More and more people with learning disabilities are getting paid jobs. They are proving to employers that they are reliable and valuable workers.

Through employment, people with learning difficulties:

-           Earn a proper income

-           Gain respect from other people

-           Achieve a sense of self-worth

-           Develop good relationships with other people with whom they work

An employer taking on a person with a learning disability gets the satisfaction of helping the individual with learning disabilities and their local community.

What is work?

Not all work involves being paid!

The three main types of work are:

1.   Voluntary work:

You don't get paid, but it's a very good way of getting experience.

2.   Work experience:

You don't get paid, but work experience gives you the chance of finding out if a job is for you.
It is usually not for a long time.
It's a very good way of getting experience.

3.   Paid work:

You will be paid for the work you do.
Taking on paid work could affect your benefits.

Why work at all?

Having some work to do will:

1.   Give you something to get up for in the morning!

2.   Improve your confidence

3.   Enable you to learn new skills

4.   Help you to make new friends

5.   Enable you to earn some money

Getting help

There are many services and organisations that can help people with learning difficulties into work.

The South Gloucestershire Employment Support Service helps disabled people.
It offers help and advice to you, your carers and employers.
It can help you decide is work is the right step for you.
Click here to read the booklet Employment Services for Disabled People 05EmploymentSupMay2007.pdf

It's Your Future! A Transition Guide to planning your future

Transition is about change in your life.

Transition happens when you grow up into an adult.

Transition is about planning how you want to live your life when you become an adult.

The transition will happen over time from about the age or 13 or 14 into adulthood at the age of 18.

South Gloucestershire Council and Connexions have produced a booklet called It's Your Future! which tells you all about Transition and people and organisations that can help you.

Click here to read the booklet It’s Your Future

Options after Year 11 at school

At the age of 16, young people need to decide what they want to do next. They can:

-          Stay on at school

-          Go to college

-          Go on a work based learning programme

-          Get a job

Connections (West of England) have produced a booklet called Moving On.

-          Moving On will help you find out about your options (the choices you have at the age of 16)

-          Moving On has information about opportunities in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

-          Moving On will help you to decide what you want to do next

Click here to read the booklet Moving On

Moving On includes details of local colleges and Connexions centres.

Their Website is at: www.connexionswest.org.uk

Welfare to Work

The Welfare to Work scheme provides help for people who are in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance. This covers getting into work/training and what benefits are payable.

Click here for more information about Welfare to Work

Disabled peoples' employment directory (Bristol City Council)

This directory provides an overview of employment-related services and resources that are available to Disabled people in Bristol. It also provides an introduction to Disabled peoples' employment including some basic information about relevant legislation and funding arrangements.

In this directory, the term Disabled is used as a collective term and covers:

• People with physical impairments
• People with sensory impairments
• People with learning difficulties (including specific learning difficulties)
• People who have experienced emotional/mental distress (often referred to as mental health support needs)

Many of the organisations work in South Gloucestershire.

For a summary of the organisations in the directory click here

You can look at the Directory on the Internet:

To access the directory on line:

1.   Go to: www.bristol-city.gov.uk/socialservices

2.   Then: click on learning difficulties

3.   Then: click on Employment Directory

For further information about the Directory contact:

Bristol Care Direct

PO Box 30

Amelia Court

Pipe Lane

Bristol

BS99 7NB

Telephone: 0117 903 7311

fax 0117 903 6688

minicom 0117 903 6689

e-mail caredirect@bristol-city.gov.uk

Plain Facts

You will find these Plain Facts sheets about Work helpful. Plain Facts makes the findings of research easier to understand.

The Norah Fry Research Centre at Bristol University produces Plain Facts.

Issue 21 (May 2001) - Better supported employment

Issue 28 (May 2002) - Doing well in supported employment

Issue 32 (December 2002) - Keeping and enjoying your job