Supported work experience and its impact on young people with intellectual disabilities, their families and employers

Purpose – The Real Opportunities project set out to implement a number of the approaches identified through research that can assist transition to adulthood in nine local authority areas in Wales. Supported work experience was delivered by small job coaching teams in each area. The purpose of this paper is to establish the impact of the work experience and employment teams by describing the placements provided, any change in the skills of young people, and the responses to the placements by employers, young people and their families. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected over 24 months by participating employment services. Questionnaires were administered to employers. Interviews were carried out with a sub-sample of young people (24) participating and a family member (25). Findings – Over a 24-month period 297 young people received supported work experience. In total, 262 young people had an intellectual disability, 35 an autistic spectrum disorder. Up to three placements were delivered to each person, averaging five weeks per placement, with 405 placements in total. In total, 62 per cent of those with two placements had a different category of second work placement to their first. These numbers demonstrated that work experience in community placements is possible with support. Young people improved work skills significantly between first and second placements. Employers reported high satisfaction rates with the young person’s work in a range of key performance areas and company benefits from participation for other staff, company image and customer relations. Interviews with 24 young people and 25 of their family members reported satisfaction with support and placements. Six young people had paid work now, and 33 per cent said they would get a job at some future time. Families reported changes in young person’s outlook but their view of prospects of employment remained pessimistic due to the external environment. Research limitations/implications – Implications for future research are discussed. Practical implications – Implications for transition are discussed. Originality/value – The paper provides new insight into the impact of a large number of supported work experience placements

An independent evaluation of The Filter

Existing Research In 2009, a comprehensive review of evidence relating to young people and smoking was published. Few studies were identified which focused specifically on smoking prevention or cessation interventions for young people, and the majority of the existing evidence focused on school-based programmes. We searched for Cochrane reviews and peer reviewed literature from 2009-2015. There was little research on the acceptability and effectiveness of training professionals who work with young people to deliver smoking prevention and cessation messages. There was also a dearth of evidence regarding the effectiveness of direct youth involvement in smoking prevention and cessation programmes. Evidence relating to online health promotion and young people focused primarily on educational programmes involving highly structured content, with very little evidence regarding a less formal approach. Research design A multi-faceted process evaluation of The Filter was undertaken. First, tweets sent to or from The Filter Twitter account were subjected to thematic analysis. Second, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with The Filter staff, professionals who had undergone training from The Filter and young people who had either interacted with The Filter online or as part of face-to-face workshops. Finally, surveys were developed based on the findings of the interview study, which asked professionals and young people about their experiences of all elements of The Filter programme. Results: Training for professionals working with young people The Filter training team reported that initially they designed and delivered training based on the key tobacco topics identified in Wales. This was later amended, to include smoking cessation training, and bespoke training packages. Professionals who took part in interviews reported that they valued this flexible approach to training courses and had put some of the techniques they had learnt into practice in their work with young people. This was found to be the case by professionals who took part in the online survey. Professionals also reported that the training was relevant, enjoyable and gave them new knowledge about smoking. 5 Results: Youth development, education and smoking cessation support The Filter developed a workshop-based approach to transmitting tobacco control and smoking cessation messages, which was delivered to small groups of young people in their own communities. The Filter staff reported that delivering these sessions was unproblematic, and all respondents identified a very strong rapport between The Filter staff and young people. The range of activities included in workshops was also identified as a key way of sustaining interest from young people, and visual aids were identified as particularly engaging. Some young people suggested that their interaction with The Filter had changed their planned behaviour in relation to smoking, or encouraged them to cut down or quit if they were existing smokers. Results: Online health promotion The Filter team shared tobacco control messages via a wide range of online platforms. They have achieved some level of success in terms of reach on The Filter website and potential reach on Twitter and Facebook. However, it was not possible within the confines of this research to understand if these users fit within the target demographic for the intervention, and how much overlap there was between The Filter face-to-face services and online services. The Filter staff reported that the intervention was deliverable by using a flexible approach, including the use of multiple and changing online platforms. It was not possible to understand how acceptable this intervention was to young people, as only one of The Filter’s followers agreed to take part in an online interview, and only 11 respondents to the online survey had interacted with the online resources. The evaluation of social media based interventions has been acknowledged to be a challenging area (Bailey et al., 2015) and this low response does not mean that the intervention is not reaching the targeted individuals, but that the individuals were not willing to take part in a brief evaluation. Conclusion To carry out this evaluation, we were given full access to The Filter team and their contacts in order to gather samples for the interviews and surveys. The Filter team were adaptable in their approaches to training and the use of social media over the course of the project, ensuring smoking cessation and prevention information was maintained as up to date and relevant. Professionals noted the rapport the Filter Team developed with young people was excellent. Training was high quality and professionals were able to use what they had learned from The Filter when working directly with young people. Young people liked the visual aspects of The Filter and they preferred the informal youth work approach to school based sessions on smoking. The use of The Filter social media platforms and online resources was encouraging, showing maintained growth over the course of evaluation period. Online resources were reported to be used by the majority of professionals taking part in the evaluation, however, engaging young people in the evaluation of The Filter via social media proved challenging. The data in this evaluation suggests that The Filter is a service which is feasible to deliver. The methodology of this evaluation did not allow us to examine the effectiveness of The Filter in terms of smoking prevention or cessation

