The Government has published Local Supported Employment: guidance for local authorities (23 May 2022).

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is providing grant funding for approximately 20 County Councils and Unitary Authorities (including Metropolitan Councils and London Boroughs) in England and Wales, to take part in the Local Supported Employment (LSE) Initiative. The Initiative is aimed at helping adults with learning disabilities, autism or both to move into competitive employment providing the support they need to maintain that employment (“Supported Employment”).

This Initiative will help the growth of LA-led Supported Employment. Through co-funding and providing the framework for LSE, DWP aims to enable the delivery of high-quality Supported Employment which adheres to the 5 Stage Supported Employment Model.

The longer-term ambition of this Initiative is to provide further evidence to LAs of the value of Supported Employment and to help build sustained LA investment in Supported Employment to secure effective employment for people with learning disabilities, autism or both.

Find out more here.