Praise for inclusive employment service launched in Warwickshire two years ago

A new service which was launched to support people with autism and/or learning difficulties into work has received independent quality assurance for its work as it marks its second anniversary.

Warwickshire County Council’s Supported Employment Service (WSES) was set-up as part of its long-standing commitment to inclusive employment in Warwickshire.

BASE, which is a national membership charity that promotes the principles and delivery of high-quality supported employment services, has completed a Supported Employment Quality Framework Model Fidelity external assessment, which resulted in WSES achieving an excellent score of 72.98% in its first independent assessment, leading to receiving accreditation in the field of supported employment.

WSES is successfully meeting its employment targets, with achievements in both job placements and retention support.

An impressive 92% of job seekers who have gained employment have remained in their roles, showcasing the service’s impact and success.

Over 500 people have been referred to the service over the last two years including 312 referrals in the last 12 months.

A total of 217 people have been supported to gain or sustain employment and in 2024, WSES supported people with 253 interviews which resulted in 59 people starting a job.

The BASE assessment underscored several key strengths of the service including thriving employer partnerships with 23 industry tours bridging the gap between job seekers and roles available with local employers.

The independent assessors also commended WSES’s team in breaking down employment barriers by splitting jobs to create tailored roles to match the abilities of job seekers; securing exceptional feedback about its service and the support provided by their Journey Guides and Employment Advisors; and its vital role within Warwickshire County Council’s Fair Chance Employer Programme by collaborating with partners to promote and improve inclusive recruitment practices throughout the region.

Nerise Oldfield-Thompson, Director of Business Development and Quality at BASE and Inclusive Trading, said: “It is wonderful to see an organisation embedding continuous improvement into their service provision.

“We received a warm welcome and it was clear that the team is very dedicated and passionate about their work. They demonstrate key competencies and have achieved excellent outcomes, especially for such a young service.”

Charlotte Smith, Team Manager at WSES, said the initiative is making a real difference for Warwickshire residents who face additional barriers to employment as its second anniversary approaches.

“Achieving accredited status has been a significant accomplishment for the team,” she said. “Their dedication to inclusivity and commitment to supporting our customers has been instrumental in attaining a score that truly reflects the passion and hard work invested in developing our service.

“We hope that more individuals with learning disabilities and/or autism will see our customers thriving in paid roles in their own communities and will be inspired to pursue similar opportunities, as we believe it is challenging to aspire to be something that you cannot see.

David Ayton-Hill, Warwickshire County Council’s Director of Economy & Place, added: “We hear from employers that the primary barrier to inclusive recruitment is the fear of making mistakes.

“Services such as WSES are here to provide expertise, so employers do not have to navigate this alone. Achieving accreditation will hopefully reassure employers that we are leaders in the field of inclusive recruitment, and they might think of us when they next consider advertising a vacancy.”

Further information is available at https://skillshub.warwickshire.gov.uk/supportive-employers-1/warwickshire-supported-employment-service