Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that there are employment opportunities for people with Down's Syndrome.

The Government is strongly committed to increasing opportunities for disabled people, including those with a learning disabilty, such as Down’s Syndrome. Taking a life course approach, we are working across Government and with local authorities, voluntary organisations and employers in the public and private sectors to achieve this.

On Thursday 30 November 2017 we published ‘Improving Lives the Future of Work,

Health and Disability’, which sets out details of our life course approach to improving employment opportunities for disabled people and people with a health condition. Whilst the initiatives are not all aimed exclusively at people with a learning disability, we expect that many will benefit from them. Our plans include:

• A proof of concept for a Tri-work Supported Work Experience offer in schools will be tested in three jobcentre districts and will provide a supported work experience placement of up to two weeks for pupils in Year 10 or 11 who have special educational needs, many of whom are likely to have a learning disability or difficulty.
  
• We have developed a Supported Work Experience aimed at offering young people with a learning disability and other long term conditions a chance to spend time with an employer whilst receiving the support they need to make the most from the opportunity. These young people will be identified by Work Coaches and other professionals who will encourage them to volunteer if it is right for them. The young person may be claiming benefit, or in the latter years of their education

• A Local Supported Employment proof of concept is being delivered with nine local authorities. DWP is investing £2.7 million to test an approach which delivers Supported Employment, on an outcome-payment basis, to help people with a learning disability or learning difficulty who are known to adult care services

• We are introducing 200 Community Partners to Jobcentres across Great Britain, to enhance our services to people with a disability or health condition. Community Partners have a lived experience or expert knowledge of disability and provide valuable insight into how disability can affect an individual’s employment outcomes, both in terms of securing and sustaining employment. Many of the Community Partners will have a specialism and 11 will be specialists in learning disabilities and neurodiverse conditions.
  
• Access to Work has put in place a Hidden Impairment Specialist Team that gives advice to help employers support employees with conditions such as a learning disability. It also offers eligible people an assessment to find out their needs at work and help to develop a support plan
  
• Employers signing up to the Disability Confident scheme agree to make specific meaningful offers of opportunities for disabled people such as jobs, apprenticeships, internships and work experience. 5,964 businesses are currently signed up to Disability Confident, and this number continues to grow.