Adverse social behaviour at work and health-related employment exit: a prospective population-based four-wave survey

Background The level of evidence for various aspects of adverse social behaviour (ASB) at work as risk factors for exit from employment due to health problems or diseases is inconclusive. Methods We obtained data from four consecutive surveys (2006/09/13/16) of the general population of Norway. Respondents who were interviewed in two consecutive surveys and employed at the first survey time point constituted the sample (n = 17 110 observations). We investigated associations of self-reported exposure to ASB (i.e. experiencing sexual harassment, bullying or violence/threats in the first survey) and health-related employment exit (i.e. individuals reporting exit from employment due to health problems or disease between two consecutive surveys) by means of mixed-effect logistic regression. Results The prevalence of ASB and health-related employment exit was 10.8% (n = 1853) and 2.6% (n = 440), respectively. Adjusted for age, sex, level of education, occupation and weekly work hours, sexual harassment, bullying and violence/threats were associated with an increased risk of exit from employment. The odds ratios (ORs) for the association between exposure to any of the three aspects of ASB and employment exit was 1.78 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33–2.38]; the estimated corresponding population attributable risk was PAR% = 7.32 [95% CI 2.67–12.27]. Further adjustment of mental distress attenuated the observed association between exposure to any ASB and exit from employment (OR = 1.45 [95% CI 1.07–1.95], i.e. a reduction of 42% in the OR). Conclusions ASB at work increases the risk of health-related exit from employment in the Norwegian workforce.Adverse social behaviour at work and health-related employment exit: a prospective population-based four-wave surveypublishedVersio

Comprehensive evaluation of the impact of workplace exposures on physician-certified sick leave in the general working population

Background Our objective was to quantify the prospective associations between work factors across chemical, physical, mechanical, and psychosocial domains and the onset of medically certified sick leave. Methods Eligible respondents were interviewed in 2009, 2013, or 2016 and were registered in the national sick leave register with an employee relationship lasting more than 50 working days during the year of the survey interviews and the following year (n = 15,294 observations). To focus on the onset of high-level sick leave (HLSL; >16 days a year), we excluded individuals with HLSL during the survey year (baseline). We then used mixed-effect logistic regression models to assess prospective associations between self-reported work conditions and the occurrence of doctor-certified HLSL in the following year. Results The average occurrence of HLSL was 13.1%. After adjusting for sex, age, level of education, chronic health problems, and smoking, we observed an exposure-response relationship between cumulative exposure to work factors within all domains and the occurrence of HLSL. When evaluating the impact of combined exposures, predicted odds ratios (OR) for employees exposed to 1, 2, and 3 or more work factors within all domains were 1.60 (95%CI 1.32 − 1.94), 2.56 (95%CI 1.73 − 3.74) and 4.09 (95%CI 2.28 − 7.25), compared to those not exposed. Conclusions The results support the notion that exposure to multiple work factors in various domains, including psychosocial, mechanical, chemical, and physical work conditions, is associated with an increased risk of high-level sick leave. Employers and occupational health professionals should consider the joint impact of these domains when designing interventions.Comprehensive evaluation of the impact of workplace exposures on physician-certified sick leave in the general working populationpublishedVersio

Regional SEN Transition to Employment Initiative (Real Opportunities): Impact of the Real Opportunities Project

The Regional SEN Transition to Employment Initiative (Real Opportunities project) set out to address the lack of support for employment for people with learning disabilities and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and implement a number of the approaches identified through research that can assist transition to adulthood, especially in employment. The project was a European Social Fund (ESF) convergence funded initiative designed to fill a gap in existing provision and to establish what could be delivered through a comprehensive, well-staffed approach to transition support. In many respects it seeks to address some of the problems in transition planning highlighted in research and in policy review documents. The project operated in 9 local authority areas in Wales from 2011 until 2014 and was evaluated throughout by the Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities at Cardiff University. The project was significant in scale and engaged with 1,766 young people over its lifetime

