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Popular topic: Employment
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Clegg visits Sheffield autism support service
August 23rd, 2010
Posted by James Lahey
Nick Clegg has visited an autism support centre in South Yorkshire.
The deputy prime minister paid a trip to Autism Plus in Attercliffe, Sheffield over the weekend (August 20th), meeting disabled people who have received advice and support through the initiative, Community Newswire reports.
The scheme is partnered with Jobsteps Employment Service, which supports disadvantaged disabled adults who are in search of paid employment.
Eight service users also gave a theatrical performance during Mr Clegg's visit after being inspired to form the group by a Channel 4 programme on autism.
The minister was shown how Autism Plus is still supporting people with complex conditions through new initiatives, despite the withdrawal of large amounts of government funding.
“We believe in empowering our customers, giving them choice and responsibility and getting them involved in the community through volunteering and paid work in our social enterprises,” Philip Bartey, chief executive of Autism Plus, told the news source.
Jobsteps has supported a total of 850 people through its network of services in the past year alone.
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First autism radio station to be launched
August 14th, 2010
Posted by James Lahey
A Staffordshire man is poised to launch the first radio station in the UK run by people with autism.
Autism Radio UK was founded by Kevin Healey and will begin broadcasting next month after securing backing worth £14,000 from the Staffordshire Cares Community Wellbeing fund and Access to Volunteering fund.
Online shows will be presented by six DJs with autism and Asperger's syndrome from the Staffordshire Adult Autistic Society (SAAS).
Mr Healey, who is also the chair at SAAS, commented that the station would benefit hundreds of autistic people across the globe.
“It will help break down the barriers, help with communication skills, confidence, self esteem, training, learning, new volunteer opportunities and much more,” he said.
The project has already received considerable backing from social networking communities, with 1,000 people already following it before it goes live.
SAAS was also founded by Healey and arranges events, social trips, training opportunities and annual conferences on autism.
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Channel 4 to employ disabled presenters for 2012 Paralympics
August 10th, 2010
Posted by Imogen Welsh
Channel 4 has launched a £500,000 campaign to find disabled TV presenters ahead of the London 2012 Paralympics.
Producers at the channel are hoping that half of its on-screen team at the Paralympics will have disabilities, giving them two years to meet the target.
The broadcaster has already recruited wheelchair basketball medallist Ade Adepitan, who will host That Paralympic Show with Rick Edwards of T4.
Meanwhile, mainstay presenters Steve Jones and Miquita Oliver will present the T4 show from the Paralympics GB training camp in Bath.
Ade Adepitan told the Daily Telegraph: “I think it’s important to have paralympians actually commentating and imparting their knowledge on the Paralympic Games.
“I don’t think there’s any reason why disabled athletes can’t present their own shows.”
Channel 4 will also run a multi-million pound marketing campaign to change public perceptions of the Paralympics under the slogan ‘Freaks of Nature’ in the run-up to the games, the newspaper reports.
The games will feature 20 sports, including judo, powerlifting, rowing, tennis and road cycling.
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Autism employment scheme gets govt backing
August 8th, 2010
Posted by Ben Jones
A project that seeks to provide 50 jobs for people with autism in Scotland has received financial backing from the government.
The Specialisterne project, headed by Communtiy Enterprise in Scotland (CEiS), will receive £700,000 in grants and loans to recruit and train the individuals for employment in the IT sector.
Set up with support from the National Autistic Society Scotland and the Autism Resource Centre, the scheme is based on a Danish model that employs autistic people as software testers.
Some 12 trainees are expected to be recruited to the project in the next six months.
CEiS chief executive Gerry Higgins said Specialisterne “has the potential to change lives for the better by providing mainstream employment at the market rate for people with autism, while transforming recruitment attitudes and business practices”.
He added that the organisation hopes to be employing 61 people with a turnover of £1.6 million by 2015.
CEiS is Scotland’s largest social enterprise development company.
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Leonard Cheshire Disability appoints new chief executive
July 30th, 2010
Posted by Charlie Powell-Brett
Leonard Cheshire Disability has appointed a new chief executive.
Clare Pelham is chief executive of the Judicial Appointments Commission and has also worked for the Cabinet Office and the Department of Constitutional Affairs.
She first encountered the charity when volunteering as a student and has since worked with Coca-Cola to increase exercise among teenagers in close collaboration with third sector organisations, a campaign that reached some 500,000 young people.
Leonard Cheshire Disability chairman Ilyas Khan welcomed Ms Pelham to the role, highlighting her vast experience in managing large organisations and national projects.
“It is her deep personal commitment to disabled people and the achievement of their rights which qualify her for the job. I know she will make a big contribution both to the charity and to the people we support,” he added.
