Access All Areas Tracey Priestley Human Resource Officer – Equalities and Well-being.

Access All Areas

Tracey PriestleyHuman Resource Officer – Equalities and Well-being

Background• RMBC’s desire to employ more people

with a Learning Disability

• Increasing numbers of unemployed – how could the Council help?

• Initially an RMBC project but grew

• Partnership Working

Gaining Agreement

• RMBC’s Chief Executive and Senior Managers

• Local Strategic Partners Chief Executive’s

• Job Centre Plus

TimelineDecember 08 RMBC agreement

January 09 - Partner organisation ‘buy-in’ - Publicity materials developed

February - Links with work preparation providers - Article in Rotherham News

March - Publicity materials distributed - Launch Event

Ongoing Placements arranged and monitored

Publicity Materials

Designed by

SpeakUp

Printed by

AdVenture

Rotherham News

March 2009 May 2009

Launch Event - Partner Organisations

Placement Providers Work Prep Providers

Launch Event• 27 March 2009• Attended by 108 people - 73 interested in a placement

• 18 Information stalls• Catering – provided by staff and service users from

RMBC’s Learning Disability Day Services

Budget £500 - sponsored by:

Placement Process

• One application for all• One to one meeting• Meeting with Manager• CRB, if needed• Placement starts• Monitoring• Evaluation

Placements• Administration - all organisations

• CCTV - South Yorkshire Police

• Community Safety Team - South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

• ‘Hands On’ roles - working alongside caretakers, electricians, estates staff, gardeners, plumbers, storekeepers – RMBC & 2010 Rotherham Ltd

• Reception areas - Rotherham College, South Yorkshire Police

Tom• Has not worked since 2007 – working with BTCV

• Has a musculoskeletal problem

• Asked for NHS admin placement

• Given IT placement with NHS Rotherham – successful

• Now working for NHS , via agency, 40 hours a week

Quotes from Tom

“ This project appeared to be a great opportunity to get myself back in the mainstream work place. It also allowed me to build on my C.V and gain a work reference. Another benefit was that I had a say in what type of work I would be doing.”

“[the job] couldn’t have happened without the help and support of yourself and many others who have helped me a long the way. I would certainly advise others who have been out of work for a long time to consider AAA.”

Steve• Age 55

• 27 years experience in building industry – mainly domestic • Wheelchair user 95% of time • Placement – 2010 Rotherham Ltd

Rob• Age 30’s, Asperger’s Syndrome, working with Remploy

• Asked for data input work •On discussion did not want interruptions that could put him off his tasks • Placement – RMBC, transferring information to an IT system – placement going very well

Gillian• Age 22

• Working with Mencap

• Not sure what she wants to do

• Placement in a Children’s Centre – varied work – cooking, working with children and admin

James

• Last worked in 2003

• Has a mental health condition

• Volunteers at Voluntary Action Rotherham

• Wants to work in voluntary sector

• Clerical placement at a day centre run by a charity

• Has applied for permanent clerical job

David• Age 64, wants to work as a cleaner or gardener

• Learning Disability Day Service Centre – gardening placement

• Mencap offices – cleaning placement, potential to

move onto a work trial

Sue Last worked in August 2008 – senior Manager role

Developed mental health condition

Wanted to move into support/coaching job

Placement found at Drop-In Youth group

Finished placement to start new job with RMBC at the Ministry of Food – a partnership with Jamie Oliver

• Working with Mencap and Project 400 – an RMBC project in the Learning Disability Service providing horticultural training

• Wanted a ‘hands on’ placement

• Caretaking team placement

• Excellent feedback so far

John

Karen• Age 30, never had paid worked

• Working with Mencap

• Has Level 2 NVQ in Business Administration

• Did a placement in 2008, successful

• Interviewed for two jobs, but unsuccessful

• Now doing an AAA placement in a Housing office and in the NHS to increase her experiences

What Have We Learned?Positives

• Well received

• Willingness to offer and support placements

• Increasing awareness about what people can do

• Strengthened partnership working

• Individual’s feedback

• and – people are starting to get jobs

What Have We Learned?Challenges

• Time – much more than anticipated

• Finding placements

• Placements for ‘vulnerable’ people

• Funding for adjustments

• Support – level needed by some people

What Next...• AAA will continue in current format until

March 2010

• Evaluation

• Will always provide placements for disable people but the scale may be different

ContactTracey Priestley

01709 823715

[email protected]