urgent need

Examining how to engage both employers and service users in the promotion and development of employment opportunities

INTRODUCTION

This research paper seeks to describe how a social care worker would engage with local businesses and service users to support the development of employment opportunities for service users. As part of this research paper potential barriers will be discussed alongside a review of the facilitators which can play a role in promoting service user engagement and inclusion in work placements.

Analysis

This social worker will engage with both service users and local businesses, and employ a participatory approach when doing so in line with the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Workers (2010) and the Irish Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (2007). This involves identifying a range of facilitators which can support the service users in engaging with businesses as outlined in Table One. This information will be of use to both the service user and prospective employer.

Discussion

There are a number of barriers for those with an intellectual disability engaging in employment and these can include losing social welfare benefits and Disability Allowances (Iriarte et al, 2014). External barriers which this social worker may face when approaching businesses and helping secure employment for service users includes discrimination and stigmatization (McGlinchey et al, et al, 2013; Inclusion Ireland, 2012). Internal barriers may include a lack of self-confidence, low levels of literacy and numeracy skills and difficulty in understanding workplace rules (McGlinchey et al, et al, 2013). Other barriers include inaccessible workplaces such as poor transport facilities and a lack of awareness amongst employees towards the incentives on offer in employing those with disabilities (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, 2006).

Findings

This social worker would employ higher level participatory practices with service users to support their inclusion in the decision making process (Hanlon, 2009). I would encourage a client centred approach which maximises their own participation and inclusion in the process (Iriarte et al, 2014; Walsh et al, 1994). I would encourage reflection, observation and research by service users with the sort of employment which would suit their own preferences.

I would encourage service users to engage with facilitators. Facilitators include Jobbridge, the Irish Association of Supported Employment and the Community Employment Scheme with FAS having been recently dissolved. Other employment schemes are detailed in Table One and provided by the Department of Social Protection

If service users are not in dialogue with a facilitator such as the Department of Social Protection, however and are interested in working for a particular local business, I would approach this business and seek a meeting with the manager or a relevant HR staff member regarding the opportunities available to the business in hiring one of the service users and outline the opportunities they have to offer alongside the state sponsored supports in place.

Table One: Department of Social Welfare supports available to service users and employers hiring those with disabilities in 2015

Methodology

The organisation is called Marie House and provides residential facilities for service users who have intellectual disabilities, where they are provided with accommodation in the community and have social workers assigned to each house to support them. Marie House has twenty such housing facilities across Dublin and Leinster. This social worker will work within one house which contains six service users.

The service users have a mixture of intellectual disabilities including Autism and Downs Syndrome, but all are able to carry out the activities of daily living (ADL) with minimal supervision. They do require support when making life style choices and decisions and require support from people who are patient and can accommodate their needs. The service users are interested in working and require employers who can cater for their intellectual disability while also utilising the skills that each of them have to offer.

Organisation	Title	About
Department of Social Protection	Wage Subsidy Scheme	Provides financial assistance to employers to encourage them to hire people with disabilities for a minimum of 20 hours a week.
Department of Social Protection	Job Interview Interpreter Grant	FAS will provide and pay for an interpreter for a three-hour period for a person with a speech or hearing impairment for a job interview.
Department of Social Protection	Personal Reader Grant	Funding provided of up to 640 hours a year for people who are blind or visually impaired to hire a personal reader to assist them at work.
Department of Social Protection	Work Equipment Adapter Grant	This grant helps a person with a disability to make their workplace more accessible up to 6, 348 euro.
Department of Social Protection, Pobal, and many voluntary organisations	Supported Employment Programme e.g. EmployAbility Service and community service programmes, Community Employment Scheme	Helps people to find and seek employment and operates through a number of organisations. Referral from FAS or Local Employment Scheme Mediator.
Department of Social Protection	Employee Retention Grant	Assist employees to retain staff who become disabled.
Department of Social Protection	Revenue Job Assist	A special tax allowance for those who take up work following unemployment and in receipt of disability allowance.
Department of Social Protection	Disability Awareness Training	Grants to employers to cover the cost of staff training in disability awareness

CONCLUSION

This paper identified a range of supports to engage both employers and service users in the promotion and development of employment opportunities through engaging with service users and putting them at the centre of all decision making through the adoption of a participatory approach – making them partners in the process. We also identified a range of opportunities available to support the acquisition of employees with disabilities and the support the financial support available to service users to support them in entering employment.

Sourced from: Enable Ireland (2015)

Reference List

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