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Creating employment opportunities for adults with learning disabilities

Nottinghamshire County Council works alongside people with learning disabilities, autism and Asperger’s to help them get involved in the world of work. For some people a few hours’ work a week could make all the difference to their sense of well-being, self-esteem and reduce the risk of social exclusion.

We’re keen to hear from local businesses and organisations who feel they can offer an employment opportunity to an adult with learning disabilities, autism or Asperger’s, to help them develop new skills, build friendships and hopefully, become more independent. Our i- work team runs various projects to help employers make their businesses more autism-friendly. The team is also a partner in a scheme with schools which helps final year students with learning disabilities make the move into paid employment successfully.

The i-work team helps people with learning disabilities take steps into paid employment, which can be anything from 1 to 37 hours a week, depending on the needs of the person looking for work and the employment market. The support provided is tailored to the person’s needs and the specific employment opportunity, and this helps the jobseeker to function as independently as possible in the workplace. Work can be temporary, permanent, part- or full-time.

The team helps with travel training, on the job training and provides autism training for employers. Our staff work hard to understand abilities of the people they support and assist with the job search and application process, including interviews. The team then continues to support people after they have started a job, working with them and their employer as needed.

Our Brooke Farm scheme provides training for adults with learning disabilities to help them gain practical experience in areas like horticulture, retail, food preparation and hygiene, office administration and employability skills. In addition, a new café will help to create more employment and training opportunities.

I’d like to see many more people get into work. So far across the county, we’re supporting over 200 people with a learning difficulty disability who are in paid employment and we'd like to be able to assist more people in this way.

Our i-work team will support employers to create a working environment that benefits everyone concerned. If you’d like to get involved, contact the i- work team on 0115 963 2638.

Councillor Stuart Wallace, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council's Adult Social Care and Health Committee