As well as providing support to interns and graduates of our DFN Project SEARCH programmes, Hft also can provide support to you as an employer.

At the pre-employment stage, we can support you to implement reasonable adjustments throughout the application and interview process and we can support successful applicants with completing pre-employment paperwork. We can support any new employees to complete their induction training and to learn the routines and tasks of their new job. We will work with you and your new employee to identify and implement any reasonable adjustments needed within the workplace, and to support your employee to work to a high standard. On an ongoing basis, as and when required we can support your employee with communication in the workplace, to manage with changes to their role/processes, ongoing training and at supervisions/appraisals. We can also provide training for your organisation around learning disability awareness and neurodiversity.

Hft has Covid 19 guidance and risk assessments for our Employability Coaches to follow, and we will work with your organisation’s Covid 19 protocols and procedures to ensure that our Employability Coaches work within your requirements, and provide support to the employee(s) they are working with to understand and follow these as well.

Follow On Employability Coach Leaflet For Employers

FAQs for employers

o Our interns and graduates have undertaken a year long programme preparing them for the workplace, gaining relevant skills and experience to fit the needs of local employers- they have demonstrated great dedication and commitment in undertaking this process.
o Accessing a greater reach of candidates within the workforce
o Increasing diversity within your organisation’s workforce
o Increasing awareness of neurodiversity within your organisation
o Employee retention- evidence indicates that employees who have learning disabilities will stay working for one employer for a longer period than the majority of other employees.
o We can provide advice and support around accessible recruitment processes, including reasonable adjustments to the application and interview processes
o We can provide bespoke, on the job, 1:1 support, from an Employability Coach for your employee in the workplace for a variety of things including:
 Completing pre-employment checks
 Learning the tasks required in the role
 With induction
 With training
 To use generic or specialised pieces of equipment or software
 Any changes which may take place to tasks/processes
 Communication within the workplace, including at supervisions/appraisals
Support would gradually fade over time as the employee is able to perform tasks at work without support, but remains available to return back to the workplace should there be any changes moving forwards
o We can support you to identify and implement reasonable adjustments and adaptations to the work place to enable your employee to gain the confidence and skills needed to work in their role independently
o We can support your organisation and employee to apply for funding for reasonable adjustments which may be required
o We can provide training around learning disability awareness and neurodiversity.
o Reasonable adjustments form part of the employer’s responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure fair access to employment opportunities are provided for people with disabilities
o Examples of reasonable adjustments could include:
 physical equipment, such as a height adjustable desk or software
 introducing a colour coded label system on a filing cabinet
 an adjustment to the employees working pattern, i.e. having lunch break at a set time
 making adjustments to the recruitment process to make this more accessible, for example offering a work trial as an alternative to a formal interview
o Hft’s Employability Coaches can support you to consider any adjustments which may be needed by your new employee, and help you to implement these.
o We would support your organisation and your employee to make an application for funding for any on the job 1:1 support which may be required- this would be tailored to the needs of the individual and would be fully funded
o Many reasonable adjustments would not incur any costs
o We can support your organisation and employee to apply for funding for reasonable adjustments which may be required. This funding may cover all of the costs of any reasonable adjustments, or some of the costs- this varies depending on the size of your organisation and the specific nature of the required reasonable adjustment.
o Our Employability Coach can work with you and team members of your employee to provide support, advice and guidance around how to best support your employee- this would be tailored to the individual support each person needs
o Get in contact with Hft to discuss your needs- we can provide training around learning disability awareness and neurodiversity.
o The support an Employability Coach provides varies depending on the need of each individual they are working with
o Hft’s Employability Coaches can work with you to ensure that they are providing support in a way which works for your organisation and your existing teams
o Employability Coaches’ support will fade over time, within initial intensive support as your employee learns the demands of the role, and reducing as they settle into their new post
o Employability Coaches will agree with you the best way to maintain communication between your organisation and employee once support has begun to fade
o Once support has faded, the Employability Coach will still be involved to support with any work place changes, training, challenges or development needs of your employee.

Get in touch

If you’s like to talk more about supported employment for people with a learning disability, or autism, email the team at: ProjectSearch.Admin@hft.org.uk