£
Other
Free bus pass
Total
£0.00
Total
Free bus pas
£37.30
Total
£219.50
What have we done in Durham?
•Set a yearly action plan that we review every 2 months
•Maximise income for customers
•WRT provided training to WorkAble Solutions
•Better Off Calculations completed
•WorkAble Solutions provided Presentations to Welfare Rights
•Referral System between both agencies
•Sit on similar groups, LD Partnership Board
•Work together on Consultations
•Delivered training to other staff, Connexions Advisers, Social Workers
•Link in for appeals
•Challenge DWP, Inland Revenue on issues.
Advantages of Working
Together
•Creates a seamless approach for customer
•Reduces duplication of work
•Gives the individual the right specialist support from the
right people
•Produces synergy between services
•Supports delivery for both services
Challenges we face
•More and more IB and ESA appeals
•Not statutory services
•Personalisation
•Changes in Welfare Reforms
•People with high housing costs
Who are Base?
• British Association for Supported
Employment.
www.base.org-uk
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Over to You
1. What steps will you take towards
working with your supported
employment service??
2. How can you embed working
together?
Over to You – What people
who attended workshops said
they will do or their thoughts.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Use Base website to see who they can contact in their area
Need to learn more about supported employment agencies in my
area.
Need to address our own attitudes – As WROs we tend to protect
our clients who are on benefits
WROs need more education to understand what is available –
we’ve seen some of that today
We have confidence in some supported employment services but
not in others
Contact Details
Nerise Oldfield-Thompson
Service Co-ordinator Operational & Partnership
01388 816895
nerise.oldfield@durham.gov.uk
Alison Ryan
Welfare Rights Officer
0191 3708776
alison.ryan@durham.gov.uk
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