Career Connect – Written evidence (YDP0034)
Written submission to House of Lords Select Committee: inquiry into employment and career support for young disabled people.
About Career Connect
We are a charity committed to helping young people and adults realise their potential. We deliver high quality and professional careers, employment, and training services in schools, in the community and in prisons. We are passionate about social mobility and helping the most disadvantaged to create a better future.
In 2022/23, we worked with over 80,000 young people and adults to support them in their journey towards education and work.
We are pleased to have this opportunity to submit our evidence to this inquiry. Our response comes from our professional teams that are providing Careers education, information, advice, and guidance (CEIAG) services to young disabled people in mainstream and special schools, and through our work in the community with local authorities and other partners, to support young people aged 16-24 to access education, employment, and training.
Chief Executive Officer
Our response to the inquiry questions
1) 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?
Young disabled people face multiple barriers to employment. The below is a summary of what we see as the key areas of disadvantage, their consequences, and what we think will help to reduce each barrier.
Change in support environment and progression from small, specialist provision, which young people feel comfortable in, into much larger ‘mainstream’ environments. Much of the support network available to young people when they are in education & training will disappear once they move into employment. Anxiety about loss of support can result in young people remaining in education or training provision that is not advancing their career development or taking them along a pathway towards a defined employment outcome.
There is a need to address support needs early and with greater consistency across time and between geographies, providing appropriate CEIAG that is realistic and consistent throughout the educational pathway of young people, supported by an open and honest dialogue with the young person and those who support them to ensure that aspirations and pathways realistic and achievable.
There is a need for schools and FE institutions to begin transition planning much earlier. At present, this often does not happen until EHCP review takes place, delaying much needed early support to make a successful transition into employment. While schools and colleges are understandably focused on the completion of qualifications, greater focus is needed on their progression along a pathway towards employment. Resources to do this, however, are often a significant challenge for schools and colleges.
- Absence of pathways that include in employment support for young disabled people. Support that comes with a young person having an ECHP is withdrawn once a young person moves into employment, although this is a time when many young people, but particularly those with a disability, require continued support to sustain this pathway. ) Something akin to EHCP – e.g., ‘wellness action plan’ would help to bridge the much-needed gap in support from education to employment. Supported Internships show very good employment outcomes with approximately 60-70% positive progression directly into employment.
Supported employment opportunities for should be available for young people through adult social care but, in our experience, these opportunities are not-? always widely promoted. FE colleges often lack knowledge or connections with adult services, and young people are therefore not put forward for these pathways.
Employers can lack the confidence and knowledge to meet the needs of disabled young people. Many employers do not have a good understanding what is meant by ‘reasonable adjustments,’ or how to create a supportive environment. Employers can perceive themselves unable to meet the needs of disabled young people - a situation which also applies to supported internships and apprenticeships. From the 2022 Youth Census survey, we know that less than a third (28.7%) think employers are supportive of hiring young people.
Changing mindsets will be key. Young disabled people want to reach the same milestones as their peers, independence, friends, relationships, positive experiences, learning opportunities and a career. Systems and processes are a part of this change but there is a wider/deeper issue around culture and mind set to achieve true equality of opportunity for all.
In some areas, job density is low, and this will compound barriers encountered for this group of young people.
- Lack of confidence, employability skills, work experience, and qualifications are a challenge for all young people but can be particularly acute for those young people with a disability. Many young people with disabilities limit their own choices within the employment market (sub consciously) due to lack of support and confidence to discuss reasonable adjustments. . Many lack the confidence to disclose their disability, or to raise issues relevant to their condition prior to interview. Apprenticeships can be difficult to access for those who have not been able to obtain the requisite GCSEs. Work experience opportunities can be scarce and young disabled people are often having a low level of ‘career readiness.’ Many young people with SEND related disabilities may not have had their conditions diagnosed or supported, compounding other challenges. Many FE colleges perceive that they are unable to meet the needs of young disabled people, restricting access to courses and qualifications.
- Financial and travel challenges. Travel can be a challenge particularly in more rural areas. For several young disabled people, work can result in reduction of benefits and wider support with housing etc, acting as a deterrent to paid employment.
