National employment rates drop to 5.1% for people with learning disabilities
Debra Burnett • October 27, 2021
The marginalised are becoming more marginalised
We are dismayed to see the employment gap growing for people with disabilities and in particular for people with learning disabilities (LD). In 2020-21, only 5.1% of adults with learning disabilities aged 18-64 and known to Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) were in paid employment [Indicator 1E], compared to 6% in 2017-18. In itself a dismal figure. 65% of people with LD want to work.
You can read about the findings and access the stats on the British Association for Supported Employment's (BASE) website news page here
- it's a sorry tale! BASE work tirelessly to influence policy and we, like BASE endorse the recent findings of the Work and Pensions Committee that funding of programmes to mitigate the barriers people with a disability face in gaining employment should be spent differently - with funding made available on a local level rather than invested in national programmes. Local Supported Employment organisations, like us, tend to achieve excellent employment outcomes for clients that we support and employers who work with us recognise the benefits of employing talented diverse people, so much so, they often come to us first with their vacancies.
Here are our stats. Compared with the national average of 5.1% they speak for themselves and clearly demonstrate that people with learning disabilities, with a little support, are motivated to work and can become valued employees.
Of the 221 clients we are working with who have learning disabilities, 144 of them are in paid work - that's a massive 65%
and of those 94%
have retained their work for significant time. We will continue doing all we can to secure contracts and grant funding that enables us to make this difference and Change Lives One Job at a Time.
Thank you to all our funders, employers and wonderful staff team who make this possible.
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