PowerPoint Presentation

From Education to Paid Work? Barriers and Facilitators of Employment Opportunities for Disabled Young People.

Wednesday 11th December 2013 Public LectureUniversity of Malta

Professor Alan Roulstone

Challenging TransitionsAlmost everything concerned with my daughters education and different possibilities for life beyond school I have had to find out for myself, through different organisations. It at times has proven to be a long and painful experience. At no time has information been readily available.Parent of a 21-year-old, quoted in Heslop et al., 2001

Janine (16)At age 16, Janine was attending a special school. She wanted to stay on in education and train to become a teacher or for some other professional occupation. She has spina bifida.In the event, she left school at 17 with no qualifications although she subsequently acquired an NVQ level 1.She is currently on a training scheme, and has been on two Youth Training Schemes before. She has never had a full-time or part-time job.She lives with her parents and is single. She believes her standard of living is a bit better than other people of her age, perhaps because she is living with her parents.She rates her life satisfaction at 6 on a scale of 0 to 10, which is slightly below the average for her age group.(From: Burchardt, 2004)

Why is Work important for disabled people?In the early 21st century, paid work remains a key source of economic, social and psychological capital (Bryson et al, 2002; Roulstone, 1998, 2003). Despite predictions of a leisure society (Seabrook, 1988), a post scarcity society (Giddens, 1995) and earlier references in special education writings to significant living without work (Warnock, 1978)Citizenship and its fullest entitlements remain strongly associated with paid work (Beckett, 2006)Disabled young people may not be sure if they are work-able of not.BackgroundDisabled young people and unemploymentThere is a 30% gap in employment rates for disabled and non-disabled populations45.9% of working age disabled people are economically inactive45% of disabled young people in their early 20s are not in employment, education or training (NEET)At age 26, disabled people are nearly 4 times as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people (Burchardt, 2005; Annual Population Survey, 2012; EHRC, 2010)

Disabled Young People and Worklessness: A Europe-Wide ProblemFor the EU, inactivity rates are almost 80% higher for young people with a health problem or disability in the 2534 years age range compared to their non-disabled peers.

Inactivity rates range:

18% in Finland and France

65% in Slovakia .

In relative terms, 2534-year-olds with disability or health problems have a much higher level of inactivity than those without disabilities (ANED, 2012)

Barriers an overviewExclusive work-welfare modelsLabour Market culturesPoor access to most valued qualificationsPsycho-social and family over-protectionPoor transitions planning and servicesJob readiness modelsCredential inflationPoor and inflexible health transitionsAttitudes and aspirations? Aspirations- Disabled Young PeopleEvidence spanning the last 25 years confirms that young disabled people face multiple disadvantage based on both age-related and disability-related risks (Burchardt, 2005; Walker, 1981)Evidence suggests that young disabled people wish to enter paid employment at age 16 and that the types of employment they aspire to mirrors closely the preferences of the non-disabled comparator population (Burchardt, 2005)By their early 20s disabled young peoples aspirations are diminished and by age 24 they are significantly reduced (Ibid).Family influencesIn terms of aspirational influences, evidence points to the significance of early familial influences in shaping young disabled peoples attitudes and aspirations towards paid work (Hendey and Pascall, 2002).

Family ValuesMum and dad encouraged me to get out as much as possible and be part of what was going on in my neighbourhood. I wanted what other teenagers wanted-to go to college and get work. I trusted what they said more than my college work counsellor.

Jamie, 23, Internship at local company(In Roulstone et al, 2013)Barriers: AttitudesPrimary function of transition services has long been to provide information, advice and guidance (IAG) to encourage young people to make better choices (HM Treasury 2007, 10) but has ignored barriersDisabled people face particular barriers to mainstream environments such as unresponsive transport systems (DPTAC, 2002) and disabling workplace environments (House of Commons Select Committee on Education and Employment, 1999). Employ Ability initiative did highlight such attitudinal barriers, and aimed to change attitudes of employers towards disabled employees and also to encourage disabled people to ensure their abilities shine through their conditions (see Connor 2010)JeremyThe bus driver didnt let me on the bus as my pass was one day out-of-date so I was stranded. I didnt know how to get home without the bus. I said me mum would sort it out once I was home, but he just drove off and left me... (Roulstone, Harrington and Hwang, 2012)

