Employment

There are lots of options for employment. You can read the guide from ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ about routes into work. It provides information about options for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to help them move into paid employment. Below is some introductory information about employment options.

What is employment

Employment is paid work, paid at above the national minimum wage or above. It can be either full time or part time. It can also include self-employment. Employment isn’t going to a day centre. It is also not employment if you are paid less than minimum wage or are on a work placement or on work experience.

Job skills

Applying for a job can seem like a complicated and challenging process. Below is some information about important skills that can not only make this process easier but can make you more employable.

How can I make it easier for myself?

Before you start looking for a job perhaps consider the following things:

What are my strengths and weaknesses.
What activities do I already do during the week? Activities can make a CV or Magna Vitae stand out so it is important to make a list of activities that you do.
Make a list of types of work that you would be interested in doing.

Know where you can find help looking for jobs.

You can go to Job Centre Plus for help finding a job.
If you are known to Adult Social Care then call Care Direct and ask them to help you find paid work.

Whilst you are looking for a job make sure you are ready to apply for anything that interests you.

Make sure that your CV or Magna Vitae is fully up-to-date. If it isn’t perhaps look at a template online to see how best to structure it.
Make sure you know some people that will write you a reference. You will usually need a reference to get a job, perhaps make a list of people you could ask.

Magna Vitae

A Magna Vitae is an alternative to the more traditional Curriculum Vitae (CV). It is a strength based personal passport and is an excellent alternative for those who have significant gaps in their employment history or have no formal work experience at all.

Employers simply add ‘Magna Vitae also accepted’, to their recruitment site or job application.

More information about the Magna Vitae.

Magna Vitae template.

Useful information about filling out a Magna Vitae.

What sort of skills do employers look for?

It is important to think about what skills employers look for and how you can demonstrate those skills.

Some skills that employers value are as follows:

Good time keeping
Reliable
Honesty
A desire to work
Focus
Conscientious
Polite and cheerful
Helpful and considerate
Attention to detail

Interview Guidance

Before an interview

Give some thought to what questions you might be asked and think how you might reply. Think about what experiences, skills and abilities you have had and how that might relate to the questions you might be asked.
Make a list of questions you might like to know about the job to ask at interview.
You will need to dress appropriately for the interview with clean, tidy clothes and shoes.
If you feel you need some extra support ask a parent, friend or a support worker to go with you to give you additional confidence.

At the interview

You will need to arrive perhaps 10- 15 mins early to give yourself a chance to feel calm and prepare your thoughts.
During the interview try and speak clearly, and if possible keep eye contact with the person interviewing you.
If you are unsure what they are asking you , ask them to repeat the question.
If you really want the job, show your enthusiasm and willingness to train to do the task.
Remember to ask the list of questions about the job you previously prepared.

After the interview

At the end of the interview thank the interviewer for the opportunity and shake their hand.
Find out when the interviewers will contact you to tell you whether you got the job.
If you don’t get the job, you can ask for feedback from the interviewers to help you at future interviewers.
If you do get the job, find out what time to arrive and where to go on your first day. You will need to plan how to get to work and back home. If you feel you need some extra support ask a parent, friend or a support worker to go with you to give you additional confidence.

Specialist Employability Support

Specialist Employability Support provides mentoring and training to help you into work if you’re disabled and can’t use other employment programmes. Find out more at GOV.UK – Specialist Employability Support.

Devon Supported Employment Pathway

We have several different employment agencies working with us on the Pathway, including both large and small agencies. If you receive funding from adult social care, then you could use some of it to pay for a supported employment agency to help to:

find a job
help you to become self-employed
provide in-work support for you if you are struggling in your current job and need help.

The agency is given 25 hours in total to help you. 10 hours will be used to get to know you and complete a vocational profile and a further 15 hours are used to make contact with employers and arrange a working interview for you. They will sell your skills and experiences to their network of employers and also promote the benefits of having a diverse workforce.

The agency would be expected to negotiate a working interview for you, which are an excellent way to showcase your abilities. Usually, if a working interview is deemed a success, they are followed by an offer of work. Once a working interview has been organised the agency will draw on additional funding from the Department of Work and Pensions to provide job coaching during the working interview.

If the working interview is successful, then the agency can then apply for further funding to provide you with job coaching to learn the job. This additional support can be available for up to 6 months after you start work depending on your needs.

How do I join the Supported Employment Pathway?

If you receive adult social care funding, you should (ask to be directed) to the Supported Employment Pathway. If not, you will need to request an assessment to discover if you are eligible. You, or someone on your behalf, can contact Care Direct on 0345 1551 007 or email csc.caredirect@devon.gov.uk.

Becoming self-employed

Do you have a skill or talent from which you could create a business, and become self employed? Find out more about working for yourself.

What is good about being self employed?

you’re the boss
freedom to pick and choose your work
you work the hours you want, when you want.

Things to consider about being self-employed

no work security
no paid holidays
income that may go up or down.

CSW Group

CSW Group can work with SEND young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) until they turn 20. CSW advisers support students who have a statement of special educational needs, or EHCP, in Year 11. They meet with the young person (and/or their parent or carer) to discuss and plan their transition to post-16.

The group then completes a Post-16 Choices and Options report that is shared with their new education provider and the 0-25 Team. Following this they support the young person through their transition. This report details elements of the young person’s needs and the outcomes they are looking to achieve from their Post-16 education.

The group also undertakes this work with any student with an EHC plan looking to transfer to a different educational establishment post-16.

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus is a government-funded employment agency and social security office that helps people to find work.

The below information outlines the various types of support that are available through Jobcentre Plus.

Work and health programme

The Work and Health Programme helps you find and keep a job when you’re out of work. It is a voluntary programme, unless you have been out of work and claiming unemployment benefits for 24 months.

You could be eligible if you live in England or Wales and you’re disabled.

You can find out more about the Work and Health Programme here.

Access to work

Access to Work is a type of grant from the Department for Work and Pensions. It helps pay for practical support that enables disabled people to do their jobs. It is provided when someone needs support or adaptations beyond the adjustments that an employer has to provide under the Equality Act 2010.

If you have a health condition or disability, Access to Work can provide practical and financial support to help you overcome barriers to starting and keeping a job.

It is also available to those aged between 16 and 24 undertaking work experience and can give practical advice to an employer or work experience provider.

How can it help me?

The grant can be used for getting practical help such as a support worker, job coach, sign language interpreter aids or equipment in your workplace.
It can help by adapting equipment to make it easier for you.
It can provide money towards extra travel costs to and from work experience, if you can’t use public transport or your own method of transport.
It can help provide an interpreter or other support during an interview if you have difficulty communicating.

How do I qualify for this help?

You can apply to Access to Work support for work experience if you have a disability or health condition that has a long-term negative effect, of least 12 months or more, on your ability to do your work experience.

You also have to be:

aged 16 or over
live in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales)
be about to start a new work experience opportunity.

How do I apply?

In order to apply you will need:

your National Insurance number
your workplace address
the name, email address and work phone number of a workplace contact (this should be someone who can authorise the payment for any items and services in your support offer)
if you are self-employed you will also need your unique tax reference number.

Contacts

Telephone: 0800 121 7479
Textphone: 0800 121 7579
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service

To use this you must:

first check you can use the service
go to the video relay service

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

More information

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