\nSupported employment helps a disabled person find and keep a real, paid job in an ordinary workplace, with a job coach and tailored support. Sheltered and day options offer a more protected setting, often with a group, but are rarely paid work in the open labour market. In the UK today the policy direction favours supported employment, yet the right choice depends on the person, their goals and what is available locally.<\/pee>\nThis article mainly describes the system in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own organisations, schemes and legislation, and we flag the main differences where we can.<\/em><\/pee>\n<\/div>\n
\nKey points<\/h4>\n
Key points<\/h4>\n\n- Supported employment follows a “place, then train” approach: the person starts a paid job and receives coaching on the job.<\/li>\n
- Traditional sheltered factories are now rare in the UK, but day services, supported businesses and work-like activities still exist.<\/li>\n
- In England, routes in include the Jobcentre, local supported employment services, supported internships for young people with an EHCP, and Access to Work.<\/li>\n
- Day opportunities are usually arranged through a local authority care needs assessment, not the Jobcentre.<\/li>\n
- The two options are not mutually exclusive: many people combine or move between them over time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
What is supported employment?<\/h2>\nSupported employment is a way of helping disabled people get and keep paid jobs in regular workplaces. It is built on a simple idea: most people learn a job best by doing it, so support is provided in the workplace rather than in a long programme beforehand.<\/pee>\nIn practice, a supported employment service usually does several things:<\/pee>\n\n- talks with the person about their interests, strengths and the kind of work they want;<\/li>\n
- finds employers and matches the person to a suitable role, sometimes by “carving” a job from a larger one;<\/li>\n
- provides a job coach who helps the person learn the tasks, the routines and the workplace culture;<\/li>\n
- supports colleagues and managers, for example on communication or reasonable adjustments;<\/li>\n
- gradually reduces support as the person becomes confident, while remaining available if things change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is used by people with a learning disability, autistic people, people with mental health conditions, people with an acquired brain injury and many others. The person is normally employed by the employer and treated like any other member of staff, with a contract and employment rights.<\/pee>\nWhat are sheltered work and day options in the UK today?<\/h2>\nThe phrase “sheltered work” is more familiar in some other countries than in Britain. Historically, the UK had sheltered workshops and the Remploy factories, which employed disabled people in segregated settings. The Remploy factory network in Great Britain closed in the early 2010s, and large sheltered factories are now uncommon.<\/pee>\nWhat remains is a mixed picture, and the terms vary from one area to the next:<\/pee>\n\n- Day services or day opportunities:<\/strong> activities, skills sessions and community outings, often organised or commissioned by the local authority and run in a day centre or community hub.<\/li>\n
- Supported businesses and social enterprises:<\/strong> organisations such as caf\u00e9s, gardens, print shops or craft workshops that employ or involve a high proportion of disabled people. Some pay wages and some offer work-like activity with a different status, so ask about this.<\/li>\n
- Work-like activities and training placements:<\/strong> structured sessions that build routines, confidence and skills, sometimes as a stepping stone towards other work.<\/li>\n
- Volunteering and work experience:<\/strong> unpaid by definition, and often used as a first step.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Quality varies: some settings are inclusive and person-centred, others more routine-based. Visiting is the best way to judge.<\/pee>\nWhat are the main differences between the two?<\/h2>\nThe table below gives a simplified comparison. Real services vary, so treat it as a guide to the questions you may want to ask.<\/pee>\n
What is supported employment?<\/h2>\nSupported employment is a way of helping disabled people get and keep paid jobs in regular workplaces. It is built on a simple idea: most people learn a job best by doing it, so support is provided in the workplace rather than in a long programme beforehand.<\/pee>\nIn practice, a supported employment service usually does several things:<\/pee>\n\n- talks with the person about their interests, strengths and the kind of work they want;<\/li>\n
- finds employers and matches the person to a suitable role, sometimes by “carving” a job from a larger one;<\/li>\n
- provides a job coach who helps the person learn the tasks, the routines and the workplace culture;<\/li>\n
- supports colleagues and managers, for example on communication or reasonable adjustments;<\/li>\n
