Improving Specialist Disability Employment Services
Improving Specialist Disability Employment Services, a consultation by the Department for Work and Pensions
The Government is consulting on plans to improve the DWP's specialist employment programmes for disabled people. The main services affected are:
The Job Introduction Scheme - a £75 wage subsidy for up to 13 weeks to employers who recruit disabled people.
Work Preparation - employability support, such as confidence-building, advice and work experience.
WORKSTEP - supported employment.
Access to Work -subsidies for adaptations and services to enable disabled people to enter or retain employment.
The Government plans to merge the Job Introduction Scheme, Work Preparation and WORKSTEP into a single programme, providing people with 'complex disability related barriers to work' with a service delivered by the public, private and voluntary sectors. The aim is a personalised programme that offers help getting a job cover, job retention and 'long-term supported employment for those who require it.'
The consultation is also being used as part of an evaluation of the Access to Work scheme. There are concerns that the scheme sometimes does not deliver support quickly enough, that awareness is limited amongst disabled people and employers and that standards vary from one part of the country to another.
The consultation does not cover Pathways to Work, the New Deal for disabled people, Remploy or residential training colleges for disabled people. The Government has asked for responses by Monday 10 March, and has said that trade unions are particularly encouraged to provide comments; the consultation document is available on the web, at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/des-consultation.asp
The TUC plans to respond, New Deal we would be very grateful for comments from trades unionists for inclusion in this response, please send us your views on these proposals by 6 March to
Richard Exell, Senior Policy Officer, Economic and Social Affairs Department, TUC, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS
T: 020 7467 1319
F: 020 7467 1317
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