What is Supported Employment

Supported employment has been defined in Scotland as, “promoting the rights of all individuals to achieve their full potential through a model of flexible support that enables people to overcome barriers to their employability and access real jobs for real pay”.

Supported employment services provide ongoing, personalised support to individuals to assist them gain and retain employment. They are based on the evidence that the previous model of lengthy training is not as effective as “place and train” models of employability support where the preparation phase is minimised, job search is rapid and people are quickly supported into an open, competitive position.

In the UK, supported employment is provided by a range of organisations and agencies including the Department of Work and Pensions.  For example under their Disability Employment programmes soon to be Workstep and Workchoice, and as specialist projects from the voluntary sector, health or social care services.  These specialist services generally are designed to reach people furthest from the labour market and requiring sustained support in work, and are funded by a range of sources including the NHS, local authorities, Fair Scotland Funds and the European Social Fund.

Recognising the role of supported employment in tackling inequality, the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee report ‘Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities’  (December 2006) recommended A Task Group for the development of supported employment be established, chaired by COSLA.  This Task Group, and linked workstreams, developed a Supported Employment Framework for Scotland, published on 23 February 2010.   The Framework’s ambition is for all disabled people who want to work, and can work, to have the opportunity to do so.  It seeks to engage partnership commitment to supported employment to create and develop more consistent person-centred support, sustained funding and improved new opportunities for disabled people.