The Youth Supported Employment Project (YSEP) A Must for the Future

1. The Youth Supported Employment Project (YSEP) A Must for the Future Mark Kilsby (PhD) and Julie Allan Presentation for the British Association for Supported Employment 2008 Conference

2. YSEP Characteristics • Primarily aimed at 16 to 19 year olds attending Special Schools • Based on the premise that the all people have the right to lead ‘typical’ and meaningful lives as valued and active members of our communities • Main aim is to enable the teenagers to obtain part time paid jobs that are typical of the jobs obtained by their teenage peers - appropriate timing, same rates of pay and types of job – eg, the gap, supermarkets. warehousing etc.. Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

3. YSEP Characteristics • Peer support model – supported employment provided by same age peers from schools – typically sixth formers. • One full time Coordinator • Liaise with teachers • Liaise with parents • Recruit disabled job seekers • Recruit teenage peers • Provide support and training to peers • Find typical jobs • Peer Support Training – Merthyr and Blackwood – Training in Systematic Instruction- Doncaster – informal meetings/events with other peers and teenage job seekers Kilsby/Morgan 2006

4. YSEP Characteristics • Peer Support Training – Merthyr and Blackwood – Training in Systematic Instruction- Doncaster – informal meetings/events with other peers and teenage job seekers • Based on 3 Pilot sites in UK – (Doncaster, Blackwood and Merthyr Tydfil) – Anecdotal Data from Canada Kilsby/Morgan 2006

5. Employee Characteristics Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

6. Peer Characteristics Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

7. YSEP Findings • Can support 8 and 10 teenagers in year 1 – up to 12 to 15 thereafter • Peer support totally withdrawn in majority of cases within 12 weeks - 4 job terminations • The variety of the jobs obtained was impressive, as were the locations of these jobs Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

8. Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

9. Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

10. YSEP Findings • The Project has the potential to involve youngsters with higher support requirements • Need to consider payment for peer supporters and linkage with local award programmes • 22 of the 23 parents stated that they would recommend the project to other families in the locality Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

11. Parental Views “I never thought she’d get a job in a cafeteria – I never would have thought she’d get a job.” “I’m glad he’s got something to do. He would have done something when he left school, College maybe. But now he might work instead or do both”. “It’s great it gets him from under my feet and stops him pestering me for money.” Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

12. Employees Views • The young employees reported learning a variety of work skills including punctuality, work discipline and social and work related interaction in the workplace “I‘ve learned I can’t just do what I want .” “Its made me feel older - different from the other kids” Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

13. Other Issues • Need to develop and nurture a YSEP parent group • Importance of following up when placements fail • Funding – in between a rock and a hard place? Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

14. Project costs (from year 2000) • Average overall cost per person was £3,068 • Average cost of local day service provision at the time was £10,920 • Job seekers allowance and welfare benefits payments stood at £2,184 • Over a 2 year duration this cost will be reduced • If the approach leads to teenagers moving directly from school into work then significant savings accrue Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

15. Other Issues • Model generalises beautifully to College Students aged 19 – 25 • Get key players around the table • Caution: Need to preserve the integrity of the project if this undertaken in other areas. • Social Impact - Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

16. Tackling Social Isolation • Sample of 73 teenagers (Special Schools) identified 43 friends • When asked which of those friends they met outside of school number came down to 15 • When those not in the same age group were deducted number came down to just 9 Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

17. Best of All..... Nobody can turn around and write these young people off by labelling them as incapable of undertaking paid work when they leave school! Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008

18. References • Wolfensberger.W. (1972). The Principle of Normalization in Human Services, Syracuse University Press. Syracuse, New York. • Allan, J. (1996) Supported Employment and Youth with a Developmental Disability. Proceedings from the IASSID Conference, Finland Helsinki. • Kilsby, M. & Beyer, S. and Allan, J. (2001) Report on the the Youth Supported Employment Project in England and Wales. MENCAP. Swan courtyard, Birmingham B261OU • Kilsby , M. & Beyer, S (2007) Research Report on the Promoting Independence Project. Welsh centre for Learning Disabilities, Cardiff, UK • Kilsby , M. & Allan, J. (2007) Evaluation of the Youth Supported Employment Project. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Mark Kilsby – Julie Allan , BASE 2008