Barriers: Structural LocationsWe know that disabled people are more likely to experience poverty (Dowling and Dolan, 2001), are more likely to live in areas of limited employment opportunities (Beattie and Fothergill, 2003) Targeted community support?MaxMy key worker is trying to help me get a job-the problem I have is this area used to have a lot of industry, but thats gone and we are still here. The buses dont take you to where the jobs are and I cant afford to drive.Max, service user, employment preparation project (Roulstone et al, 2013)Education71 per cent of non-disabled respondents were in full-time education, compared with 62 per cent of disabled respondents (Burchardt, 2005)The highest qualification of 48 per cent of disabled young people was at the equivalent of NVQ level 1 or below (GCSE grades D-G or below, including those with no qualifications), compared with 28 per cent of non-disabled young people;Three-fifths of non-disabled people reported that they got the education or training place or job they wanted; only just over half of disabled youngsters said the same.

BillyIt was funny for me-I did 3 days in my special school and two in the local mainstream school. In the special school we played games-in the other school we followed the lessons-they had a vision for us there-that we might be able to do something-work wise. So we did the qualifications-I think I would be out of work otherwise.

Billy in Roulstone (1998)ANED (Ebersold, Schmitt and Priestley, 2011) INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR YOUNG DISABLED PEOPLEIN EUROPE: TRENDS, ISSUES AND CHALLENGESA need for inclusion that mobilises additional resources both for disabled students and educational institutionsA need for inclusion anchored in a common educational understanding of disabilityA need for inclusion rooted in a reorganisation of the existing school structure A need for inclusion that is challenging for young disabled peopleA need for inclusion that addresses existing gaps and barriersJenny Morris (1998, 2002, 2009)Many further education, training and work experience placements are considered to be care placements for young disabled people, rather than a way of gaining qualifications or paid employment. Those with high levels of support needs often leave school at 19 and have no further educational opportunities.There are long-held assumptions that young disabled people who have been at special schools will move on to specialist colleges and then into adult day services. Many young disabled people have experienced low expectations of careers service professionals and others.MikeInt.why did you end up in a day centre?Mike.I dunno, I was just sent hereInt..were you offered any other choices?Mike.no, it was just where they send people like me.Int.what are people like you Mike?Mike.well handicapped and that-the college didt think I could work and that..(Mike in Roulstone and Morgan, 2009)Contracting out and payment by resultsKey policy aim to realign contracts with welfare to work service providers to reflect more closely the results they achieve in getting people back into work (HM Government 2010, 23)Example reconfiguration of Remploy from subsidised employment to open market placements and welfare-to-work contracts-debate over factory closuresTECs and (now superseded) LSC also move towards payment by results contracting models of work preparationWorkstep outcomes focused: job coaching, mentoring and advice and awareness-raising for employersThese schemes are heavily dependent for success on local labour market conditionsAlso apt to produce perverse incentives (Rees & TSRC, 2013)Cherry-pickingParking

Disability, Impairment and ComplexityVariablesFrom birth versus adventitiousAge of onset if adventitiousFamily constructions of I and DWider social networkIllness, fluctuating, flare-ups?Collective, individual, isolated identities?Support in the transition (Heslop, 2006)

Disability and socio-economic statusSocial class and differential experiences of disabilityAdditional costs of living and relative impact (e.g. JRF, 2004)Family resources e.g. I was out of school for a while because dad had to stop work and stay in the hospital with me [Middle-class young man with SCD]. Job flexibility characteristic of professional (but not manual or service) occupationsImpacts and effects of chronic health conditions mediated by social class and family resources (Dyson et al, 2010)Also impacts of transport needs, equipment, dietary requirements, heating costs, keeping multiple medical appointments, etc.Poverty itself associated with higher costs of livingScarcity and poverty directly impact cognitive functioning (Bertrand et al, 2013)Recent Influences on Attitudes

Increases in Hate Crime-Official figures show the number of disability hate crimes recorded by police forces in England and Wales in 2011/12 increased by almost 25 per cent on the previous year (Ministry of Justice, 2012). -Miss Pilkington, 38, killed herself and her daughter Francecca Hardwick, 18, by setting light to their car in October 2007 after giving up all hope of the police or local authority taking action against the gang. She had endured a decade of violence, vandalism and taunts aimed at Francecca and her son Anthony, 19, at her home in Barwell, Leics.

