Pathways to Getting A Life

Valuing People Now employment resources

The Valuing People Now team have developed resources to promote best practice and support local and regional delivery so that more people with learning disabilities get homes and jobs and lead fulfilled lives.
The materials include:

The business case for Local Authorities to support more people with learning disabilities into work and invest in supported employment, which evidence suggests can save money for social care.
A 'How To' Guide with learning and practical information from the Valuing People Now employment demonstration sites (including Getting A Life, Jobs First and Project Search).
A guide for Local Authority Commissioners.
The Government's new best practice guidelines for supported employment and job coaching.

To access the resources please visit:
www.valuingpeoplenow.dh.gov.uk/content/employment-resources-hub

Getting a Life in the North West

Laura Green: North West Business Owner Practical advice about reviewing existing processes and thoughts about what needs to be in place to have the best chance of success in supporting more young people into paid work. We have shared some good practice examples from the national programme but have focused also on sharing good news from across the North West region. These examples are by no means the only good work that is happening but are some ways to show, we believe, what is possible and positive.

Download Things to think about and ideas to try for more information.

Transition Pathways to Getting a Life

Valuing People Now has been looking at what needs to happen to improve the experience of young people with learning disabilities as they move into adulthood. The Getting a Life programme has focused on jobs and careers, but it is also important to think about and plan for future health, housing, and friendships and relationships.

Five pathways have been designed to show what needs to happen at each stage of a young person’s progress through transition and into adulthood, using the principles and methods of person-centred transition planning and support planning so that they can have jobs, friends, their own homes and choice and control over their lives.

A programme of events took place in 2010 to support partnership boards and local staff working with young people to carry out effective reviewing and planning. Presentations and resources from these events are available to download from the Centrevents website.

Pathways to Getting a Life:

Transition planning for full lives 2011

To bring together what we have learned about transition
from Valuing People and Valuing People Now during the past
10 years, and in particular from Getting a Life.
To set out clearly the key things that need to happen to
support young people to move into adulthood, with the
information, experiences, confidence and skills they need to
fulfil their aspirations, enjoy equal opportunities and have
good lives.
To introduce the Pathways to Getting a Life.

Download the document here (2.7mb)

Government Policy

Valuing People Now

Valuing People Now is the Department of Health’s and cross-government strategy to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families. The three main priorities for 2010-11 are:

Health
Housing
Employment

A report on progress made in the first 18 months of the strategy, and examples of good practice around the country, are available to download from the Department of Health website:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/SocialCare/Learningdisabilities/Valuingpeoplenow/index.htm

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Valuing Employment Now

“Valuing Employment Now - real jobs for people with learning disabilities” sets out an ambitious goal to increase radically the number of people with learning disabilities in employment by 2025, with as many as possible of these jobs to be at least 16 hours per week.

The strategy document, delivery plan and easy read versions can be downloaded from the Department of Health website:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_101401 link opens in new window

What we are learning from the Valuing People Now demonstration sites – December 2010

The Getting a Life and Jobs First programme managers gave an update to the local project teams about:

The current government policy context
What we are learning from the demonstration sites – progress and challenges
Examples of good practice
Click to view>>

Research and evidence

What works – Transition to employment for young people with learning disabilities (Shaw Trust, 2008)
Click for Summary Report>>
Shaw Trust Good Practice Guide

Steve Beyer

Steve Beyer from Cardiff University about the evidence of what works in supporting people with learning disabilities into jobs.

< This presentation is best viewed full screen

Mike Callahan

Mike Callahan from Marc Gold Associates about customised supported employment in the U.S.

< This presentation is best viewed full screen

An evaluation of the outcomes of supported employment in North Lanarkshire (Cardiff University, 2007)
The Financial case for supported employment (2010)>>

Getting A Job

In Control Job sheets
These resources can help people plan the steps to get a job, including thinking about what they enjoy and are good at, making a plan of what jobs they could do, finding a job and starting it.
Click to view>>

Self-employment
Some people with learning disabilities want to work for themselves and run their own business rather than working for someone else.
You can see the stories of some people in Herefordshire who are setting up their own businesses as part of the Getting a Life programme on the Herefordshire with miEnterprise page.

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities ran a programme called “In Business”, and looked at the pathway towards self-employment and small business ownership for those people with learning disabilities. It found out about the steps needed, including innovation, business planning and development, and service delivery change.
The In Business programme developed resources, tool and guides for people with a learning disability and those that support them. All of the guides are based on the experience of people with learning disabilities in the pilot project sites.

Quick Guide to Self-Employment - This guide gives an overview of what needs to be done when setting up a business and becoming self employed. It also has links to where you can get more help.

Developing a Business Idea - This guide helps people and their support workers think about their business idea in more detail, test their idea and begin planning.

Writing a Business Plan - This guide helps people bring their ideas together into one plan to help with seeking support for their venture.

In Business Programme Report - is the final report of the In Business programme.

You can see these resources and more information about being self-employed and building your own business on the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities’ website or download the In Business report here

Employment Support and planning tools Employment Support Planning Tools

These are some tools for people to use, to help them think about employment when they are developing their support plan. The booklet can be used in conjunction with Support Planning Tools to help you with your Support Plan, published by Helen Sanderson Associates .
Download Employment Support Planning Tools here.

Your Human Rights

Information about your Human Rights with some stories from the Equality and Human Rights Comission.
Click to view>>

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