The Youth Supported Employment Project (YSEP) A Must for the Future

1

The Youth Supported Employment Project

(YSEP)

A Must for the Future

Mark Kilsby (PhD) and Julie Allan

Presentation for the British Association for Supported Employment 2008 Conference

Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008 2

YSEP Characteristics Primarily aimed at 16 to 19 year olds attending Special

Schools

Based on the premise that the all people have the right to lead ‘typical’ and meaningful lives as valued and active members of our communities

Main aim is to enable the teenagers to obtain part time paid jobs that are typical of the jobs obtained by their teenage peers - appropriate timing, same rates of pay and types of job – eg, the gap, supermarkets. warehousing etc..

Kilsby/Morgan 2006 3

YSEP Characteristics Peer support model – supported employment provided by

same age peers from schools – typically sixth formers. One full time Coordinator

Liaise with teachers Liaise with parents Recruit disabled job seekers Recruit teenage peers Provide support and training to peers Find typical jobs

Peer Support Training – Merthyr and Blackwood – Training in Systematic Instruction- Doncaster – informal meetings/events with other peers and teenage job seekers

Kilsby/Morgan 2006 4

YSEP Characteristics

Peer Support Training – Merthyr and Blackwood – Training in Systematic Instruction- Doncaster – informal meetings/events with other peers and teenage job seekers

Based on 3 Pilot sites in UK – (Doncaster, Blackwood and Merthyr Tydfil) – Anecdotal Data from Canada

Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

Doncaster Blackwood Merthyr Overall

Number of employees

Number of Females

Mean Age (Years:Months)

Age Ranges (Years:Months)

Level of Disability

Infrequent Assistance

Limited Supervision

Regular Supervision

Extensive Supervision

.

8

2 (25%)

17.3

17:2 – 20:8

2 (25%)

3 (37%)

3 (37%)

0

8

3 (37%)

16.8

15:5 – 18:10

0

5 (63%)

3 (37%)

0

7

1 (14%)

16.8

16:0 – 18.3

7 (100%)

0

0

0

23

6 (31%)

16.9

15:5 – 20:8

2 (12%)

8 (50%)

6 (38%)

0

Employee Characteristics

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Doncaster Blackwood Merthyr Overall

Number interviewed

Number used

Mean Age (yrs/m)

Range (yrs/m)

Number Female

12

8

16:7(17.3)

16.6 to 17.11

6 (75%)

Linked to DofE

12

6

18:8(16.8)

17.5 – 23.7

5 (83%)

Paid

4

2

17.7(16.8)

17.0 – 17.11

1 (50%)

Volunteers

28

16

17.7(16.9)

16.6 – 23.7

12 (75%)

Peer Characteristics

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YSEP Findings

Can support 8 and 10 teenagers in year 1 – up to 12 to 15 thereafter

Peer support totally withdrawn in majority of cases

within 12 weeks - 4 job terminations The variety of the jobs obtained was impressive, as

were the locations of these jobs

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Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008 9

Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008 10

YSEP Findings

The Project has the potential to involve youngsters with higher support requirements

Need to consider payment for peer supporters and linkage with local award programmes

22 of the 23 parents stated that they would recommend the project to other families in the locality

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“I’m glad he’s got something to do. He would have done something when he left school,

College maybe. But now he might work instead or do both”.

“I never thought she’d get a job in a cafeteria – I never would have thought she’d get a job.”

“It’s great it gets him from under my feet and stops him pestering me for money.”

Parental Views

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Employees Views

The young employees reported learning a variety of work skills including punctuality, work discipline and social and work related interaction in the workplace

 “I‘ve learned I can’t just do what I want .”

“Its made me feel older - different from the other kids”

Other Issues

Need to develop and nurture a YSEP parent group

Importance of following up when placements fail

Funding – in between a rock and a hard place?

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Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

Project costs (from year 2000) Average overall cost per person was £3,068 Average cost of local day service provision at the

time was £10,920 Job seekers allowance and welfare benefits

payments stood at £2,184 Over a 2 year duration this cost will be reduced If the approach leads to teenagers moving directly

from school into work then significant savings accrue

Other Issues

Model generalises beautifully to College Students aged 19 – 25

Get key players around the table Caution: Need to preserve the integrity of the

project if this undertaken in other areas. Social Impact -

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Tackling Social Isolation

Sample of 73 teenagers (Special Schools) identified 43 friends

When asked which of those friends they met outside of school number came down to 15

When those not in the same age group were deducted number came down to just 9

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Best of All.....

Nobody can turn around and write these young people off by labelling them as incapable of undertaking

paid work

when they leave school!

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References Wolfensberger.W. (1972). The Principle of Normalization in Human

Services, Syracuse University Press. Syracuse, New York. Allan, J. (1996) Supported Employment and Youth with a Developmental

Disability. Proceedings from the IASSID Conference, Finland Helsinki. Kilsby, M. & Beyer, S. and Allan, J. (2001) Report on the the Youth

Supported Employment Project in England and Wales. MENCAP. Swan courtyard, Birmingham B261OU

Kilsby , M. & Beyer, S (2007) Research Report on the Promoting Independence Project. Welsh centre for Learning Disabilities, Cardiff, UK

Kilsby , M. & Allan, J. (2007) Evaluation of the Youth Supported Employment Project. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

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