What is Supported Employment?

Supported Employment's goal is to obtain real jobs, with real pay and real working conditions, for socially disadvantaged people; the same as for everyone else, but with on-going support from job coaches (Employment Support Workers).

It is based on the assumption that everyone has the capacity to work if barriers to employment are tackled and appropriate on-going support is provided. It is not about ‘caring’ for an individual, but rather ‘enabling’ him/her to do a job.

Supported Employment is not about short-term work tasters or placements; it is a long-term approach to integrate people with additional support needs into the mainstream labour market.

It does not fall into the category of job preparation or training; it is employment-specific. Job preparation courses tend to have a different focus, as they do not provide support at work.

We believe that motivation and success is increased when an individual feels that they are properly employed from the start - versus enrolling on a seemingly endless series of courses and training, with no real job materialising.

In Supported Employment, any essential training can be obtained, either on the job or whilst employed.

A free service to individuals and employers

The primary aim is to work closely with local employers to address the unmet employment needs of local people, especially those facing social and economic exclusion.

Our Supported Employment team assists employers, and individuals with additional support needs, to find and maintain sustainable employment opportunities in the open labour market.

Skill Development

We help people reach their potential by giving opportunities to learn in a supportive work environment where people understand disability but focus on ability. We understand that many things can lead to an individual to struggle to get in to mainstream employment but with right support everyone can reach their true potential. 

We focus on developing skills regarding individual’s roles and responsibilities in the workplace. We work to encourage people to feel valued and reduce social isolation. 

At Employability Orkney we aim to help develop and improve existing employability skills in a supportive workplace setting, and focus on what employers look for in their employees like:

⚫️  Punctuality and reliability

⚫️  Working well with others

⚫️  Teamwork

⚫️  Completing tasks safely to the required standards

⚫️  Appreciating roles and responsibilities

We do support our staff in additional ways regarding their mental health needs, social needs and the importance of good physical and mental health. We very much have an open door policy here and want our staff to know that their is always someone here to help and support.

Key Features

⚫️ A highly specialised and professional service.

⚫️ Tailored packages of support to enable individuals to obtain and retain employment.

⚫️ Delivers a service that suits business needs.

⚫️ Employers are equal partners in the process, which aims to be as useful to them as it is to the individual.

⚫️ Includes Job Matching & Vocational Profiling, Job Analysis, and Job Coaching.

If you would like more information contact us on 01856 876605