People with learning disabilities accessing Job Centre Plus

Is anyone aware of any research done around the issues faced by people with learning disabilities when accessing the job centre. I am thinking of this in terms of designing training for Job Centre Plus staff especially since there are no dedicated disability advisers any more.
If anyone wants to share experiences anonymously here that would be useful. Thanks.

Hello Hazyjo, relly interetsed in this please could you let me know if you find anything out?

Hi Hazyjo. I am looking at the process of gaining employment with a group of people with LD. I would be really interested to talk to you.

HI Hazyjo

What was the outcome of this?

Regards
Sue

As a charity we are researching training people with a learning disability with a preparing for work programme and providing work placement/ supported traineeships etc opportunities. Is there recent research and examples of work in this area?

Yes I can provide lots of great examples of the work that Remploy has undertaken with young adults with learning disabilities, would you like to discuss further?

Many thanks Sue. We will contact you again when we are set to move forward with our research.

Regards,

Bill Marsden

HI

I am a Social Worker, who works with Adults with Learning Disabilities and people with mental health issues who may be temporarily struggling with their memory etc. The process that people have to follow is far to difficult for most adults with learning disabilities. Even when I am with a person and we ring up benefits to check anything, people regularly forget the answers to the security questions and the staff members always then tell me that they have to end the call an I have to ring again and get back in a long queue, which is really frustrating for the person I am supporting.
In terms of the process for receiving Job Seekers Allowance, even with my partner who has dyslexia and a fear of computers, it was really stressful, trying to comply with the job search requirements and on one occasion this resulted in him being sanctioned. With those adults with a LD who I work with, they could only comply with the requirements of job searches if they had support to do so and as a result, even people who have a small amount of hours work per week, I would encourage them to remain on ESA. However, for some this is no longer an option if they are assessed as able to work. At present, we have a local org, Shaw Trust, which supports people to find work but I’m not sure if they help people to comply with requirements of JObseekers plus they are only temp.

Hi

I have looked at the job centre with a group of young people in transition as well as some who were slightly older. The aim is to make accessible information and to support the job centre to enable young people with learning difficulties to access the workshops. This is a work in progress and I would also be interested if anyone else is looking at this? With the Government encouraging people with learning difficulties to gain some employment it would be really helpful if the first barrier they met was not the job centre. I know that the job centres are keen to support young people with learning disabilities but need some support to do this.

Hi,

I am also interested in this research and any training that can help staff at Job Centre Pls to make their services more accessible and user friendly for people with a learning disability and/or with Autism. As digital systems and processes are now the norm, together with reducing support across both health and social care work, the list of vulnerable groups that are being left behind, keep growing.

Many Thanks