Council schemes to help disabled people into work are focused mainly on people with learning difficulties and mental health problems, with little attention given to people with physical disabilities, say government inspectors.

The Social Services Inspectorate  evaluated services for disabled people and those with mental health problems in eight councils between February and November last year. The findings, published this week, found that advocacy services and employment schemes, where they existed, were mainly focused on people with learning difficulties. They also show that there were “few maps and signposts to help disabled people wanting to find work to find their way”.

The report recommends more effective co-ordination between agencies, and more expert information and advice to be made available to disabled people.

Averil Nottage, deputy chief inspector of the SSI, said: “Although the inspection found examples of good practice in some councils, the overall picture shows that the [councils need to give] a stronger commitment to work.”

A spokesperson for the Shaw Trust, which works with social services and health authorities to help disabled people into work, said it was crucial that local authorities looked harder at what services they were providing.

“The employment service is focused more and more on enabling people who need short-term support to find work,” she said. “Unless social services pick up the challenge of working with those who have longer term needs there’s a danger they’ll disappear into a black hole where there’s no service provision.”