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WORK
The SEARCH is on – Currently in the London Hospital
programmes it ranges between 73% and

no ifs, no buts, real jobs for real pay 83%. Most of the jobs are full time, and
people stay in them long term.
These success rates are all the more
remarkable given the context within
In six large London NHS hospitals a quiet but remarkable which they occur – a national
revolution is taking place in the perceptions and employment rate for people with
learning disabilities just below 6%.
expectations of people with learning disabilities as
employees. This revolution has arisen from the work of The model is straightforward.
Project SEARCH programmes work in
Project SEARCH, an organisation that has a very simple partnership with large employers in both
mission – to secure competitive employment for people the public and private sectors.
with learning disabilities. Simon Jarrett visits supported Employers must have a workforce of at
least 250, so that job rotation across a
employment providers Debbie Robinson and Steve Parr, range of departments is possible during
who are partners in a Project SEARCH programme at the the internship. The programmes must
be business-led and are a partnership
Royal London Hospital, to find out more. between the host business, the education
provider, supported employment provider
wenty years ago, at the Cincinnati six large hospitals – Charing Cross, and Project SEARCH. The partners work
T Children’s Hospital Medical Centre The Royal London, Great Ormond Street, together to deliver a series of core critical
in Ohio, Erin Riehle had a revolutionary Whipps Cross, Northwick Park success factors defined by Project SEARCH
thought. She was the director of the and Newham – supporting people (and known in America as Model Fidelity).
renowned Cincinnati Children’s with learning disabilities and those They purchase a Project SEARCH license,
Emergency Department, and wondered if on the autistic spectrum into which gives them access to programme
it would be possible to train people with full-time employment. infrastructure, resources and
developmental disabilities to fill some of specialists. There is no hard sell,
the high-turnover, entry-level positions JOB ROTATION says supported employment provider
in her department, many of which At each of these sites, eight to twelve Debbie Robinson, because the model
involved complex and systematic tasks interns each year, aged between 16 and will only work if it is a good fit and right
such as stocking supply cabinets. 24, go through a job rotation of three for all partners, but especially the
She discussed her ideas with internships combined with a programme host business.
Susie Rutkowski, a special education of tutoring, coaching and mentoring.
expert, and so was born the partnership The expectation is that by the end of the Once a programme gets off the ground,
that became Project SEARCH. year, each student will have entered into it is owned by the host business, and the
long-term paid employment, at the tutor and job coaches see themselves
Project SEARCH now operates in 45 states prevailing wage, of 16 hours a week or as its guests. On this basis, interns are
of the US and nine other countries across more. There is no job segmentation treated exactly like any other employee –
the world, including the UK, where it (carving up jobs so that people just do they have smart cards, computer access,
currently has part of them, as they are deemed access to all areas necessary for their
41 sites. In the incapable of doing the full job) – and work, and are expected to abide by all the
NHS in London, all jobs are on the open labour market. employer’s codes and practices.
Project Search The rate for successful transitions into While coaching, support, development
programmes are employment in UK Project Search sites is and training are provided by the job
in operation at 67%, and internationally is 75%. coaches and education partner,

14 Vol 31 No 1 | Autumn 2017 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk