Creating a Fairer Scotland: Employability Support

Block 14 Holden Way
Donibristle Industrial Estate
Dalgety Bay

The existing Work Choice programme works well to support those who have found it difficult or impossible to find work in open employment because of additional individual support needs through illness and or disability

It should be accepted that there is a place for Supported Businesses in the employment field and those who gain employment and who are working within this environment should be recognised as employees with a permanent job and not to feel like a temporary lodger.
They should move on if possible when the time is right for them to do so, rather than being forced to seek employment because of a contract end date!

Strength:- The current provision of supported employment (Work Choice) gives individuals who thought they had little or no chance of finding employment the opportunity to train and learn new skills or enhance current skills with the support of those who are interested in their development, abilities and what they can do rather than focussing on their disability and what they cannot do!
Weakness:- The Prime Contractors of the existing Work Choice programme does not appreciate or recognise that a post within a supported business can and should be considered sustained employment and that those who are working within this programme should have a choice of whether they stay in the business or not! People should not be forced to move on if they are comfortable that what they are currently involved in and working at is fulfilling their needs and ambitions supporting the programme name “Work Choice”.

Modern apprenticeships for young disabled employees where they get the support required assisting them through the qualification that was not available to them when at school or college, or as far as adults are concerned in some cases a need to retrain through adult apprenticeships in different skills because they have become unwell or disabled through illness or accident which has left them no longer able to continue with their previous occupation.

The return of Factory Support Grants or similar funding to enhance the existing protected money for individuals employed under Work Choice which would enable the supported business to purchase up-to-date equipment for additional training and encourage and back the re-engineering of parts of the business possible to suit changing needs of employees and or services required or sought after aligning them with tender requests for future business development.

By discussing with the person what their realistic expectation for future employment would be and aligning them with an appropriate business to train, learn skills enabling them to pursue that type of work and a successful experience/outcome. Empowering and valuing people by remembering they are individuals and not statistics.

Same as previous answer by engaging with people who have the desire to work and try assist them through training to fulfil their realistic goals and ambitions.

By recognising that there is a need to support young people whose disability or ill health issues is picked up and that they are supported to assess their abilities encouraging them to think positively and focus on what they can do rather than focussing on what they can’t do.

Support should be there for as long as is required to sustain employment whether it is in a supported business or in open employment, disabilities and health issues can advance or get worse with age, they do not disappear, go away or get better no matter how upskilled the person becomes they just become veiled by the individual support and reasonable adjustments made instilling confidence and levelling the playing field. Removing the person from this environment can and sometimes is a recipe for disaster.

The benefits are that we understand our own business and have been working with Scottish Government and Procurement to sustain the business and its employees, we know best what Scotland and its people require and what works with our people by being aware at a local level, keeping our finger on the pulse of our communities and the challenge and needs of those within these areas.

By returning the contracts to the local authorities who have a vested interest in their communities and those within it rather than autonomous prime contractors as is at present who only seem interested in ticking boxes and do not understand real people and their needs. Perhaps there would be more opportunities for employees to move around within the council gaining more experience and widening their prospects.

Localised employment puts the ownership on the doorstep of the councillors who should have the knowledge about and be interested in supporting their local area communities and businesses and be aware of the statistics of those within their locality who are genuinely seeking employment, be they young, elderly, disabled or disadvantaged in some other way.

As above: the Local Authority with guidance from Scottish Parliament should be the providers.

Work Choice or equivalent employees who wish to work should continue to be supported into work and to sustain work and the current funding should remain ring-fenced and protected and even invested for this client group. As has been said it is preventative spend. The removal of this funding would put the supported businesses in jeopardy of closure and all those who are currently supported through the business would add to the unemployed statistics which in turn would add a bigger burden to the benefits system and NHS.

To build skills self-esteem and encourage ownership of individuals, empowering them to take control of their own destiny by supporting and giving encouragement to fulfil realistic ambitions.

One fit does not suit all but if there are too many people and services offering support for different reasons then there is a fear/chance that the supported money would become diluted and not find its way to constructive support and outcomes to meet the requirement of those who want to work and are actively seeking employment!

The advantage of payments by results means successfully placing a person within the employment field they wish to be fulfilling their ambitions and aspirations and then paying them for this work.
The disadvantages can be that the person becomes a statistic for ticking boxes and those who are far removed from the person loses sight of the individual forcing them to move into the wrong environment and set them up for failure.
The current distance travel and review documents which tracks employees through their journey should be recognised and used as a training record, assisting and demonstrating progression of employees within the supported business. Successfully sustaining employment within the supported business through continual skills development, qualification and learning is progression and should be rewarded as an outcome. This extra incentive could then be used to fund further training and/or skill advancement.

If an employee is successful in finding employment out with the supported business but still requires support there should be an option for them to take their funding with them to the new employment and the next person filing the post in the business should bring their support payment with them to the business.
Progression should be measured by achievements eg if a disabled person works within a supported business for 25 years, turns up for work day in day out, does a good job and is being paid a fair wage for this job, they should be commended for that effort rather than be forced to move on and perhaps not be able to keep up without support or worse advance their disability to the stage that they cannot work.

Life checks to ensure that all who are being claimed for actually exist and regular interviews with those people to check that their needs are being met and fulfilled by the employer!

Encourage ownership by keeping those involved in the loop and checking to see what is working well. Do not fix what is not broken just to make it stronger.

We have 37 employers within our supported business of all of whom have a story to tell each has the same aspiration and expectation in life as other working individuals!
Each get up in the morning with an objective and that is to come to work, learn and earn a wage which allows them to hold their head high knowing that they can support themselves and in some cases their families financially and contribute to the local community to which they belong because they have a job and a feeling of wellbeing.
Some are young and recently left school with low self-esteem and no skills or understanding of work rules, ethics or reliability. They are now working and undertaking Modern Apprenticeships in upholstery, woodwork and soft furnishings which when completed will equip them with skills and the certification to move on confirming that they can work and they can learn: just because someone believed in them and gave them a chance to prove their worth.
Some are older employees who have been in the business for many years and would appreciate the opportunity to retire from the business which they call and consider “their work” their disability and or health issue may have advanced with age but with continual support and reasonable adjustments, they may be able to sustain this work until that day!
Some have held down a job for many years in open employment in different fields but through illness, lifestyle or medication have acquired a disability which means they can no longer follow their original path of life: but they still want to work and maintain their self-respect and finding employment with support allows them to extend their working life which they thought had come to an end.
Some have mental health conditions which cause a barrier to them moving on (as some have already tried only to return) because they are comfortable with the support and guidance they receive within the supported business which has built their confidence and self-esteem and the fear of moving on would make them ill again and take from them their feeling of wellbeing.
Some are actively looking for employment outside the supported business but have to date found it difficult because of the current job situation and lack of suitable employment opportunities.