Local Supported Employment scheme for Adults with Autism or Learning Disability
Our friendly team helps people with Learning Disabilities or Autism to learn new skills and flourish in the workplace.
The Department of Work and Pensions is teaming up with Community Autism and Learning Disability Team (CALDT) to support people in Doncaster to find a job and stay in work.
We can help you to find and keep a job that you enjoy.
Our support includes:
- help to find out what kind of job would be good for you
- training so you can build basic skills that employers value
- travel training
- job searching tips
- support to write your CV and prepare for interviews
- job coaching and support at work so you can learn your role
- chances to meet local employers that offer work experience, taster shifts or working interviews
To find out more, please email CALDTDuty@doncaster.gov.uk or call 01302 736705.
Meet our co-ordinators
- When you get in touch, a co-ordinator will tell you more about the support we provide.
- It’s good to talk about what work you would like to do and what you might be good at.
- They will talk to you about what you like to do and what you don’t like.
- They will help you to see what skills you already have. You can also talk about any skills you would like to improve.
- You can come up with a plan together.
Speaking to Employers
- Our co-ordinators speak to local businesses so they can create roles for people that might need some extra support.
- If there’s a job that we think you will like, our co-ordinators might ask if they can introduce you.
- Sometimes they can set up a working interview. This means you can try out the job as a trial.
- Another way they can help is by creating a work placement so you can get some experience.
Finding the right match
- It’s good for us to show your CV to businesses if we think you might be a good match. This means we can see if the role would be a good fit for you.
- We can work together to help you search for jobs too.
- We work with employers to see if they can offer a job that would match your skills.
Getting settled in
- We want to help you learn your job and feel confident.
- Work placements are helpful because we can show you what to do.
- Sometimes our job coaches can come to work with you until you are confident to do it on your own.
- We can help you to learn how to travel to work if you need it.
Eligibility Criteria
- Participants must be 18 years of age.
- You must have a learning disability, autism, or both.
- Participants must not be in paid employment or paid self-employment.
- You must not be in full-time education. Those in part-time education will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Participants must not be on another Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) funded employment programme.
- You must not be on another employment provision delivered by another government department, charitable trust or third party.
Hear from people we have helped...
"For people with learning difficulties, meeting employers can be hard. A working interview let me show that I can do my job."
Jess at Market Kitchen
"My job coach helped me to build my confidence. She made me feel better about meeting people. It really helps a lot."
Lee at RSPB Dearne Valley – Old Moor
"The best bit about doing my job is it has built up my confidence and it’s helped me communicate better with other people.”
Dylan at Cooper Gallery
‘Excellent’ rating highlights the benefits of working together to champion Supported Employment in South Yorkshire
29 November 2023
As part of the Department for Work and Pension (DWP)’s Local Supported Employment (LSE) initiative, councils across South Yorkshire are working in partnership to create more inclusive employment opportunities for everyone.
Over the past year, Barnsley Council, the City of Doncaster Council and Sheffield City Council have been teaming up to bring the benefits of Supported Employment to communities across the region.
Working with local businesses, Supported Employment helps people with learning disabilities, learning difficulties and autism to learn new skills, find a role that’s right for them and flourish in the workplace.
Their joint approach recently welcomed its first Fidelity Assessment from the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE). The team scored 90% in the assessment, securing an ‘Excellent’ rating and being described as a ‘market leader’ in the sector.
This fantastic achievement is a testament to the innovative approaches we’re taking across South Yorkshire to help more people into work and create more inclusive workplaces.
Building on the success of Supported Employment in Barnsley, new services have been launched in Doncaster and Sheffield over the past year. These three services are welcomed by residents and businesses alike, supporting 95 people across South Yorkshire so far.
Our teams will continue working closely with local businesses, who act as champions for Supported Employment, to create more opportunities for our hard-working future employees.
Councillor Jo Newing, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place Health and Adults, said: “In Barnsley, we’re committed to creating inclusive employment opportunities to help everyone reach their full potential. By working together across South Yorkshire, we’ve been able to build on everything our teams have achieved and bring the benefits of Supported Employment to more people living across the region.
“I’m delighted to see our joint approach to Supported Employment achieving ‘excellent’ in its first Fidelity Assessment. We couldn’t have done it without the great partnerships we enjoy in South Yorkshire, and we’ll continue working together to remove barriers to people getting into work.”
Councillor Lani-Mae Ball, Cabinet Member for Early Help, Education, Skills and Young People for the City of Doncaster Council, said: “This partnership working between Barnsley and Sheffield is already proving to be a success and I am delighted that more inclusive opportunities will open up for our residents who want to succeed in the workplace but have been met with barriers in the past.
“I look forward to building on our accomplishments as we help more residents across Doncaster discover the benefits that working and volunteering can bring.”
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee for Sheffield City Council, said: “The Supported Employment model is an important enabler of labour market inclusivity in Sheffield and across South Yorkshire, ensuring those with additional support needs have increased opportunity to access the workplace, undertake meaningful employment and realise the wider benefits of having a job.
“The ‘excellent’ rating for our LSE programme is testament to the commitment of our job coaches, participants and employers, and a demonstration of what can be achieved through effective partnership working across the region.”
To find out more about what CALDT can do to support you in your community, please see our web page, pop in to see us at the Civic Office every Wednesday between 9.30 - 12.30 or visit our Facebook page.
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