Support to Work: Barnet

The Pitch

Problem statement

1 in 4 of us are disabled. In Barnet, 26% of households have at least one disabled person. Sadly, many disabled people struggle to get paid work. Currently, only around 50% of disabled people in the UK are employed, compared to 80% of those who are non-disabled. This difference (around 30%) is called the disability employment gap. In Barnet, it rises to 38.5%—43.9%. Too many disabled people are written off from entering the workplace at a young age. And have low expectations placed on them just because they are disabled. They don’t get a fair chance to secure job, education, training or volunteering opportunities. Those who want to work are often held back by inflexible mandated support.

Solution

We want to support disabled people to get in, stay in and progress at work. This funding will provide bespoke employment support to disabled people in Barnet through our Support to Work service. It offers up to 20 weeks of tailored support online, on the phone or in person. In some cases, it can be extended to 26 weeks. Our Employment Advisers help people with: - building skills and confidence - CV reviews - mock interviews - job search They will also support conversations with employers on disability and reasonable adjustments. Participants will get access to our inclusive employer jobs board and an eLearning platform. Plus up to 26 weeks of in-work support once they secure a job.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

Founded in 1952, Scope is a national pan-disability charity. We provide support, information and advice, and campaign for disability equality. Last year we reached 4.6 million people through our services, online community and advice pages. One of our strategic goals is to close the disability employment gap. Last year, our employment services helped 2,150 disabled people move closer to employment. 7 out of 10 surveyed Support to Work customers said they would recommend our service. Among those who secured employment through Scope, 62% were still in work 6 months later. We have decades of expertise and strong networks across London. This will help ensure the success of our project.

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

5 people

Who will benefit

Expected impact

We anticipate 5 disabled people in Barnet to benefit from our bespoke Support to Work programme in the coming year. It will provide comprehensive and individualised support (up to 26 weeks) tailored to each person. However, the impact will be felt by many more indirect beneficiaries. These could include family members, employers and the whole local community. Our programme will equip disabled jobseekers with the skillset and confidence they need to get into work. And will empower them to achieve their career goals. To measure our impact, we will collect: - Numbers of Support to Work participants in Barnet - Percentage of service users who go into employment, volunteering and training (our target is over 55%) - Percentage of service users who gained employment and are still at work at 13 weeks (target is over 70%) and 26 weeks (target is over 50%) - Percentage of customers who would recommend our service - Informal participant feedback and quotes

Track record

A recent Support to Work participant shared, "I can’t believe how much I’ve developed. I am so grateful to my Support to Work adviser. It’s literally turned my life around. I was like a derailed train and now I’m back on track. I’ve gained confidence, seriously improved my ability to talk to people on the phone and on video. My adviser and I did A LOT of interview practice, and all of this led me to find a job."