East Sussex Supported Employment Forum (SEF)
The East Sussex Supported Employment Forum (SEF) was set up six years ago by Little Gate Supported Employment.
We commission the forum to support more young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) into employment. The forum brings together local partners and organisations that can do this by developing supported employment pathways.
This includes local implementation of the national Internships Work project.
SEF priorities
Members of the SEF work together to identify local gaps and priorities to create an action plan. The priorities include:
- shaping good quality routes and pathways that will support more young people and adults with SEND/learning disabilities/autistic people into paid employment
- identifying, developing, and promoting training and resources that schools, colleges, training providers and employers can access to make meaningful paid work a realistic outcome for all young people and adults with SEND/learning disabilities/autistic people
- champion better and more effective employer engagement across East Sussex
- sharing national and local intelligence and updates that will help shape and inform the quality and direction of supported employment pathways.
If you would like to find out more about the East Sussex Supported Employment Forum or become a member, please contact: sef@littlegate.org.uk
Members
Members of the East Sussex Supported Employment Forum include:
- county-wide supported employment providers
- local education providers including schools, colleges, training providers
- voluntary and community sector
- employer champions
- local authority including Children’s Services, Adult Social Care, and Skills & Employability
- employment support services, such as the Department for Work and Pensions
- careers related services and information advice and guidance
- parents and carers*
- clients and service users*
Members will have an opportunity to network, share intelligence and examples of good practice with the forum. They will also have access to national and local updates and training, and play a vital role in shaping the priorities and direction of future meetings.
*To promote collaborative planning, wider engagement and effect change locally, specific forum events and workshops will be aimed at parents and carers and young people and adults with employers. Acknowledging that these key stakeholder groups may need a targeted approach and a different method and means to securing effective engagement/participation.
Useful dates
The East Sussex Supported Employment Forum meets five to six times a year in order to drive forward the 3 year Internships Work agenda but to also establish a more collaborative and coordinated approach post-COVID.
Meetings are both online and in person.
Meeting dates
- Thursday 28 November 2024
10am-12.30pm (online) - February 2025 - to be confirmed
For more information, please contact: sef@littlegate.org.uk
Training & Events
One of the top priorities of the Internships Work programme is to train all SEND Employment forums to develop, enhance and grow their supported internship/employment offer.
This will support teams to offer high quality supported employment provision and support employers to offer high quality work placements that enable growth in opportunities.
DFN Project Search are providing SEND Employment forums with a free 5-day training package which includes:
- the principles and benefits of supported internships
- understanding the employment aspirations and landscape of your community
- seven step selling process to engaging employers
- how to build sustainability into your programmes
- ensuring programmes meet local need.
For more information about this training and national and local dates, please email sef@littlegate.org.uk
Training & event dates 2024
| Training | Date | Event information |
|---|---|---|
| BASE Training Portal | Home · Starter Portal (powerappsportals.com) | |
| Internship Works Day 1 Session 1 - This is the introduction that employment forums need to set the scene to develop the best supported internship programme for their community | Various | Internships Work DFN Project SEARCH Day 1 Session 1 Free Training Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite |
| Employer Ambassador Training for Supported Internships (Part 1 & 2) - If you manage or mentor young people with a learning disability or autism or both and are passionate about changing lives this is for you! | Various | Part 1 - Become an Employer Ambassador for Supported Internships - Part 1 Tickets, Wed 14 Aug 2024 at 10:00 | Eventbrite Part 2 - Become an Employer Ambassador for Supported Internships - Part 2 Tickets, Thu 22 Aug 2024 at 10:00 | Eventbrite |
| Supported Internships - Engaging Employers using the 7 Step Selling Process - You tell us that your greatest challenge is to link with businesses - join us and learn some practical ways to do that with confidence! | Various | Supported Internships - Engaging Employers using the 7 Step Selling Process Tickets, Mon 12 Aug 2024 at 10:00 | Eventbrite |
| Developing Vocational Profiles Overview Everyone deserves the right to aspire to the very best future, yet nationally fewer than 5% of people with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities go on to secure full-time paid employment. As practitioners we need to ensure that young people we support are inspired and confident to enter the world of employment. One tool that can be used to support young person is to create a vocational profile. A vocational profile is a person-centred approach to finding out what a young person wants to do when they leave school or college. It provides an opportunity to understand what a person is interested in and to explore why. If we do not complete a vocational profile, then we do not know enough about a young person in relation to their aspirations for work and to get the best match of a job for them. For more information on Vocational Profiles follow this link Vocational Profile - NDTi | 14 November 2024 | Who is this for? SENCOs/teachers/college staff supporting Children and young People from year 8 onwards Job Coaches SEND Officers For more information please contact: jack.scott@eastsussex.gov.uk |
| i-Can - Careers Event for young people, parents and carers - iCan is a bespoke Careers Event for young people with SEND. iCan aims to give young people with SEND the opportunity to gain a greater and more informed understanding of their future careers, education, and training pathways. | 26 November 2024 | FOr more information please contact: jack.scott@eastsussex.gov.uk |
Terms of reference and minutes of meeting
Terms of reference
Meeting minutes
Meeting minutes are available on request, please contact:
Supported Employment Forum Success 2022-2023
Transition into paid employment
From September 2022 to August 2023 we supported 64 people into paid employment:
- 16 from supported internships
- 37 from supported employment schemes
- 4 from supported apprenticeships
- 7 from traineeships
Employer Engagement
We worked with 165 employers from 14 sectors:
- Health and social care
- Hospitality
- Administration
- Tourism
- Education
- Manufacturing
- Horticulture
- Agriculture
- Leisure
- Animals
- ICT
- Creative Arts
- House Keeping
- Retail
Schools and Colleges
We engaged with 61 schools and colleges and 38 students enrolled on supported employment provisions for September 2023 to August 2024.
Useful Resources
- SEF Inclusive Recruitment Video
This video was created as part of the Internship Works project which aims to double supported internship provision in England by 2025. It is designed to support more young people with additional needs to have greater choice and control over their future, opening up opportunities that prepare them for adult life and independent living.
This video provides examples of good practice in relation to inclusive recruitment and is a resource for SEF members to support employer engagement and to improve outcomes for adults with additional needs.