Working With Disability Camden and Islington
The Pitch
Problem statement
1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability, yet only 5.1% are in paid employment (compared to 75.5% for the general population). This is due to social stigma, chronic shortage of opportunity, lack of education and training for and about disabled young people. This affects young people's self-esteem, expectations and aspirations. A learning disability can affect a person's ability to process information and understand tasks. Depression and other mental health difficulties are more common amongst people with learning disabilities. This means young people with learning disabilities are more likely to leave education with no qualifications compared to their peers.
Solution
AFK’s mission is to enable opportunities for children and young people who are disabled, neurodiverse, or both to increase their independence, reach their individual potential and remove the barriers they face in gaining and staying in paid employment. We do this by putting a personalised programme of support in place with expert and experienced job coaches. This includes skills training, career insight days, work and volunteer placements, interview practice and supported employment options. During 2024-2025 we aim to support 90 young people on the programme and if successful your grant will be restricted to support your specified geographical criteria.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
We are led by the choices & voices of the people we support. We focus on potential and aspirations, not the obstacles they encounter. We believe social and economic structures stop disabled people from living an engaged and fulfilling life, rather than their impairment or disability. Work is always presented as a realistic outcome and ongoing assistance is provided for both the employee and employer. We work with young people aged 14-25 in North London, who identify as disabled and or neurodiverse.This covers ten boroughs, six are in the top ten most deprived boroughs in the city. These include Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Newham, Redbridge & Waltham Forest.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Job Coaching Costs | £2,500 |
| Employer Visit Costs | £500 |
Beneficiaries
6 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
Young people with disabilities and autism face huge barriers to sustained employment. We are looking for outcomes that are quantitative and qualitative, so for the cohort supported by this grant we aim for 6 young people to:• Gain increased employability and work skills• Gain increased social and community participation• Have sustained or improved mental health and wellbeing• Enhance their leadership skills• Improve in confidence and self-esteem• Increase their aspirations• Encourage their peers
Track record
We’ve worked with young people with learning disabilities and autism for the past 21 years, so have an excellent understanding of their needs. We’re rooted in our community, having built strong ties with educational providers (mainstream and special schools and FE colleges) and employers, making us well-placed to find relevant careers support, employer visits, work placements and roles. We’re young people led, we work with our service users to design and develop our services. Young people secure employment on their own merit, using the skills and confidence they have developed on our programmes, which is tailored to their individual aspirations.