Supported Employment Models: UK and International

What Is Supported Employment?

Supported employment is a model that helps people with significant disabilities find and keep paid employment in mainstream workplaces, through individualised support. Unlike traditional vocational training (train-then-place), supported employment operates on a place-then-train principle: get the person into the job, then provide support on the job.

The core belief: most disabled people — including those with severe learning disabilities, mental health conditions, or acquired brain injuries — can work in mainstream employment with the right support.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS)

IPS is the evidence-based gold standard for supported employment. Originally developed for people with severe mental illness, it has been extended to multiple disability groups.

Core Principles (8 Fidelity Standards)

1. Competitive employment — real jobs, real wages, not sheltered workshops
2. Rapid job search — start looking for work immediately, not after lengthy pre-employment training
3. Integration with clinical/support services — employment specialist is part of the treatment team
4. Client preferences — the jobseeker chooses the type of work
5. Benefits counselling — address fears about losing benefits transparently
6. Employer engagement — build ongoing relationships with local employers
7. Time-unlimited support — support continues as long as needed
8. Zero exclusion — anyone who wants to work is eligible

Evidence Base

IPS has the strongest evidence base of any return-to-work intervention:

• Cochrane systematic review (2017): IPS clients are 2–3x more likely to gain employment than comparison groups
• UK NHS England IPS programme: 52% employment rate at 18 months vs. 28% for standard vocational rehabilitation
• Cost-effective: DWP analysis shows IPS delivers a positive ROI within 3 years through reduced benefit payments and increased tax receipts

UK IPS Landscape

• NHS England has invested in expanding IPS across mental health trusts since 2018 — now active in over 50 trusts
• DWP WorkWell programme includes IPS as a component (2024)
• Local authorities and Combined Authorities increasingly commission IPS through the UKCES framework

Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH is a school-to-work transition programme for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism, delivered in partnership with hospitals, universities, and large employers.

Model

• Participants (18–24) spend a full school year at a host employer's site
• Three workplace internship rotations over the year
• Daily classroom instruction in employability skills
• Job coaching support throughout
• Goal: competitive employment within 12 months of completing the programme

Outcomes

• 73% employment rate among completers in the UK (British Institute of Learning Disabilities, 2023)
• Employed participants earn on average £11,200/year — often their first ever income
• 80%+ of employers hosting Project SEARCH retain participants as employees after the programme

Employer Involvement

Employers provide:

• Physical space for a classroom
• Internship placements across 3 departments
• Workplace mentors
• Commitment to consider participants for employment

In return, employers access a pre-screened talent pipeline, build disability inclusion credentials, and often report improved team morale and customer service skills.

UK Host Employers

NHS trusts (the largest hosts), Amazon, Hilton Hotels, ASDA, and many local councils.

UK Government Supported Employment Programmes

Access to Work (AtW)

(See separate InkludX article on Access to Work for full detail.)

Job coaching funded by AtW is available for:

• People with learning disabilities entering employment
• Autistic people in the first months of a new role
• People with acquired brain injuries returning to work

Disability Confident and Employer Advisers

Jobcentre Plus employs Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) who:

• Work with disabled claimants on job readiness
• Liaise with local employers to create supported employment opportunities
• Can facilitate trial work periods and work experience placements

Contact your local Jobcentre Plus to speak with a DEA.

Remploy

Remploy (now a DWP delivery partner) provides:

• Specialist employment support for disabled people
• Employer recruitment support
• Supported employment programmes for people with learning disabilities

International Models

Norway: NAV Work Programmes

NAV (Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) administers:

• Arbeidstrening (Work Training): Subsidised placements in ordinary workplaces for disability benefit claimants
• Varig tilrettelagt arbeid (VTA): Supported employment in specially adapted enterprises for those unable to access mainstream work
• Inkluderingstilskudd (Inclusion Grant): Employer subsidy (up to NOK 231,000/year) to cover extra support costs

Germany: Integrationsbetriebe

Specialised enterprises required by SGB IX to employ at least 30% severely disabled workers, operating as commercial businesses but with public subsidy. Over 900 in Germany, employing 25,000+ disabled people.

Denmark: Fleksjob

A subsidised flexible job scheme for people whose working capacity is permanently reduced. The employer pays only for work actually done; DWP tops up to minimum wage. 75,000+ Danes currently in fleksjobs.

How Employers Can Engage

1. Contact your local Jobcentre Plus DEA — ask about work trial and supported placement options
2. Explore Project SEARCH hosting — contact British Institute of Learning Disabilities (bild.org.uk)
3. Engage with Remploy or Shaw Trust — as recruitment partners for supported employment candidates
4. Apply for Access to Work proactively — mention AtW job coaching to new employees who might benefit, not just those who ask

Sources: Cochrane Review of IPS (Bond et al., 2020), NHS England IPS Programme Data 2023, British Institute of Learning Disabilities Project SEARCH UK Report 2023, NAV Annual Report 2023, DWP Supported Employment Review 2022