- Conditions and severity affect the barriers experienced. Severity of condition does affect barriers but, as with non-disabled young people, academic ability is often the key factor. Academically able young people, can, with the right support, make progress through L1 – L3 of qualifications and on to university and employment. Regardless of severity of conditions, those who are less academically able are going to face more substantial barriers. This said, young people with a learning disability and/or obvious physical disability can often be assessed as having a limited capacity to work, and without appropriate guidance and support towards employment (and once in employment) can become stuck and reliant on benefits.
We see mental health challenges growing disproportionately among young people, particularly those with SEND conditions. Isolation, lack of hope, and rejection are factors in this.
For young people with autism, there needs to be support to develop coping mechanisms for their adult lives and this needs to start earlier to mitigate some of the later challenges faced in adulthood.
There is a significant problem with transition for SEMH students (with EHCP) from mainstream schools to post-16 opportunities and particularly employment – resulting in high NEET numbers. Data that we hold from 3 local authorities shows that young people with an EHCP are 2-3 times more likely to be NEET than other young people.
a) 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?
- This is relevant to young people with disabilities related to their mental health. Despite increasing encouragement for young people come forward with their mental health concerns, unless support needs are critical, many face a 12-18 month wait to receive treatment. Without prevention or early intervention, the mental health disability can become embedded and part of a young person’s self-image, lead to self-exclusion from society so they don’t learn practical everyday skills like travelling by themselves.
- The EHCP process itself is becoming stretched to the point where many young people are waiting a long time to be assessed and gain EHCP status, thereby delaying their access to essential support. The number of young people with an EHCP nationally has increased in our areas by approximately 50% since 2019 and in 2022, 66,356 new ECHPs were created, an increase of 7% on 2021, and 114,500 initial requests for an EHC needs assessment were made – a 23% increase from 2021. The percentage of new EHCPs finalised within the statutory 20-week timescale fell to its lowest national level in 2022: 50.7%, compared with 59.9% in 2021.
- The EHCP process itself is difficult with and information on how to obtain an EHCP is not easily accessible. Many young people are not receiving support through EHCPs because they do not know that this is something for which they can apply. There needs to be much greater awareness of EHCPs in early years.
2) 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?
We agree with the approach taken by the inquiry by the inquiry as the needs are wider than those who pass the test to access resources at the appropriate age. Many young people have conditions but are without an EHCP. To illustrate, 4.3% of young people nationally have an EHCP, whereas 13% are receiving SEN support. SEND support is a ‘flag’ applied in schools (previously referred to as ‘moderate learning difficulties) but offers no ongoing support post 16 years of age. These young people should be in scope of this review in our view, even if they may not be among the most severely affected.
We also see that the EHCP process is being stretched leaving many young people to wait for support. Nationally, the percentage of new EHCPs finalised within the statutory 20-week timescale fell to 50.7%. We have also seen an increase in the number of children who are having their referrals closed before treatment. In 2021-22, 32% of children who were referred did not receive treatment compared to lower numbers in 2020-21 (24%), 2019-20 (27%).
There is a need to bring health provision and education into school to ensure that all young people have the health support and understanding of their disabilities , with a clear plan and knowledge before they enter adult life.
Finally, there is the rapidly growing number of young people that are not in school (pre-16) and, as such, are not having needs identified or support provided. Over 80,000 young people are classified as ‘electively home educating’, and we know that many of these are doing so because of dissatisfaction with school in some form. To add to this there are many young people that are missing from education, and a similarly large number in Alternative Provision. These young people are falling through the gaps and are not receiving diagnoses or support for their conditions.
3) 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?
a) 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?
b) 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 to support young disabled people?
Our observation is that many teachers know the law and they how things are in theory, and how they should be and about “reasonable adjustments”, but they often don’t have the training to understand how to equalize the barriers between young people with and without disabilities and the knowledge of the full range of disabilities that could impact the potential of young people with disabilities to enter and maximise their experience in the workplace.
Having professional staff that are qualified in the provision of careers support is key, but the extent of this will in many cases depend on the size, capacity, and funding available for the organisation. Schools do not currently have ringfenced budgets for career provision or enhanced provision for those with additional needs.
The focus of school provision should be on progression and pathways into employment rather than simply placement into local provision which can often lead to ‘churn’ but with no progress towards a clearly defined employment objective.
