North Wales Supported Employment Strategy for people with learning disabilities (2024 to 2029)

The strategy, co-produced for the North Wales Learning Disability Partnership Group outlines the five year plan to help more people with learning disabilities access paid jobs whilst respecting their choices. It highlights the benefits of well-matched paid employment including personal growth, better health and wellbeing, and cost savings.

North Wales Supported Employment Service for people with learning disabilities.

The North Wales Supported Employment Service is how the strategy is being implemented. It is delivered through a partnership between the six local authority social work services for people with learning disabilities and local supported employment services.

The project is funded by the North Wales Health and Social Care Regional Integration Fund until March 31, 2027.

Opening Doors to Employment: Jamie’s Story.

Aims of the programme

Create Job Pathways

Make access to paid work a clear option in social care services and special secondary schools.

Promote Work First Approach

Change the culture, systems, and processes in social care to focus on work first.

Support and Information

Ensure people with learning disabilities and their families/carers have the right support and information to decide if paid work is suitable for them

Challenge Myths

Dispel myths about the ability of people with learning disabilities to work

Personalised Support

Offer individualised, person-centered help for jobseekers to find, get, learn and keep paid work.

Engage Employers

Work with local employers and highlight the benefits of hiring people with learning disabilities.

The Learning Disability Employment Pathway Coordinators (EPCs)

To implement the service within local authority social work services a new role has been created for an Employment Pathway Coordinator. The Coordinators are employed by the local authorities and are part of the social work teams. Their job is to help social care practitioners adopt a work first approach by acting as one point of contact for anything to do with paid employment. They have a key role in helping to change culture and practice within the teams.

Colette Ann Ellis

Ynys Mon and Gwynedd

Olivia Gatford

Conwy and Denbighshire

Claire Worrall

Flintshire and Wrexham

  • Act as the single point of contact for all work-related matters.
  • Handle all referrals into the project.
  • Support individuals and their support network in deciding if paid employment is right for them.
  • Assist those who want to find paid work in accessing their local supported employment service.
  • To find out more contact your local social services team

The Supported Employment Services

Providers

Agoriad Cyf

Ynys Mon and Gwynedd

CoOptions

Denbighshire and Conwy

HFT Flintshire

Flintshire and Wrexham

Assist

Assist those referred by Employment Pathway Coordinators to find well-matched paid employment.

Employer Engagement

Engage with local employers and support them to proactively recruit more people with learning disabilities.

Quality Standards Followed

All the supported employment services follow the BASE UK Supported Employment Quality Framework Model Fidelity Standards, core values, and national occupational standards for job coaches.

Peer Ambassador

Peer Ambassadors are people with learning disabilities who use their lived experience to show the value of well‑matched paid work. Employed by the supported employment providers, they support new jobseekers, reassure families, and engage employers — demonstrating that with the right support, people with learning disabilities thrive in paid employment.

Ynys Môn & Gwynedd

Rhodri ThompsonDownload

Denbighshire and Conwy

Freya RogersDownload

Flintshire and Wrexham

Ben DuckworthDownload

Opening Doors to Employment: Freya’s story.

Programme Evaluation

Independent Evaluation

The University of Strathclyde has been chosen to independently evaluate the Supported Employment Service. Dr. Adam Whitworth, an expert in evaluating supported employment programmes, leads the team. He is particularly interested in the benefits of social care and SEQF services working together.

The evaluation focuses on the services performance, changes in social care systems and services, and cost benefits. A key part of the evaluation is to understand how jobseekers health and wellbeing improves as they move towards paid employment.

The team will create yearly evaluation reports that will help the partners improve the service in real time.

Citizen panel

Nexus CR has been chosen to set up and facilitate a citizen panel. The members are all be people with lived experience of having a learning disability. They will be paid for their time.

The panel’s role is to help partners share progress with people with learning disabilities, advise the evaluation team, and provide feedback on accessibility issues.

North Wales Supported Employment Service Year 1 Interim Evaluation Report (October 2025)

The University of Strathclyde has produced an interim report on the first year of its three-year evaluation of the North Wales Supported Employment Service for people with learning disabilities. The report shows good progress in integrating supported employment as a new pathway within social work services and ends with 17 recommendations to keep improving and achieve the best results for jobseekers.

NW Regional Supported Employment Year 1 Interim Evaluation ReportDownload

North Wales Supported Employment Service – Year 1 Easy Read Evaluation (2025)

The Year 1 Easy Read Evaluation Report was created by the University of Strathclyde and the Citizen Panel. It shares the experiences of people with learning disabilities who have used the service and presents the top 10 facts from their feedback.

The feedback shows that people value that the service:

  • Works at their own pace with no pressure.
  • Empowers them to make their own choices about work
  • Helps them find work that suits them and makes their life better.
North Wales RSE Year 1 Evaluation Report Easy read reportDownload
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