Independent LivingMorris (2004) The same opportunities for choice and control as non-disabled people Challenge the meaning of independence Assistance controlled by disabled peopleEmployment and education has not been focused on in debates about ILCompare to direct payments and social support

How can IL debates inform good transitions?Joined up practice and multi-agency cooperationCo-location?Role of CILs for younger disabled peopleAdvocacy in the transitionPeer counsellingInformation is vital-if only signpostingTransport and employment debates linked?Other evidence on what works.Disabled young people must be at the centre of the transition process (Action on Children)A keyworker is needed to help navigate and support a young person/family through the transitionAdvocates and peer mentors may be usefulSee the transition as a process not single event or age fixed (Roulstone and Yates, 2012)MelanieInt.can you tell me about Melanies job?Supervisor.Melanie works here in the pharmacy, she sorts the unused or overdate pills from the in-patient service.Supervisor.do you enjoy your work Mel?Melanieyeah, its a good job, I like it..I dont like being stuck in the house under me mums feet. Id like to work here proper..Melanie, Learning difficulty, Intern in local hospital (In Roulstone et al, 2013)Aiming High for Disabled ChildrenThe Governments Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme 2007-2010 included Transition Support as one if its five workstreams. As a part of the AHDC programme, 19m is being used to develop a Transition Support Programme to improve the delivery and consistency of transition support. (HM Treasury & DfES, 2007)5 Priorities for Disabled Children (AHDC)InformationTransparencyAssessmentParticipationFeedbackNB: CVS central delivery roleVoices of Young Disabled PeopleVIPER - Research into young disabled people's participation in decisions about servicesNCB Research Centre, Council for Disabled Children, Alliance for Inclusive Education (Allfie), and the Childrens Society

Angel Sheds vision is that every child (7-16), regardless of disability, income or background be given the opportunity to shine in the performing arts. We are a fully inclusive theatre charity, providing specialist opportunities for children otherwise excluded from this kind of activity.http://www.angelshedtheatre.org.uk/

The Forum promotes the inclusion and participation of young disabled people in Manchester and challenges the discrimination and oppression faced by young disabled people.

Conclusions 1Need to examine a broad and complex interplay of issues around disability and employmentDisablement is complex and poorly conceived in terms of discrete barriers to employmentSimple focus on low or inappropriate aspirations doesnt fit available evidenceInter-relations of multiple forms of disadvantage likely to be having powerful effects for many disabled young peopleNot only about NEETs and unemployment changing labour market, underemployment, in-work poverty, temporary jobs-without-training

Conclusions 2Factors that mediate between aspiration and achievement still require greater investigationInternational insights and transferability analysesCan we assume bad transition equates to poor employment outcomes?What role do friends, family, community and collective belonging have en route to employment decisions? What role does identity, constructions of work-ability have on employment views and outcomes?Should we be looking to broaden achievement and to construct value beyond paid work (Prideaux et al, 2009)? Volunteering, civic roles, disability/youth parliamentDanAt age 16, Dan was aiming high: he wanted to go on to higher education and to become a bank manager. He has a sight impairment and some mental health problems, and was not entirely happy either at school or at home.By age 26, he is part way through a professional accounting qualification, having achieved eight O levels, two CSE grade 1s, four A levels and a degree.He works full time as an accounts clerk in a large firm. He has worked with the same employer for five yearsHe is fortunate enough never to have been unemployed since leaving college.He is buying a house with a mortgage and is cohabiting with his girlfriend who is also workingInclusive Futures

Thank youa.roulstone@leeds.ac.uk