European Social Fund in England
2007 - 2013
Deaf people get targeted help with training and jobs
When Jonathan Shaw, the Minister for Disabled People, visited Dering Employment Services Ltd in Croydon on 21 October, he saw at first hand how ESF funding is helping deaf people into jobs.
Clients and staff explained the unique problems facing unemployed deaf people, and how Dering is helping them access training and work.
The Minister said: "We want to ensure that disabled people can support themselves and their families through paid work and that they're not left behind as they have been in previous economic downturns. In order to do that we need specialist work providers like Dering Employment Services who can help make a difference."
Jonathan Shaw was interested to see how Dering is using ESF to complement DWP and LSC programmes through two new ESF projects: Deaf Stepping Stones in London and Coachability in the South East.
Deaf Stepping Stones runs from August 2008 to May 2010 and is co-financed by £378,000 ESF from the London Development Agency. It aims to design personalised services for 150 deaf Londoners who have mental health problems or learning difficulties and are furthest from the job market.
The first step is to engage deaf people through outreach activity with partners including social services, GPs, the NHS and the National Deaf Service. The project then assesses clients’ needs and helps them create individual action plans to map routeways towards skills and sustainable employment. Advisors work with clients to find training and support from mainstream providers, which they complement with ongoing mentoring, guidance and support.
Coachability runs from June 2008 until December 2010 with £250,000 of ESF money from the South East LSC. A sports coaching programme, it aims to help 2,500 long term unemployed disabled people re-enter education as a stepping stone to work in the fitness industry.
Clients receive a unique package to qualify as sports coaches instructing both disabled and able-bodied people, while gaining jobsearch skills.
As well as leading the Stepping Stones and Coachability projects, Dering Employment Services is a sub-contractor in three DWP co-financed ESF projects in the South East, South West and West Midlands providing intensive support to help disadvantaged people tackle barriers to work.
