Workstep
An Introduction to Workstep for Participants
Workstep is an employment development programme for disabled people replacing the previously known Supported Employment Scheme.
The modernised programme will offer a range of support mechanisms to disabled people seeking employment, to employers offering disabled people employment, to disabled people already in employment and employers wishing to retain employees who become disabled.
The support mechanisms vary and may include any of the following:
• Access to learning and development
• Job tasting
• Job coach/trainer
• Work experience
• Mentoring from colleagues
• Advice and awareness help to the employer and other employees
• Access to work (fares to work, aids and adaptations)
• Financial support (may be used to offset early costs of supervision, training and development) this support could be up to 2 years duration or reviewed on an ongoing basis dependent on individual needs.
How do I find out if Workstep is for me?
First of all you need to establish if you are eligible for Workstep. Contact is made with your Disability Employment Adviser who will confirm if you are eligible for Workstep.
All eligible people must be disabled as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This Act defines a disabled person as someone who has “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities”.
The individual must also fall within one of the following groups of people who are:
• On Incapacity Benefit (including Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support); or
• On Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and/or NI Credits only, for 6months or more; or
• On JSA and/or NI credits only, for less than 6 months but have been in receipt of Incapacity Benefit immediately before claiming JSA; or
• A former supported employee who has progressed but needs to return to the programme within 2 years or has left for other reasons and returns within one year; or
• Currently in work but at serious risk of losing their job as a result of disability, even after the employer has made all reasonable adjustments and considered other available support options; or
Ineligible to claim Incapacity Benefit as a non claimant, returner to the labour market or a recent/prospective full-time education or training leaver.
If the Disability Employment Advisor is satisfied that all other options have been considered and that Workstep is the most appropriate option, you will then be referred to a suitable Workstep provider such as Leicester City Council.
The first step will be to construct a vocational profile to ascertain your job aim and skills/abilities, an Individual Development Plan will then be produced. The Development Plan will record the type of work you require, specific activities to find the identified work, eg job matching, specific employers who will be contacted, how this will be done, assistance the job seeker will receive, support requirements within a job and anticipated learning and development activities within a job.
Support will be given to you to allow you to progress within a job and to progress to unsupported employment (if appropriate to you) either with your current employer or another employer.
There will be ongoing support even after you have progressed to unsupported employment to assist you to sustain your progress. This will take the form of access to the Employment Support Officer who will be able to advise and provide information on possible difficulties.
Progression to unsupported employment is not guaranteed to work for everyone for various reasons such as a disability worsening or simply that things don’t work out. There is provision in the Workstep programme for situations like these and ideally where possible you may return to your original job with your employer’s agreement, however you may need to find another job with another employer. You will not need to be re-assessed for eligibility if you return to Workstep within two years of leaving the programme. If you return to Workstep after having left for 6 months a new Development Plan will be required.
For further information, please contact Naomi Rodgers on 0116 252 7081.
Workstep is an employment development programme for disabled people replacing the previously known Supported Employment Scheme.
The modernised programme will offer a range of support mechanisms to disabled people seeking employment, to employers offering disabled people employment, to disabled people already in employment and employers wishing to retain employees who become disabled.
The support mechanisms vary and may include any of the following:
• Access to learning and development
• Job tasting
• Job coach/trainer
• Work experience
• Mentoring from colleagues
• Advice and awareness help to the employer and other employees
• Access to work (fares to work, aids and adaptations)
• Financial support (may be used to offset early costs of supervision, training and development) this support could be up to 2 years duration or reviewed on an ongoing basis dependent on individual needs.
How do I find out if Workstep is for me?
First of all you need to establish if you are eligible for Workstep. Contact is made with your Disability Employment Adviser who will confirm if you are eligible for Workstep.
All eligible people must be disabled as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This Act defines a disabled person as someone who has “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities”.
The individual must also fall within one of the following groups of people who are:
• On Incapacity Benefit (including Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support); or
• On Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and/or NI Credits only, for 6months or more; or
• On JSA and/or NI credits only, for less than 6 months but have been in receipt of Incapacity Benefit immediately before claiming JSA; or
• A former supported employee who has progressed but needs to return to the programme within 2 years or has left for other reasons and returns within one year; or
• Currently in work but at serious risk of losing their job as a result of disability, even after the employer has made all reasonable adjustments and considered other available support options; or
Ineligible to claim Incapacity Benefit as a non claimant, returner to the labour market or a recent/prospective full-time education or training leaver.
If the Disability Employment Advisor is satisfied that all other options have been considered and that Workstep is the most appropriate option, you will then be referred to a suitable Workstep provider such as Leicester City Council.
The first step will be to construct a vocational profile to ascertain your job aim and skills/abilities, an Individual Development Plan will then be produced. The Development Plan will record the type of work you require, specific activities to find the identified work, eg job matching, specific employers who will be contacted, how this will be done, assistance the job seeker will receive, support requirements within a job and anticipated learning and development activities within a job.
Support will be given to you to allow you to progress within a job and to progress to unsupported employment (if appropriate to you) either with your current employer or another employer.
There will be ongoing support even after you have progressed to unsupported employment to assist you to sustain your progress. This will take the form of access to the Employment Support Officer who will be able to advise and provide information on possible difficulties.
Progression to unsupported employment is not guaranteed to work for everyone for various reasons such as a disability worsening or simply that things don’t work out. There is provision in the Workstep programme for situations like these and ideally where possible you may return to your original job with your employer’s agreement, however you may need to find another job with another employer. You will not need to be re-assessed for eligibility if you return to Workstep within two years of leaving the programme. If you return to Workstep after having left for 6 months a new Development Plan will be required.
For further information, please contact Naomi Rodgers on 0116 252 7081.