- gradually reduces support as the person becomes confident, while remaining available if things change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is used by people with a learning disability, autistic people, people with mental health conditions, people with an acquired brain injury and many others. The person is normally employed by the employer and treated like any other member of staff, with a contract and employment rights.<\/pee>\nWhat are sheltered work and day options in the UK today?<\/h2>\nThe phrase “sheltered work” is more familiar in some other countries than in Britain. Historically, the UK had sheltered workshops and the Remploy factories, which employed disabled people in segregated settings. The Remploy factory network in Great Britain closed in the early 2010s, and large sheltered factories are now uncommon.<\/pee>\nWhat remains is a mixed picture, and the terms vary from one area to the next:<\/pee>\n\n- Day services or day opportunities:<\/strong> activities, skills sessions and community outings, often organised or commissioned by the local authority and run in a day centre or community hub.<\/li>\n
- Supported businesses and social enterprises:<\/strong> organisations such as caf\u00e9s, gardens, print shops or craft workshops that employ or involve a high proportion of disabled people. Some pay wages and some offer work-like activity with a different status, so ask about this.<\/li>\n
- Work-like activities and training placements:<\/strong> structured sessions that build routines, confidence and skills, sometimes as a stepping stone towards other work.<\/li>\n
- Volunteering and work experience:<\/strong> unpaid by definition, and often used as a first step.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Quality varies: some settings are inclusive and person-centred, others more routine-based. Visiting is the best way to judge.<\/pee>\nWhat are the main differences between the two?<\/h2>\nThe table below gives a simplified comparison. Real services vary, so treat it as a guide to the questions you may want to ask.<\/pee>\n
- \n
- talks with the person about their interests, strengths and the kind of work they want;<\/li>\n
- finds employers and matches the person to a suitable role, sometimes by “carving” a job from a larger one;<\/li>\n
- provides a job coach who helps the person learn the tasks, the routines and the workplace culture;<\/li>\n
- supports colleagues and managers, for example on communication or reasonable adjustments;<\/li>\n
- gradually reduces support as the person becomes confident, while remaining available if things change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is used by people with a learning disability, autistic people, people with mental health conditions, people with an acquired brain injury and many others. The person is normally employed by the employer and treated like any other member of staff, with a contract and employment rights.<\/pee>\n What are sheltered work and day options in the UK today?<\/h2>\n
The phrase “sheltered work” is more familiar in some other countries than in Britain. Historically, the UK had sheltered workshops and the Remploy factories, which employed disabled people in segregated settings. The Remploy factory network in Great Britain closed in the early 2010s, and large sheltered factories are now uncommon.<\/pee>\n What remains is a mixed picture, and the terms vary from one area to the next:<\/pee>\n - \n
- Day services or day opportunities:<\/strong> activities, skills sessions and community outings, often organised or commissioned by the local authority and run in a day centre or community hub.<\/li>\n
- Supported businesses and social enterprises:<\/strong> organisations such as caf\u00e9s, gardens, print shops or craft workshops that employ or involve a high proportion of disabled people. Some pay wages and some offer work-like activity with a different status, so ask about this.<\/li>\n
- Work-like activities and training placements:<\/strong> structured sessions that build routines, confidence and skills, sometimes as a stepping stone towards other work.<\/li>\n
- Volunteering and work experience:<\/strong> unpaid by definition, and often used as a first step.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Quality varies: some settings are inclusive and person-centred, others more routine-based. Visiting is the best way to judge.<\/pee>\n What are the main differences between the two?<\/h2>\n
The table below gives a simplified comparison. Real services vary, so treat it as a guide to the questions you may want to ask.<\/pee>\n - Supported businesses and social enterprises:<\/strong> organisations such as caf\u00e9s, gardens, print shops or craft workshops that employ or involve a high proportion of disabled people. Some pay wages and some offer work-like activity with a different status, so ask about this.<\/li>\n
- Day services or day opportunities:<\/strong> activities, skills sessions and community outings, often organised or commissioned by the local authority and run in a day centre or community hub.<\/li>\n