By Daxa Parmar MA, Young Peoples Programme Line Lead, Little Gate Supported Employment
As the landscape of recruitment changes and the demand for homegrown talent grows, this is an ideal time for employers to open their doors to a more diverse workforce as only 4.8% of adults in England with a learning disability are in employment.
According to a report by the DfE (Department for Education) in 2019/20, only 12% (39,250) of apprenticeship starts were learners with learning disabilities and/or difficulties (LDD) in England. From this percentage, the majority identified as having dyslexia or a medical condition. Less than 0.5% of apprenticeship participants identified as having a learning disability.
In this article, we share how Little Gate Farm has led in delivering Accessible {Inclusive Apprenticeships}
At Little Gate Supported Employment we deliver an apprenticeship programme to support young people with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP), aged 18 – 24 into paid apprenticeships with local employers.
Accessible Supported Apprenticeships provide young people with:
- Support of a Job Coach at work
- One to one tuition from a training provider
- Added time to complete an apprenticeship
- 20% of working hours for off the job training
- Reasonable adjustments made at work
- Reasonable adjustments made for assessment
We have highlighted the seven steps we follow to support young people with SEND to access Apprenticeships.
Step 1 – Define and communicate what is a Supported Inclusive Apprenticeship?
At Little Gate Inclusive Supported Apprenticeships are a four-way partnership between an employer, the apprentice, the education provider and Little Gate Supported Employment. It is these partnerships and the supported employment model at the centre, that makes them different from other Apprenticeships.
Working with the young person at the centre, Little Gate Farms Job Coach and Circle of Support, build an accessible development plan to understand the young persons’ goals, aspirations and what support will be needed to help them achieve these. This is the start of finding the employer and education pathway.
Once the right employer is identified the Job Coach works alongside them to make sure they feel confident in creating inclusive work cultures, where young people with a learning disability, difficulties and or autism can flourish. This may include providing some free disability awareness training, helping to empower the existing workforce to take on natural support and mentoring. The Job Coach will also support the employer to understand how to make the necessary reasonable adjustments.
Step 2 – Is an Inclusive Supported Apprenticeship the right programme?
Not every young person needs this level of wrap around support to access an apprenticeship, so we provide a screening process to ensure this is the right employment pathway for them.
We use the following criteria to help guide young people and their parents and carers with their initial enquires:
- Does the young person live in East Sussex?
- Do they have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)?
- Have they completed Maths and English functional skills? If not, do they have the potential to pass functional skills during the apprenticeship?
- Are they motivated to work for 16 hours or more a week in a paid job?
- Is the young person willing to travel to their workplace, if so, do they need support to learn to travel to work independently or to apply for Access to Work?
- Does the young person need a Job Coach to help break down the workplace tasks, layer them back up and provide additional support outside of the usual workplace support?
- Would they like to complete a qualification whilst working?
If young people don’t meet these criteria we will try, and sign post them to other local provision.
Step 3 – Requesting an official consultation through the County Council
If the young person meets the criteria set and is still interested, they can be referred by contacting the Assessment and Planning Officer (APO) at their local County Council to request an official consultation.
Our Supported Apprenticeship Team would then meet with the young person and their parent or carer. During this informal meeting we work through a few documents that gives an opportunity for the young person to share:
- Their goals and aspirations
- What conditions and support would help them to thrive and succeed
Young People at the start of the inclusive supported apprenticeship journey at LEAPS at Little Gate’s Training room in central Hastings.
When delivering Accessible Apprenticeships, you don’t have to embed this step, we have just found this helps to build the resilience, mindset set and practical things the young people need when embarking on both training and employment.
Step 5 – Meet their Job Coach
At Little Gate, each young person would be assigned a Job Coach. The first meeting could take place in a public setting like a cafe or a private office where they can have an informal chat and get to know each other. This first introduction needs to be made by someone who already knows the young person and whom they are familiar with. This is the start of the supportive role for a Job Coach as they will support the young person at an interview and/or a work trial. The Job Coach will also carry out travel training if needed. Once they start their work experience placement, their Job Coach will help them learn their job to build up their confidence to work independently.
Step 6 – Provide a warmup like Work Experience
A foundation course is an opportunity to get to know the young person and for the young person to get to know themselves in relation to employment in the safety of a training room. A work experience placement also provides this opportunity for the young person to dip their toes into what an Inclusive Supported Apprenticeship could be in an actual work setting.
It is the starter dish, and it also gives the provider a chance to observe, assess and plan for the young person’s next steps. The provider can develop a skills gap analysis to identify young people’s strengths and skills and what support is needed to get them to where they need to be to demonstrate competency. The work experience placement is normally up to 16 hours per week and will usually last up to four weeks and is unpaid. Once the young person has completed their work experience, we will begin to look for an apprenticeship that suits their skills, interests and aspirations. This process is person-centred and will be reviewed with the young person and can take from a few weeks to 3-4 months, depending on how niche the apprenticeship is. The important thing is to move young people into the workplace as soon as possible.
Step 7 – Step into an Inclusive Supported Apprenticeship
At this stage, the young person is now ready to begin their Inclusive Supported Apprenticeship which involves an employer, training provider, Job Coach as well as parents and carers supporting them. We project manage the whole apprenticeship, supporting everyone involved and ensuring that the apprenticeship stays on track as long as the young person is happy and progressing.
Most of the apprenticeships we support are part-time usually 16 – 24 hours a week including on-the-job training and off-the-job training as well as some study needed at home. Level 2 Apprenticeships part-time will be for up to 2 years in duration. Level 3 Apprenticeships part-time will be for up to 2.5 years in duration. Some young people complete their apprenticeships in record time.
Prior to the start of an apprenticeship there is a series of steps required that involve:
1. Engagement of an employer – this can be complex and challenging as firstly an employer must have a business need to provide the Inclusive Supported Apprenticeship or be willing to provide one. Having an openness to learn and a vision to enrich their organisation and culture of inclusivity and diversity is necessary as well as the commitment to collaborate with several stakeholders. Providing reasonable adjustments is key to the success of an Inclusive Supported Apprenticeship. In addition, the mindset of an employer and an organisation that this is a true exchange of skill and knowledge and not a ‘favour’ or a ‘box ticking’ exercise. We now work with employers that offer multiple opportunities for young people.
2. Source a training provider that can offer one-to-one and ideally in-person education sessions to meet the needs of the young person. Check if they have ever supported young people with SEND and what level of support might be needed to be able to differentiate the learning. A training provider that is willing to provide part-time apprenticeships as well as have the resources to tutor young people with additional needs. This type of training provider also needs to be open to holding the relationship with the employer who may need additional support and guidance to offer specific opportunities in the workplace.
3. Support the parent and/carer as this is normally a huge leap for them too. It is an adjustment for parents and carers to go from their young person attending full-time education in one setting, to them getting out in the big wide world. Keeping parents informed, (as long the young person is happy and agrees to this) not only helps them, it will help you as the provider to build the relationship when things are good, new, and progressing. There will come a time when the apprenticeship hits an obstacle or two and having parents on side working and collaborating with you will be invaluable and help that apprenticeship to succeed and the young person to thrive.
Our aim at Little Gate is to support the young person to not only gain the work experience, and a qualification but to secure permanent paid employment with regular contracted hours once the apprenticeship is completed.
Over 50% of the young people are offered roles that they were in as an Apprentice, and we secure other roles for those who aren’t offered a placement. The roles have included Teaching Assistants, Administrative Clerks, Warehouse Operatives and Adult Care Workers.
