Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help young disabled people into work in (a) Northamptonshire (b) England.

This Government is committed to enabling young disabled people to fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations through a number of programmes and initiatives. For example:

a. In Northamptonshire the employment support available for young disabled people includes:

• Jobcentre Plus support for schools targets young people that schools identify as at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training), or who may otherwise be disadvantaged in the labour market, such as those with a health or disability issue.
• Supported Internships, which all qualified post-16 education providers in England have delivered since September 2013, are personalised study programmes, based primarily at a prospective employer, for those with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
• Access to Work, which offers support to disabled people aged 16+ who are in or about to enter paid employment, or engaged in pre-work activities including work experience, apprenticeships, supported internships and traineeships.
• The Work and Health Programme, which will provide innovative support through local organisations for around 200,000 disabled people over the course of the programme.
• Specialist Employability Support (SES), which offers support to those with greatest needs and most complex situations, We are currently exploring the best policy options for continuing such support after the SES contracts come to an end in October 2018
• Community Partners, who are working in partnership with work coaches to build disability understanding within Jobcentres and provide insight into the effect disability can have on employment.

b. In addition, in other parts of England the support outlined above is available plus some relevant test and learn initiatives which if successful may be extended further:

• Two proofs of concept offer voluntary supported work experience, with the aim of improving confidence, motivation and understanding of the labour market:

o Tri-Work, an initiative for disabled young people in years 10/11 in schools and special schools, which targets those most in need of support.

o Young Persons Supported Work experience (YPSWE), for which 18-24 year olds in the Employment Support Allowance (Work Related Activity Group) in five JCP districts are eligible.

• The Local Supported Employment (LSE) proof of concept ‘place and train’ model, which aims to move disabled people, notably those with learning disability and autism, into real jobs at the going rate of pay, with support for both individual and employer.