Getting a Job

29
th
May 2014
The event in York saw a gathering of family carers and
professionals from the Yorkshire & Humberside and North
East regions.
Sam Clark of Inclusion North chaired the day and speakers
included:
Dave Barker - Family Carer, Yorkshire and Humberside
representative on the National Valuing
Families Forum and author of Getting a
Job, advice for families carers of adults
with a learning disability
Trudi Ward - Family carer from North Lincolnshire
Liz Barraclough - Family carer from Hartlepool
Frank Proctor - Project Manager, Sustainable Hub
Innovative Employment Complex Needs
(SHIEC)
Bill Love - National Development Team inclusion
(NDTi)








The background to the guide and what it contains was given
followed by an outline of the NDTi research into employment.
Three family carers gave an account of what employment has
meant in their families and covered use of personal budgets,
complex needs and transition from Childrens Services.
Two workshops were given on details of the NDTi report and
achievable employment outcomes for those with complex needs.
Some of the issues and points to come out of the day included:
1. Large amounts of money are being wasted on programmes
that do not provide employment outcomes.

2. Family led activity tends to result in useful occupancy of time
or voluntary work. Although worthwhile, should not be called
employment. This activity can, however, prove invaluable to
people with complex needs who can reference it in the
employment process.

3. The real success is achieved through place and train and the
use of job coaches to support people at work. This is
supported by research just out showing poor use of PBs and
recommendations for success.

4. Individual families can show evidence of making paid
employment happen by using contacts and employing PAs
as job coaches.

5. Waiting for people to become Job ready is a mistake and
leads to a culture of low aspirations, whereas making
reasonable demands through transition can result in
breaking out of the same old expectations and one size fits
all support.

6. People with complex needs can be seen as people first and
with the right support take a pathway to real community
involvement, including paid employment.

7. We now have real examples in this country of people with
complex needs working for up to 16 hours a week.

8. Families are considering meeting to look at how they might
deal more effectively with employment along the lines
promoted in the guide.

9. Frank Proctor and Dave Barker are available to support
families who want to meet and explore the ideas discussed.
The event was hosted by Inclusion North who facilitate the
Yorkshire & Humberside and North East regional Family Carers
Networks which meet four time a year. They are part of the
National Valuing Families Forum
















Dave Barker
Yorkshire and Humberside rep on the National Valuing Families Forum
Author of Getting a Job
Links
Getting a Job can be downloaded from:
Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.
www.learningdisabilities.org.uk
Sustainable Hub Innovative Employment Complex Needs. www.shiec.co.uk
Hard copies available from. dave_barker_fgs2@hotmail.com
Support, presentations, attendance at meetings can be provided by Frank
and Dave through the above contact
The NDTi research into employment, including the very recent research into
the use of personal budgets can be found at. http://www.ndti.org.uk/major-
projects/current/employment-support-for-disabled-people1/

The National Valuing Families Forum information is at:
http://professionals.carers.org/health/the-national-valuing-families-forum,7028,PR.html
Information about the Yorkshire & Humber and North East Family Carer
networks is at:
http://inclusionnorth.org/projects/what-we-are-doing-now/families-networks-in-yorkshire-
humber-and-the-north-east/