Activity Alliance – Written evidence (YDP0015)
Activity Alliance response to Public Services committee call for evidence: the transition from education to employment for young disabled people.
About Activity Alliance
Activity Alliance is the national charity and leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity. Sport and activity play an important role in our nation’s health so must be a level playing field for everybody. Our vision is for fairness for disabled people in sport and activity.
Disabled people participate less than non-disabled people and they are also twice as likely to be inactive. We are focussing on two key goals. They are changing attitudes towards disabled people in sport and activity and embedding inclusive practice into organisations.
General
What barriers do young disabled people face when leaving education and entering the job market and workplace? Does this differ between different conditions or disabilities, and if so, how?
As young people move from education to the job market, they lose many of the support networks in place in school or university. Local offer pages provide information about local services, support and activities available to families, children and young people aged up to 25 years with special educational needs or disabilities. Here is an example Children and young adults with disabilities and learning needs – London Borough of Bromley. But there needs to be a review of its accessibility, usability and usefulness as this is where young disabled people are sent.
It is important to note that a key issue for young disabled people entering employment is access to benefits and navigating a complex benefits system. The language and understanding on such a complex system also causes barriers. This changes substantially for disabled people as both age and employment status affect benefit entitlements. As a result, disabled people, especially those who are only able to work part-time, can face challenges in understanding the benefit system and could be less likely to enter successful employment.
It is vital that the proposed changes to the benefit system for disabled people outlined in the government’s health and disability white paper fully consider the consequences on young people and any related impacts on activity, employment and educational status.
Unemployment also has a knock-on effect for disabled people, for example disabled people who are unemployed are much more likely than non-disabled people to be physically inactive (40% vs 30%). (Active Lives Adult Survey 2020/21).
How far do barriers to young disabled people accessing other public services, such as health and care services, present a barrier to young disabled people accessing the workplace?
No response
We have not focused this inquiry specifically on the experiences of young people with an Education, Health, and Care plan when they leave education and enter employment. What are your thoughts on this approach, and are there particular benefits or drawbacks to it? What other focused approaches could the inquiry take?
No response
How effectively do education systems provide careers advice, guidance and support which meet the needs and career aspirations of young disabled people? How could this be improved, and what examples of good practice are there in the UK and abroad?
We would like sport and activity to be promoted better as a career choice for more young disabled people. Statistics show that young disabled people miss out more on PE and sport opportunities, so undoubtedly influences sport being seen as a career choice. This shows in the low number of disabled adults recorded in the sport and activity workforce. If they are not active, among role models and mentors, young disabled people may not consider it for their future employment. There are many training options to support readiness for training and employment.
Do staff in schools and other education settings providing careers guidance and advice have the appropriate training and resources to support the needs and aspirations of young disabled people?
No response
How do far do staff in education settings engage with employment support services and schemes such as Access to Work, supported internships, or disability employment advisors in order to support young disabled people?
No response
How far do employment support mechanisms such as Access to Work or Disability Employment Advisors meet the needs of young disabled people entering the job market for the first time? How could these services be improved?
No response
What is the first point that a young disabled person would engage with an employment support scheme, and how are such schemes communicated to young disabled people?
No response
What are young disabled people’s experiences of the transition from education-based support to employment-related support? Do young disabled people face barriers to accessing support during this transition? Could these services be better linked, and if so, how?
Activity Alliance’s report ‘Active beyond education?’ (2015) outlined the challenges that disabled people face in the transition from education to adulthood.
The report identified that one of the key challenges young people face when transitioning from education-based support to employment-related support.
Headline findings from the report included:
• Young disabled people can struggle to participate in sport and physical activity due to a deterioration or change in their physical condition.
• Young disabled people are often lacking in ‘life skills’ such as confidence, independence and resilience. Skills that can be crucial in enabling people to effectively seek physical activity opportunities beyond education.
• Participation in sport and physical activity is dependent on opportunities meeting their motivations to take part, these motivations fluctuate over time.
• Young disabled people’s opportunity to engage in sport during this transition period is impacted by a number of key external factors. These include access to sport inside and outside of school, support received from family and friends, availability of adaptive support, equipment and other resources.
The report outlined several recommendations including:
• Healthcare professionals (e.g. physiotherapists) should be encouraged and guided to recommend suitable activities to young disabled people.
• Training and guidance for educators on how to better engage young disabled people in PE lessons. This should include strategies for developing young disabled people’s ‘life skills’.
• Early positive experiences of sport (physical activity and movement) will make it more likely that people will re-engage or continue to be active as they get older. Providers need to reach out and engage with young disabled people earlier, either while they are still in education or in settings (including early years) where they feel comfortable.
• Provide better funding opportunities to support sport and physical activity participation as young disabled people move into adulthood.
How accessible are careers in public services to young disabled people when they are first entering the job market? Are there public services which very effectively recruit disabled people, and services where significant improvement is needed?
No response
What could public services employers learn from best practice elsewhere, including overseas, about recruiting and retaining young disabled people? What are the barriers to implementing such good practice?
In February 2023, Activity Alliance completed a research project with Haringey Council featuring interviews, co-production workshops and a survey of over 100 participants. A key aim of the report was to identify key ways to support more disabled people in the physical activity workforce both in the public sector and more broadly.
The report outlined a number of recommendations for creating an inclusive workplace including the recruitment and retainment of young disabled people.
Key findings included:
Provide and promote opportunities
More accessible job roles and inclusive teams
Development and support
How effective are government programmes which support or encourage employers to employ disabled people, particularly young disabled people? Does this differ by condition or disability? How could they be improved?
No response
What steps could be taken to improve awareness and uptake of relevant government support schemes?
No response
What actions could employers be taking without Government support? What barriers prevent them doing so?
It is important that training specific to different sectors is available and publicised to support each sector in their employment of disabled people.
For example, Activity Alliance works with a range of sport and leisure providers and companies to provide training and advice to support the employment of disabled people within the sport and activity sectors.
We would suggest that all training and schemes are co-designed with disabled people, including disabled employees to ensure the training is as relevant as possible. Training offers (formal and informal) need to be made more accessible and the providers need to ensure reasonable adjustments are made as a standard process.
Barriers for our sector are typically around competence and confidence to employ disabled people effectively. Misconceptions and fear of expense and skillset levels from employers can mean fewer disabled people enter the workforce. But also, the accessibility of recruitment processes, training and retention of employees all add to the long-term problem.
How effectively are the rights of disabled people upheld and enforced in the workplace? What barriers do young disabled people face in accessing the support (including legal support) that they need and are entitled to? How could enforcement mechanisms be improved?
No response
Is the present legal framework sufficient, in theory and in practice, in dealing with disability discrimination faced by young disabled people transitioning from education to work?
No response
September 2023