News

Now is the Time. As we move towards publication of a national disability strategy, it is timely to reflect on how things stand within the Supported Employment sector. It is telling that 40 years after the introduction of Supported Employment to the UK, we have still not seen any national funding of a sector that is predominantly funded through local authorities and charitable sources.

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Disability Commission has published a comprehensive report, Now is the Time, that examines disability policy across education, employment, housing, transport, and access to goods and services. BASE fed views into the report's development. We welcome its recommendations and expect it to influence the development of the National Disability Strategy.

The report has large chapters on education and employment with specific sections devoted to apprenticeships, Supported Interrnships and Supported Employment. The report also contains recommendations around support for employers, Access to Work, Disability Confident, workforce reporting and government procurement.

Department of Education have confirmed that Supported Interns who were not able to meet the core aim of their internship in the 2020-21 academic year may continue their internship into the 2021-22 academic year. This will also apply to 2019-20 interns who continued into 2020-21 and  have not yet completed their internships.

We've now has confirmation that Access to Work will be extended to cover supported interns who are repeating their course.

Image of strategy and link to download itThe European Union has published its new Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. The new strategy builds on its predecessor, the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, and contributes to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights for which an Action Plan will be adopted by the Commission this week.

BASE member, Matt Wood of Millwood Servicing, has formed the WoodMor Foundation to support disadvantaged people to prepare for employment. The foundation aims to increase the opportunities of employment for disabled, vulnerable or disadvantaged people aged 25 and above. To do this, they will provide an individual with an event, expedition or specialist skills training programme that aims to develop their confidence and employability. 

BASE has submitted evidence to the Cabinet Office consultation on a National Disability Strategy. The Disability Unit announced the development of a strategy last April and established regional stakeholder networks to support this.

The Department for Education has published revised guidance for Further Education providers. The guidance sets out what further education and skills providers in England need to know so that students of all ages can benefit from their education and training in full. It explains the actions to take to stay as safe as possible in response to the challenges of coronavirus.

Blog

Mark Pickles (Business Programme Director, National Grid)

 

The 2019-20 Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) figures for England were published today and show a mixed picture. We've posted the annual report and a spreadsheet of the disaggregated local authority rates at www.base-uk.org/employment-rates

Rates have risen again for adults in contact with mental services and now stand at 9% but the learning disability figure has fallen again, this time to 5.6%. This is very disappointing news and reflects the lack of support available to support people with learning disabilities into work. We really need DWP to take a lead on this issue and fund appropriate support in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 27).

BASE has joined the Skills Builder Partnership as a strategic membership body partner. 

Skills Builder is a free resource used in schools, colleges, and workplaces to assess and chart progress on developing the soft skills needed in the workplace. The framework is now used by 700 organisations and covers achievement of the following soft skills:

  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Problem solving
  • Creativity
  • Staying positive
  • Aiming high
  • Leadership
  • Teamwork

Pages