Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to disabled people in (a) Hendon constituency and (b) the UK to transition from education into employment.

DWP Schools Advisers in Hendon and across the London Borough of Barnet, work with the local Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) schools to help their young people transition into work. They work with the schools to deliver sessions on building employability skills and providing help with CVs, identifying suitable employment options that align their skills with available jobs and delivering sessions on interview skills.

Across the UK, including Hendon, there are a range of DWP initiatives that are supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to live independent lives and start, stay and succeed in employment. These include the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Supported Internships, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs, the Kickstart scheme is aimed specifically at young people. Disabled people or people with long-term health conditions can access the Kickstart scheme, supported through Access to Work if required.

We have also increased the number of Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) to 1000 nationally. DEAs work alongside Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches, including Youth Employability Coaches, specialising in finding the right support to help all customers that have a disability or health condition.