Supporting people with disabilities into employment
Warwickshire County Council’s WEST (Warwickshire Employment Service Team) is a county wide service supporting people who have a learning disability or are on the Autistic Spectrum into paid employment.
WEST supports both those people looking for employment and the employer. They do this by:
- Working with employers to match the right person to the right job.
- Provide a job coach for new workers
- Provide travel training
- Provide on-going support for the duration of the employment
- Provide disability support and advice for employers.
Employing someone with a disability can make a real difference to their lives. It gives them independence and confidence to do the things they want in life. As an employer you often gain a loyal and enthusiastic employee who is willing to their best to fulfill their role.
Below are some examples of people that have gained employment through WEST:
Chris works at Kram sheet metal a small engineering company in Nuneaton. Andrew his employer says he is impressed with his work ethic, attendance and time keeping, saying "he is just one of the lads."
David works at Dairy Crest a large dairy distribution centre in Nuneaton. Phil, David’s supervisor, said "David does an important job in the rewind section of the warehouse, he is always reliable and punctual you can count on him to be here on time every shift."
Richard works at EXD an Exhibition and Display company in Exhall. His manager said he turns up on time for every shift and just gets on with his work; he is part of the team and does a great job.
Ian works at Ingleby House in Bedworth, His manager said when Ian is on holiday everyone misses him, he is reliable and works really hard, his time keeping and attendance are excellent and he would be hard to replace.
All four men have been supported into employment by WEST and they have all have been employed for over five years. They all have paid jobs and are now working and living independently in the community with minimum support.
When each of the four men started to receive a service from WEST, they all lived at home with their parents and could not travel independently. They did not have ‘friends’ and they were part of a group with carer support.
Thanks to travel training also provided by WEST not only do they now all travel independently to and from work, they also go from their homes to Nuneaton bus station once a week, where they meet for a coffee before walking to Attleborough social club for a game of snooker.
With the support that WEST provides, these four individuals now live, work and socialise in their community. They do this with minimum cost from independent living services and no support costs from day services. They also no longer need a support worker to enjoy leisure facilities in their community.
For more information please contact WEST on:
Phone: 02476 385200
Email: west@warwickshire.gov.uk
Website: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/west
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Facebook.com/wcc.west
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