An independent evaluation of The Filter

Existing Research In 2009, a comprehensive review of evidence relating to young people and smoking was published. Few studies were identified which focused specifically on smoking prevention or cessation interventions for young people, and the majority of the existing evidence focused on school-based programmes. We searched for Cochrane reviews and peer reviewed literature from 2009-2015. There was little research on the acceptability and effectiveness of training professionals who work with young people to deliver smoking prevention and cessation messages. There was also a dearth of evidence regarding the effectiveness of direct youth involvement in smoking prevention and cessation programmes. Evidence relating to online health promotion and young people focused primarily on educational programmes involving highly structured content, with very little evidence regarding a less formal approach. Research design A multi-faceted process evaluation of The Filter was undertaken. First, tweets sent to or from The Filter Twitter account were subjected to thematic analysis. Second, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with The Filter staff, professionals who had undergone training from The Filter and young people who had either interacted with The Filter online or as part of face-to-face workshops. Finally, surveys were developed based on the findings of the interview study, which asked professionals and young people about their experiences of all elements of The Filter programme. Results: Training for professionals working with young people The Filter training team reported that initially they designed and delivered training based on the key tobacco topics identified in Wales. This was later amended, to include smoking cessation training, and bespoke training packages. Professionals who took part in interviews reported that they valued this flexible approach to training courses and had put some of the techniques they had learnt into practice in their work with young people. This was found to be the case by professionals who took part in the online survey. Professionals also reported that the training was relevant, enjoyable and gave them new knowledge about smoking. 5 Results: Youth development, education and smoking cessation support The Filter developed a workshop-based approach to transmitting tobacco control and smoking cessation messages, which was delivered to small groups of young people in their own communities. The Filter staff reported that delivering these sessions was unproblematic, and all respondents identified a very strong rapport between The Filter staff and young people. The range of activities included in workshops was also identified as a key way of sustaining interest from young people, and visual aids were identified as particularly engaging. Some young people suggested that their interaction with The Filter had changed their planned behaviour in relation to smoking, or encouraged them to cut down or quit if they were existing smokers. Results: Online health promotion The Filter team shared tobacco control messages via a wide range of online platforms. They have achieved some level of success in terms of reach on The Filter website and potential reach on Twitter and Facebook. However, it was not possible within the confines of this research to understand if these users fit within the target demographic for the intervention, and how much overlap there was between The Filter face-to-face services and online services. The Filter staff reported that the intervention was deliverable by using a flexible approach, including the use of multiple and changing online platforms. It was not possible to understand how acceptable this intervention was to young people, as only one of The Filter’s followers agreed to take part in an online interview, and only 11 respondents to the online survey had interacted with the online resources. The evaluation of social media based interventions has been acknowledged to be a challenging area (Bailey et al., 2015) and this low response does not mean that the intervention is not reaching the targeted individuals, but that the individuals were not willing to take part in a brief evaluation. Conclusion To carry out this evaluation, we were given full access to The Filter team and their contacts in order to gather samples for the interviews and surveys. The Filter team were adaptable in their approaches to training and the use of social media over the course of the project, ensuring smoking cessation and prevention information was maintained as up to date and relevant. Professionals noted the rapport the Filter Team developed with young people was excellent. Training was high quality and professionals were able to use what they had learned from The Filter when working directly with young people. Young people liked the visual aspects of The Filter and they preferred the informal youth work approach to school based sessions on smoking. The use of The Filter social media platforms and online resources was encouraging, showing maintained growth over the course of evaluation period. Online resources were reported to be used by the majority of professionals taking part in the evaluation, however, engaging young people in the evaluation of The Filter via social media proved challenging. The data in this evaluation suggests that The Filter is a service which is feasible to deliver. The methodology of this evaluation did not allow us to examine the effectiveness of The Filter in terms of smoking prevention or cessation

Supported employment, quality of jobs and employment typicalness: The experience of the Engage to Change project

Background: Paid employment represents a challenge for people with an intellectual disability and/or autism. This paper analyses the quality of jobs offered by the Engage to Change project and their relationship to the ‘typicalness’ of the employment offered. Method: Data on the quality of 384 paid jobs were collected, including hours worked and wages earned, and reported social integration at work. The typicalness of the employment experience was assessed for 141 young people, using the Index of Typicalness of Placement Questionnaire. Results: The Engage to Change project offered a wide range of jobs. There is no difference in the typicalness of the employment experience in relation to the interactions in the workplace, but there are some differences in the recruitment process for men and women. Conclusion: Job coaches should make sure that, despite the procedures being ‘atypical’ for the workplace, the outcome is ‘a typical employment experience’ for each employee

The impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on jobs for people with intellectual disabilities and autism in Wales

Background: The study reports the impact of the Covid‐19 pandemic and lockdowns on jobs for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. The study focuses on the impact of the first and the fire‐break lockdowns and the actions taken to support young people. Method: Data was collected from the cohort of young people currently working in Wales, and that received job coach support from the Engage to Change Project, on furlough arrangements, job retainment and job losses. Innovative initiatives to support young people are described. Results: Review of the working situation during the pandemic was conducted for 184 jobs, evaluating the proportion of young people being furloughed or working remotely and compared with the general population in Wales. Conclusions: Supported employment agencies adapted their practice during the COVID‐19 pandemic, offering new and innovative ways to support young people and facilitate their return to work