Part of the problem can be that there is not enough CEIAG and employment-focussed support for these young people. When they hit the ‘limit of their potential’ (a term that we have heard from providers) within the college environment they are cut loose into the mainstream world of work without the understanding or employability skills to compete for suitable opportunities.
Stronger training in mental health needs and support for FE staff would help to build a stronger understanding of ‘mainstream’ college staff/tutors of the needs of SEMH learners. Also, the employability skills and requirement of how this may impact young people going forwards and helping them to develop positive strategies – training needed for tutors and support services.
Finally, there are those young people that are outside of school and college settings. The growing number of young people classified as ‘elective home educating’ and young people missing from education are receiving very few, if any, CEIAG provision. There are also many young people who, while remaining registered in school have high rates of absenteeism. In one of our areas, persistent absenteeism is 27.5% for secondary schools and is 37.1% for young people with EHCPs.
4) 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?
a) 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?
There is a lack of these support agencies working with young people as there is an adult focus once they are claiming benefits through DWP. Access to Work is currently for those aged 18+, but this could be expanded to include transition support for young people and help fund opportunities such as Supported Internships/Apprenticeships. That said, many young people face challenges in accessing and forming relationships with local DWP Disability Employment Advisers. Points of contact within DWP are not well known and it can be difficult for young people to find the path to the appropriate support.
There is a need for ringfenced or supported apprenticeships for young disabled people. Those who have achieved academically can compete against other young people for places but challenges and lack of support throughout school can mean that many do not have these qualifications but would be very well served by apprenticeship programmes. The absence of ringfenced opportunities for these young people holds many of them back.
Also, there is a need to consider the interface with the benefits system. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility depends on evidencing what a young person cannot do, for some YP this should be interpreted as what they could do with the right support and learning/training. This could be an incentive and a way for young people to see the value in continuing a pathway to independence and eventual employment.
Stronger links between schools and DWP agencies would improve this, including partnership projects and warm handover support for young people.
5) 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?
There is a need for stronger links between schools and employment related support. Many young disabled people fall down the gap as they are unaware of the adult focused support that they can access or how to access it. Building up an understanding of this landscape needs to be purposeful and delivered well in advance of when young people qualify for those services.
Public services as good employers
6) 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?
a) 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?
The increase in hybrid and home working following Covid-19 opened up an opportunity for young people with disabilities as it showed what can be achieved through home working, reducing prejudices in recruitment practices and also in terms of people with disabilities being able to functionally fulfil the needs of the job description without the barriers of travel and employer workplaces and without the social anxiety inducing pressures that might prevent them from working at all.
People with disabilities might have their home set up well for working but employers may not be able to replicate these conditions through reasonable adjustments because of perceived costs or convenience. More recent moves within the public sector to have a greater number of people working from offices may be turning that tide, with staff being expected to work from an office whether essential or not. There is a risk that some of the more positive lessons and opportunities for young disabled people that resulted from Covid could be lost.
Support for employers
7) 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?
In the first instance, there are a limited number of government programmes.
Our experience of such programmes is that there can often be a lack of a clear support plan that is bespoke to the individual and their disability. Employers often sign up to support these schemes but lack a full understanding of what this can entail from a work perspective and a logistical impact also how can they manage things whilst supporting the individual.
a) What steps could be taken to improve awareness and uptake of relevant government support schemes?
Closer links between schools and these programmes to increase awareness and links to them for disabled young people. Subsidies for employers/appointed person from each company to attend CPD / accredited training courses to educate about the reality of employing a diverse and inclusive range of people.
b) What actions could employers be taking without Government support? What barriers prevent them doing so?
Have a mentor assigned to each young disabled person that joins an employer to provide wrap around in work support. Employers can have disability support champions. They can offer work trials to young disabled people. Wider use of job-sharing and greater flexibility in when, where and how work is done. Enlist specialist support within the business or external consultant to provide advice on support with disabilities.
Enforcement of the rights of disabled people in the workplace
8) 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?
a) 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?
Our views on the barriers to support that young disabled people need are covered in our response to the earlier questions.
The legal framework of the Equality Act, in which Disability is a protected characteristic, is largely sufficient. As detailed in our responses above, it is putting the legislation into practice where support is needed. Resources and better are more likely to improve outcomes than further legislation.
September 2023