Written evidence from A group of 4 LEEP1 (GED0066)
A group of 4 LEEP1 members and café employees, with lived experience of disabilities, sharing their thoughts, experiences and views on the below experiences.
1. What has been done to help more disabled people get jobs?
LEEP1 is good because they help people with disabilities to get a job with them. I am not sure about other workplaces. In my last workplace, I didn’t get the same opportunities. I had a bad experience and got stuck washing up, but at LEEP1 I get to work in an office, it’s nice and quiet – I can get myself a cuppa tea and concentrate on my work. I feel a lot better in this workplace, because I can speak to people, everyone here has helped me to be more confident.
I think disabled people get discriminated because they don’t look at the people with disabilities, how they should be treated which is equally, some people think they are better than us. A lot more needs to be done. When you get your qualifications, there’s not that many jobs out there. LEEP1 has been good opportunity to get through the door and I wouldn’t of known where to get a job if it hadn't of been for LEEP.
Getting a job in lockdown was easy for me at LEEP1 - the process was easy, this workplace was all inclusive. MENCAP programme – employ me, has helped me get back into work.
2. What is it like for disabled people who cannot get a job?
It’s hard, because they might not be able to get a job because of their disability. They fix on what people with disabilities can’t do and don’t look at what they can do.
It’s frustrating because it’s hard to find a job, what you want to do. It’s disappointing, you have qualifications but you can’t get anything out of them and it feels like you have wasted your time going to college.
3. Do some groups of disabled people find it more difficult to get a job? (like people with learning disabilities?)
It’s more difficult for me with a learning disability – it's hard for people to get a job, people don’t take the time to explain to me in a way I understand, so I know what I’m doing, but I can’t understand why people with a disability can’t get a job, I know people with disabilities can do great things.
Yes, on some application forms they ask you what are your grades, not everyone has those grades.
4. And what is it like for them?
Makes it feel harder to get a job if you have learning difficulties, it’s not easy to get a job with disability, you have to go through a lot more, like benefits and DBS checks are harder to get documents for. Like, if you don’t have any bills to pay, you might not have a finance document, or people don’t have passports.
5. How has coronavirus affected jobs for disabled people?
People can’t just get a job with COVID, if they have one, they have to get tested and if it’s positive, they can’t work (isolate). For me, if I started a job and had COVID, I would have to get tested. Working from home was hard for me. We have found a quiet space, where I can work in an office on my own, this is better because I can concentrate. Zoom, calls and emails work better for me than face to face, I feel this is better because more stuff is wrote down and I feel organised, but face to face I probably wouldn’t write this stuff down.
Not enough work – lots of people unemployed
They don’t treat you like an adult, they treat you like you’re thick, there’s not enough training.
6. Which government department should be in charge of helping disabled people to get a job? And why?
For example:
● Department for Work and Pensions
● Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Department for Health and Social Care.
Health and Social care – social workers can help people get jobs, or support workers. They could help us sort out our benefits.
Not work and pensions in case they take more money away from you, I don’t really trust them, they probably would do that. Health and social care should, because that’s like social workers and Leeds city council, I have more trust in them.
I think department for work and pensions – because I think they help people get back in to work.
7. Can we learn how to do things better from any other countries? Please tell us more
Not sure
No, can’t think
Not sure
Be useful to know what other countries are doing
8. The Department for Work and Pensions gives support to disabled people with a job and without a job.
Are they getting the balance right, for example should they give more support to get a job, or more to keep a job? Please tell us more.
They need to give more support to get a job, like job searching or at interviews.
Access to work is good and good that it’s available, more help to find a job. You can do a course to get a job. Would be good for more help to do an interview, help to get an interview and during the interview. Either confident on own or have support with you.
9. How can the Department for Work and Pensions help firms and organisations employ more disabled people? And help them get promoted and do better in their jobs?
Job descriptions would be better in easyread. To get more jobs, that are friendly for people who haven’t had a job before, like more support and training.
Easyread job description
Easyread and people who could read it someone – better support.
10. How well is the Disability Confident scheme working?
Not sure what this is, so not very well. I need to know about it.
Yes, it’s where the company has a disability confidence sign on, they support people in the right way.
Yes, to treat people equally.
11. How could the support from Jobcentre Plus get better?
They just tell you what you already know, like how to do a CV. I don’t like it when they tell me how to do it a certain way, be nice for them to be more focused on what I like.
You have a disability advisor, they’re good. Normal job advisors, you have to apply for someone jobs, but there’s not that many out there.
12. Can you tell us about any good ways of supporting disabled people in or out of work during Coronavirus?
Whatsapp, phone calls, zoom, keeping people speaking to each other. Making sure our mental health is good too.
13. Organisations should make some changes to help disabled people do a job. These are called reasonable adjustments. Are organisations making these changes? What should happen if organisations won’t make these changes?
Yes, I have support, different ways of working. Where I work is good at that. My workplace looks at people’s needs, to see what they are capable of.
14. What would you like to see in the Government’s new National Strategy for Disabled People?
Yes
16. How should the Department for Work and Pensions include disabled people and their organisations in making the Strategy?
Focus group or consultation – asking people what they think. This would be good in person when possible or Zoom.
December 2020