Council could give group £92k to help disabled Glaswegians find work

There is a plan to find 10 Glasgow employers to help give disabled people workplace opportunities.

Apt Public Social Partnership (PSP), which has been commissioned by the Scottish Government, has been lined up to potentially support the bid. It is a group of organisations working together to design and deliver services that will improve and advance the prospects of disabled people who are looking to enter or sustain paid work.

Apt, whose aim is to halve disability employment by 2038, works with the Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE) – the national representative body for supported employment providers and anyone interested in ensuring that disadvantaged people across Scotland have the opportunity of a working life.

Today (Thursday) a proposal will be presented to the city administration committee. It asks that the council establish a formal partnership with Apt PSP and provide funding of £92,097 to design and deliver training sessions, guidance and materials to support employers to inform, inspire and engage disabled people about the world of work.

Over the next 12 months Apt PSP is to work with the council’s economic development officers to identify employers to support 10 Glasgow employers and 100 of their employees, to engage disabled people in the world of work.

Aims and objectives so far include the delivery of a wide range of online disability awareness sessions to attract a large number of employers, establish working relationships with employers by building on mutual trust, confidentiality and professionalism and agree an action plan to ensure more disbabled people can engage in the world of work.

Together Glasgow City Council and Apt are to design and deliver a unique programme that will enhance engagement with people with a disability and long-term health issues as well as consult with employers to report challenges, successes and sustainability plans.

A project brief would be drawn up and this will be distributed to the project partners to allow them to submit a proposal to deliver the frontline aspects of this project on behalf of the PSP.

The project, which is anticipated to last 12 months, would be monitored by SUSE who will assess its impact and success. It is hoped more Glaswegians will be in employment as a result.