One for Niche -- DCC say ---We help disabled residents into the world of work

[Old Cruser]

Some people may find this helpful at least Derbyshire is trying.
Strange this should come up after the recent Remploy Thread.


Disabled residents who would like to get into work are being encouraged to use a service that we run to help them find employment.

The Disability Employment Project (DEP) is a service that offers advice and support to disabled people around the county who are looking for work - be it paid, voluntary or work experience.

Our Assistant Director for Adult Care Julie Vollor said:

"Employment isn't just about earning money − it's about getting out and about, meeting new people, gaining new skills and confidence and helps to support positive health and wellbeing.

"Finding a job can be difficult at the best of times which is why we developed this scheme to help people with disabilities find work and offer advice and support with things like interview techniques, CV writing and help keeping a job once it's been found.

"A disability shouldn't get in the way of people leading healthy, happy lives. This includes having steady employment and feeling a part of their community."

The DEP service can help disabled people by:

matching people to their right type of job
helping them find work experience and voluntary work
making sure job vacancies can be easily found
helping with application forms and CVs
preparing them for interviews
giving them support in the workplace with issues such as special equipment. 
Employers also benefit from the scheme with support and advice available to help with the selection process, options on where additional funding may be found and any other adjustments that might need to be made like sourcing specialist equipment.

Since it began in 2005, an average of 204 people each year have benefited from using the service with 756 people across Derbyshire being helped into employment to date.     

The service is open to anyone who is unemployed and has a disability. For more information, you can visit our Disability Employment Project page or call the disability employment team, tel: 01629 532441 or 01629 532159.

[Old Cruser]

I agree it's not as straightforward as is sometimes thought is it.

I felt really bad today as during a conversation with my daughter she asked if she could have the Avon bookm just for support staff and to take to people in the bungalows near hers.

I had the rotten job of reminding her that she wouldn't be able to do it -

Her illness took her right side and so her writing hand, her left thumb is arthritic and other problems )from over use to compensate for the lack of her right hand, and she needs injections into the thumb joint.
She's recently been registered as Partially Sighted, so would struggle to read the book and order form.

On the plus side she's a brilliant mathematician and doesn't need a calculator to work out complicated maths.
That's about the only thing her illness didn't take from her - problem is, she can't concentrate or focus for long so even this is a smack in the face for her.

These are some of the reasons why I get so cross with this government and the way they have set about to portray people on benefits  as scroungers and workshy.
They are just a few of her problems she has been left to face life with - and this is just one story of a young woman not yet 40 years old who got high grades in school and was set for a good career -

As you say, this 'helping disabled people into work' is a good idea in theory but in practice isn't straightforward.
They shouldn't be set up to fail.

The other obstacle for them is understand of work colleagues to understand the problems they may face as in my experience there is a huge lack of this as well as patience.

and breath ------------------------------------------- 

That's me off the soapbox