New SEND Employment Forum Helps Businesses Become Inclusive Employers

Hertfordshire County Council is calling on local businesses to support young people in the county with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to increase their skills by providing workplace opportunities.

A new Hertfordshire SEND Employment Forum, taking place online on Wednesday 22 November at 10am, provides an opportunity for local businesses to learn from others who are already employing in an inclusive manner as well as hearing directly from parents, young people and colleges about the difference they can make.

The forum, which has been organised by the council’s Services for Young People and funded through the Department for Education Internships Work programme, will also have training events about reasonable adjustments, the access to work scheme, effective communication, and tools available to help support SEND employees.

The first online forum event is just one of the workplace support initiatives that Services for Young People offer to support young people with SEND to find employment, enabling them to live healthy and fulfilling lives by taking part in their local community.

Although Hertfordshire has a lower than the national average rate of young people with SEND, aged 16-17, who are not in employment, education or training, there is still an untapped talent pool going unnoticed.  Data from Herts Insight highlights that only 7% of residents with a learning disability are in employment, despite Mencap’s Learning disability survey indicating that 86% of the SEND population would like to work.

One special school in Stansted Abbotts, Amwell View, has been providing its pupils with severe learning disabilities with opportunities to experience the workplace and prepare for adulthood. Earlier this year, Hertfordshire County Council funding (as part of the council’s special school place planning strategy) enabled the school to expand its provision with the development of a Community Classroom.

Amwell View’s Community Classroom provides a space for its pupils to prepare for adulthood and the workplace. Pupils are supported to shop for and cook their own lunches three times a week and work in the school’s charity shop.

The school also works with local businesses to provide work experience opportunities for the pupils, who have been delivering leaflets for estate agents, caring for animals on a small holding and experiencing commercial cleaning.

Councillor Caroline Clapper, Cabinet Member for Education, who visited the school on Monday 16 October, along with fellow education cabinet member Mark Mills-Bishop, said: ‘It was fantastic to hear how these young people are being supported to develop the skills they need for adulthood, learning to cook, experiencing the world of work and being part of their local community.

‘We want every child in Hertfordshire to be able to achieve their full potential. For our young people with SEND this means providing them with the support and opportunities to make a successful transition into adulthood and live healthy and fulfilling lives by being part of Hertfordshire’s workforce.

‘If you are a local employer looking to enjoy the many benefits that come from having a diverse workforce, get in touch with our Services for Young People, or join our SEND Employment Forum to find out more about the training, supported employment opportunities and tools available to help you become an inclusive employer.’

Employers can reserve a spot at the Hertfordshire SEND employment forum by visiting: Hertfordshire SEND Employment Forum Tickets, Wed 22 Nov 2023 at 10:00.