Jobs scheme for disabled needs bespoke approach
A scheme to help disabled people into sustainable employment must work harder to ensure support is sufficiently tailored, according to a new report.
The Workstep employment programme, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), helps disabled people facing complex barriers.
But areas for improvement remain in its design and delivery, according to Ofsted.
Improving progression to sustainable unsupported employment identified Skills for Life provision within Workstep as a particular weakness, while revealing that participants who needed to improve literacy, numeracy and language skills did not always receive specific training or encouragement.
The programme – and the way it is interpreted by providers – limits ‘the success of working with certain potentially vulnerable groups’, such as school leavers or ex-armed forces, due to a lack of tailored provision.
But the report also praised ‘a marked change in culture’ from the first years of Workstep on the part of providers, who positively promoted participants’ skills ‘rather than promoting a deficit model in which the employer believed that it was doing the provider or the participant a favour’.
Those working very closely with employers to ensure participants are matched to their skill needs and locally available jobs were deemed by Ofsted to be most effective.
Oftsed gave a series of recommendations including the need to ensure development plans identified clear actions, and agreeing specific dates for progression with participants.
The survey follows research published by the National Skills Forum calling for ‘bold policy steps’ to expand the training, skills and education opportunities for disadvantaged or excluded groups, including those with disabilities.
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