by Richard WestOn Wednesday (24th June) I went to a launch of the Valuing People Now Employment plan. Anne Williams and Scott Watkins, the national learning disability co-directors, talked about the plan.
It was an interesting talk about what it means for people with learning disabilities getting jobs. It made me think what does this all mean for BME people with a learning disability?
The numbers of people with learning disabilities with a job is only about 10%. We know that people with learning disabilities from BME communities have less of a chance to get a job making them one of the smallest groups of employed people. I wanted to see how they were going to make sure that people from BME communities have an equal chance with other people with learning disabilities, let alone other disabled people.
Other members of the government, ministers from the Cabinet Office, the one for Disabled people and for social care all gave short talks on the Valuing People Employment Now report. They were all very positive and it was good that there were three ministers there on the day showing the strategy is being supported across government.
I was still left with a nagging doubt that there would not be enough support in the right way for BME people with a learning disability. This needs to be given when getting jobs so people are treated equally and fairly and helps stamp out disability and race discrimination. I also want to make sure that the recession is not used as an excuse not to get people jobs.
I was impressed at the work done by Leicester City Council and want to see more local authorities and health authorities give people jobs. But it can't just be them; we need to see other employers and businesses give jobs to people with learning disabilities as well.
I think the Employment Now Strategy is great but I do want to see a few more steps in the implementation plan on HOW they are going to make things happen for BME people with learning disabilities. I do hope it works in its aim to get the same numbers of people with learning disabilities into jobs as other disabled people. This isn't equal with the rest of the population but it would make a great start.
Richard West is chair of NAGLDE - The National Advisory Group on Learning Disability and Ethnicity
Other members of the government, ministers from the Cabinet Office, the one for Disabled people and for social care all gave short talks on the Valuing People Employment Now report. They were all very positive and it was good that there were three ministers there on the day showing the strategy is being supported across government.
I was still left with a nagging doubt that there would not be enough support in the right way for BME people with a learning disability. This needs to be given when getting jobs so people are treated equally and fairly and helps stamp out disability and race discrimination. I also want to make sure that the recession is not used as an excuse not to get people jobs.
I was impressed at the work done by Leicester City Council and want to see more local authorities and health authorities give people jobs. But it can't just be them; we need to see other employers and businesses give jobs to people with learning disabilities as well.
I think the Employment Now Strategy is great but I do want to see a few more steps in the implementation plan on HOW they are going to make things happen for BME people with learning disabilities. I do hope it works in its aim to get the same numbers of people with learning disabilities into jobs as other disabled people. This isn't equal with the rest of the population but it would make a great start.
Richard West is chair of NAGLDE - The National Advisory Group on Learning Disability and Ethnicity
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