Supported Employment in Britain

Abstract

This paper describes supported employment, its growth as an alternative to traditional day services and research which indicates potentially beneficial outcomes in the areas of increased employee income, social integration, satisfaction, engagement in activity, employer satisfaction, and in the relationship between financial costs and savings. Outcomes may be reduced due to welfare benefit restrictions that hamper transition into employment, and more part‐time jobs are found as a result in the UK compared to the USA. Providers face problems with low expectations among carers, lack of knowledge of disability among employers, and their funding is precarious. If people with severe disabilities are not to be excluded from supported employment, commissioners need to consider the outcomes they require and the priority needs of clients when setting day service contracts.