For a supported employment practitioner to practice competently he or she must apply skills and knowledge that is informed by a set of underpinning values. Supported employment practitioners are expected to be aware of and to apply a value-based and ethical approach in their practice. 

1. People with disabilities and/or disadvantages can make a positive contribution in the workplace.

2. People with disabilities / disadvantage should have access to a real job where 

• wages are paid at the going rate for the job, 
• the employee enjoys the same terms and conditions as all other employees; 
• the job helps the person to meet their life goals and aspirations; 
• the role is valued by managers and colleagues; 
• the job has similar hours and times at work as other employees, with safe working conditions. 

3. Practitioners uphold the "zero rejection" philosophy of supported employment so that, with the right job and the right support, everyone who wants to work, can work.

4. Supported employment does not adhere to a work readiness model and a 'place, train and maintain' approach is implemented. 

5. Job search should happen at the earliest opportunity. 

6. People are encouraged to exercise choice and control in achieving their career aspirations. Support is individualised and all options assume successful employability.

7. There is genuine partnership between the person, their family carers, employers, community supports and the provider of supported employment.

8. People are supported to be full and active members of their workforces and wider communities, both socially and economically.

9. Support services recognise the importance of the employer as a customer of supported employment in their own right with requirements that need to be satisfied. 

10. Supported employment draws on Social Role Valorisation (SRV) in recognising that employment is a valued social role and becoming employed can help reverse societal devaluation, with wider positive consequences for the person. 

11. Supported employment draws on the social model of disability recognising that disability is the product of the physical, organisational and attitudinal barriers present within society. The removal of discrimination requires a change of approach and thinking in the way in which society is organised, in this case removing barriers to employment. 

12. Supported employment should encourage the career development of individuals by promoting training opportunities and seeking options for increased responsibility. 

Many potential jobseekers are using traditional day services or receiving support from health and social care agencies. Our members maintain close links with referring agencies and seek to encourage people to explore employment as a way of improving their quality of life.

The first element of a successful job match is the vocational profiling or "getting to know you" process. Here we identify the aspirations, learning needs, individual skills, past experiences and job interests of the jobseeker. Working with families and support workers, we gather the information needed to develop a good job match. We look to identify the ideal job for that person based on their skills and preferences. Many people have never worked or not worked for many years and may need support to make informed choices about career opportunities.

Many employers are anxious about employing someone with a significant disability but there’s nothing special about it. Once they’ve tried it out they often become very committed to helping people overcome traditional recruitment and selection barriers. We know that traditional recruitment techniques can be overly rigid and formal interviews seldom result in offers of employment. Employers are increasingly recognising the value of "working interviews" which allow individuals to demonstrate their skills in the workplace and allow the employer to gather the sort of evidence that a formal interview seeks to capture.

Generally, our aim is to secure 'employment and training' rather than 'training then employment'. This means that a participant gets a job from the beginning. We know that most people learn skills better in situ rather than in artificial environments. By doing this we overcome the "job readiness" obstruction where people can get stuck in permanent training. It also increases people's motivation significantly because they see from the beginning that they are employed.

A job analysis is usually undertaken to checks out any assumptions made in the job description. Although it is common practice for employers to set out the basics of a job for new recruits, it is not common for a detailed analysis of the job and environment to be available. We look at all aspects of the job and the work place, including health and safety, to make sure we have the right job for the right candidate.

We determine whether extra assistance or alterations to working practice or the environment are needed. This helps to produce a better job match. The job analysis might point towards ways of carving together parts of job descriptions that suit the workers' talents, or creating new job descriptions that suit the worker and are cost effective for the employer. Most adjustments are reasonable and inexpensive.

It is important to offer appropriate levels of support and encourage the involvement of the employer and co-workers. BASE members can support the person’s induction and provide on-site training support where needed. They may also offer out of work support if needed. Individual development plans are usually used to plan and monitor the employee’s learning.

Goals should include actions to encourage the social inclusion of the participant within the workplace. Not all workers will reach the productivity, quality and social standards set by the employer. When all learning strategies have been exhausted and the data shows no further improvement, discussions will be needed to seek a more suitable job match with the employer or to find a different job with a different employer.

Not many people stay in the same job for the whole of their working lives and people with disabilities are no different in having to adapt to changing labour markets and wanting to improve their working lives. Supported employment should encourage the career development of individuals by promoting training opportunities and seeking options for increased responsibility.