The new chief executive has also worked at IBM and the Home Office.
Leonard Cheshire Disability provides a raft of support services for disabled people in the UK, including care homes, supported living, resource centres and respite care.
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Govt to launch Work Choice disability employment scheme
July 28th, 2010
Posted by Imogen Welsh
The government has confirmed the introduction of a new specialist employment scheme for disabled people.
Work Choice will begin on October 25th with the aim of helping disabled people with complex barriers to work into long-term employment.
Announcing the scheme, minister for disabled people Maria Miller said it will operate alongside the Work Programme to provide more tailored support to disabled people who want to work.
“Work Choice has been developed in close consultation with providers, disability groups and disabled people and has widespread support,” Mrs Miller said.
She added that it would “simplify the current overlapping set of programmes” and reduce the number of provider contracts from over 200 to 28.
The coalition government will now write up contracts with the successful bidders for the Work Choice programme.
It was originally conceived by the Labour government and will be merged with existing schemes such as Workstep in October.
Mrs Miller recently revealed that the government will introduce a “more objective assessment” for disability living allowance claims from 2013.
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RNID researches workplace hearing loss
July 28th, 2010
Posted by Charlie Powell-Brett
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) is calling on people to share stories about hearing loss in the workplace.
In a research project that could improve support for employees affected by loss of hearing, the charity hopes to conduct short interviews with individuals who have gone deaf while remaining in work.
It also hopes to gather information from retired people who have lost their hearing in the last ten years.
Roger Wicks, RNID director of research, policy and government relations, said: “The interviews will be a great opportunity to highlight issues which can inform us about the ways people react to and deal with hearing loss and how best to support hard of hearing people in work in the future.”
He added that the “vital study” would encompass people of all ages and professions.
In related news, the RNID is currently recruiting deaf and hard of hearing volunteers to help stage the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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‘Disagreement’ over best work practices for disabled
July 21st, 2010
Posted by Ben Jones
Divisions remain over whether it is better to provide sheltered employment opportunities for disabled people, or whether supporting them to work alongside able-bodied colleagues is more successful.
Following the closure of 29 Remploy factories in 2008, the debate over the best path to employment for those living with disabilities rages on, the Guardian reports.
A conference in London this week will see disability organisation Radar present a discussion paper seeking to find which models of employment best meet what disabled people want from work, the news provider adds.
The paper argues that inclusion in mainstream workplaces is the best way to tackle discrimination against people living with disabilities.
“Social inclusion happens when an individual is exposed to wider society, rather than simply being part of a small and separate community,” it argues.
However, there remains discrimination in the marketplace, says disability policy officer at the TUC Peter Purton, and in such a situation, sheltered jobs offer a useful tool for employment, he said.
Despite some factory closures, Remploy states that it remains committed to supporting some 20,000 people per year find mainstream employment by 2012/13.
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Website aims to keep people in employment
July 12th, 2010
Posted by Charlie Powell-Brett
A website has been set up to help people with long-term health issues remain in employment.
Developed by a number of charities including the MS Society in conjunction with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Work Life features best practice examples for employers and employees, as well as research and case studies relating to employment.
The site is aimed specifically at individuals affected by long-term, fluctuating health conditions such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis, since resources already exist for those with short-term problems.
Minister for welfare Reform Lord Freud backed by the website, commenting: “When people fall out of employment onto benefits it becomes even harder to get back to work and the Work Life website will be an important resource for those managing health conditions in the workplace.”
Work Life is also aimed at healthcare professionals and highlights the importance and cost-effective nature of approaches such as vocational rehabilitation.
The website is backed by Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Parkinson’s UK.
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Healthcare professionals ‘need more training’
June 22nd, 2010
Posted by Frances Sullivan
Healthcare workers must be adequately trained to support disabled patients, Leonard Cheshire Disability has claimed.
According to public policy manager Guy Parckar, action is required “across the sector” to ensure the needs of disabled people are met.
His comments came after new research from Mencap indicated 39 per cent of doctors in the UK believe people with a learning disability receive a lower standard of care from the NHS due to discrimination and poor staff training.
On top of this, 45 per cent of doctors said they had witnessed a patient with a learning disability being treated with neglect or a lack of dignity.
“When both disabled people and healthcare professionals think that disabled people can receive poor quality care, [then] it is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed,” said Mr Parckar.
Healthcare professionals have a legal obligation to ensure disabled patients receive equal care, making reasonable adjustments where necessary.
Research carried out by Leonard Cheshire Disability last year found 16 per cent of disabled people felt they had been discriminated against by a healthcare professional due to their impairment in the past year.
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