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Intowork West Lothian Team
Intowork West Lothian is the only specialist employment provider in
the West Lothian area. It was set up to meet a need identified within
the local authority's Community Care Plan - i.e that an estimated 8,000
people living in West Lothian were missing from the workforce because
of disability or long term health problems (representing 14% of the
working population).
The Intowork West Lothian project delivers a comprehensive specialist
employment support service to people with significant disabilities (learning,
physical, sensory or mental health issues).
Using the supported
employment model, an integrated, client-centred package of support,
the project is able to assist people significantly distanced from the
labour market move into employment. Intowork West Lothian is also able
to offer support to individuals who become disabled whilst in employment.
The overall purpose of the Intowork West Lothian service is to assist
economically inactive individuals who would like to move on from clinical
care, day care, education/training or special schools into the mainstream
labour marketand to support clients move from supported employment into
open employment.
A key feature is strengthening the clients personal support framework
(i.e. carers, friends, employer etc.) so that employment can be sustained.
Impact
The project has an annual throughput of 150 clients, many signposted
on to appropriate support before joining the core service.
The core service works with over 100 people, of whom more than a third
secure either part time or full time employment.
For the clients who cannot currently sustain employment, they are
able to access in-house transitional work opportunities and further
training, assisting them to become more job ready.
Since 1998, Intowork West Lothian has worked with over 600 clients
and has secured over half that number in work opportunities, with a
third of these moving into open paid employment.
Future Developments
The Team are also working more closely with the local Chamber of Commerce
and their members, with the aim of creating a bank of employers ready
to sign up to a work experience contract. This would give a more structured
option within the pre employment elements of our service. Additionally
they have introduced a Users Forum, whereby users of the service can
fully input into future development and address gaps in provision as
and when they occur.
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