Policy & research organisations

Preparing for Adulthood has produced a quick guide to education funding for people aged 16 - 25 who have special educational needs and/or a disability.

This guide provides information on the way the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and, in some cases, local authorities will calculate and allocate funding to institutions who provide education to young people with SEND. The guide provides a summary of the structure of the funding system and provides a quick reference guide; further information is available from the links in the document. 

The Learning and Work Institute has published a new apprenticeships website offering guidance to employers

This toolkit is designed for employers that want to develop a more inclusive and accessible apprenticeship offer. It provides practical information, sources of support and inspirational case studies of employers who have benefited from hiring and supporting apprentices from a range of backgrounds.

www.employer-toolkit.org.uk

In November 2017, the Government announced £9.7m for local authorities to increase the number of supported internships and other pathways to employment for young people with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), by establishing local supported internship forums and training additional job coaches. 

A study of over 1000 unemployed adults by Tarani Chandola, Professor of Medical Sociology at The University of Manchester, compared health and stress levels of those remaining unemployed and different quality jobs. The study revealed evidence that runs contrary to the assumption that taking any job is better for a person’s health and wellbeing than being unemployed. The study found that:

This study, published by EASPD, assesses the literature review of cost-benefit analyses from a taxpayer perspective of the labour market inclusion of persons with disabilities. It includes an extensive and structured overview of global literature over the last 30 years. 

The main findings are that: