“ Improving Diversity through

Supported Employment ”

“Working creatively in partnership to progress employer engagement”

Dermot Cunningham (IASE)Sarah Togher (IASE)

hosted by:

In association with:

• National Supported Employment Week

• Job Shadow Day

• Open Door Project

• Irish National voluntary organisation• Promote Supported Employment• Promote Best Practice• Equal employment opportunities• Influence policy makers

Who are the IASE?

• Employer Events• Webinars• Media Campaign

National Supported Employment Week

Media Campaign

• Supported by IrishJobs.ie Irelands No 1 online recruitment company

Campaign coverage• TV• Radio – national, regional, community• Print• Online• Social Media

Job Shadow is national project bringing supported employment agencies, people with disabilities and local employers together for one day to highlight the positive contribution people with disabilities can and do make at work.

What is Job Shadow Day?

• Opportunity to shadow a workplace mentor• 1 day/week per year• Use key principles of Supported Employment

What is Job Shadow?

How does Job Shadow benefit a Supported Employment Service Provider?

• It’s something new to offer Employers

• Links Training to Employment

• Opportunity to promote the Service

• 8 years of experience

How does Job Shadow increase Employment in a local community

• Public recognition of the value of SE service• Public Acknowledgement of Employer support• Increased Employment Opportunities: -

Long Term Benefits (e.g. some employers now contact the SE service directly when they are recruiting.)

Key success factors

• Positive belief in the compentence, talents of people with disabilities.

• Positive belief in the concept ‘simple - action oriented - connection’

• Invest in a strong partnership and communication ‘Together we can…’

Key success factors

• No fear of engaging with employers, thinking in terms of opportunities, creating jobs and longterm relationships.

• Good organisation and follow-up with regional key-persons.

• Clear targets (national-regional), monitoring and measurements.

The numbers…..IASE Job Shadow Data

YEAR Participants Employers/Host

Companies Job Placements

2008 358 238 24

2009 472 322 25

2010 213 191 2

2011 345 324 5

2012 331 389 3

2013 446 429 19

2014 625 501 34

2015 668 642Awaiting final

numbers for 20153458 3036

Open Door Project

Jan 2013- April 2015

• Open Door is a project working with employers in the Border, Midlands, Western (BMW) region.

• Promote equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities using the supported employment model.

• The Open Door is a Disability Activation Project co-funded by the EU under the European Social Fund (Human Capital Investment Operation Programme 2007 – 2013) and the Irish Government through the Department of Social Protection and Pobal.

• Engage with 1500 Employers

• Raise awareness of IASE and Disability in the Workplace.

• Organise 24 Open Door Events

• Achieve 500 Employers in follow up supports

• Create and enable activation

• Secure 60 Jobs

Objectives of Project

• Employed 2 HR Professionals with experience working with Multinationals, SME’s and Recruitment Agencies

• Project was divided into two operational areas– Area 1: Donegal; Leitrim; Sligo;

Mayo; Cavan; Monaghan and Louth)

– Area 2: Galway; Roscommon; Westmeath; Offaly; Laois and Longford

Method and Approach

Method and Approach

• Building relationships with the Disability Services in the counties.

• Organised 24 Employer-Recruitment Agencies focused events and involved the Disability Services.

• Engaged 20-100 employers at the various events• Engaged HR professional organisation CIPD, Business in the

Community organisation (BITC), Business Network International (BNI) and Chambers of Commerce

• Engaged with Recruitment Agencies

What did Open Door Project achieve?2013 - 2015

• Building awareness of disability and local services among employers.

• Linking with HR professional organisations CIPD and BITC, BNI in particular to get ‘Disability in the Workplace’ on their agenda.

• Following on - commitment from CIPD Ireland to continue to work in partnership with IASE/NIUSE to promote supported employment.

Open Door project achieved many positive outcomes:

• Employers resource materials developed. • 2 Video’s produced, employers involved.• 1 hour documentary sponsored by Shell to air in June 2015 on Sky

channel 191• New employer leads.• PR campaign – increased awareness in the Regions.• IASE Website upgraded and to be launched soon• Employers App in development • Supported Employment Services now working with Recruitment

agencies.

Other Outcomes

Open Door – Sample Media Exposure

Results Achieved TARGET RESULT

Events Organised 24 2415 – Open Door9 – Partnership(100% of target)

Employers Engaged 1500 1303(87% of target)

Employers Engaged in Follow-up Supports

500 428(86% of target)

How did Open Door engage Employers?

TARGET

Cold Calling: Email 73/Phone 138/Post 229

440

Networking Event: 66

On Site Visits 215

Open Door Event: 227

Partnership/Joint Events: 355

Results Achieved TARGET RESULT

Number of People with a Disability participating.

60 51(85% of target)

Number of Employers who have provided Jobs at end April 2015.

60 21(35% of target)

Estimated Employers who have given a commitment to provide jobs when clients are matched.

60 13(22% of target)

Estimated number of job placements by June 2015.

60 31(52% of target)

Location of jobs secured to-date

• Opening Doors takes time……..

– Adopting a new and innovative approach to working with the Disability Services. Change takes time Disability services in past approached the organisations to seek jobs and place clients.

– Building Trust was required to achieve the outcomes.

What were the Key Learning's from the Project?

• There needs to be consistency within the sector – i.e. how clients are supported in one area should be

consistent with how clients are supported in another area.

• The implementation of Supported Employment Quality Systems to ensure effectiveness and consistency within the sector would enhance outcomes.

• Greater collaboration among stakeholders is required.

What were the Key Learning's from the Project? – for the Future

• Open Door project has progressed important and valuable work in raising awareness.

• Employers need to be continually reminded of what supported employment can offer.

• IASE have an important role to play in developing the sector to ensure supported employment continues to improve and develop..

What were the Key Learning's from the Project? – for the Future