Project Search

A programme helping people with learning disabilities secure employment

What is Project Search?

Project Search is a model which helps disabled people secure and keep paid permanent jobs. It is particularly suited to people with learning disabilities or autism, and others who can benefit from partnership working.

The model was established in the USA where it has been running for 14 years. It runs in several large American organisations, including Cincinnati Children's hospital, several smaller hospitals and the Fifth Third Bank. Many of the participants secure and retain full employment with the host organisation; others leave the scheme ready for work and generally secure employment elsewhere.

How does it work?

A college tutor or school teacher and job coach run a year-long programme of work training for 12 people via a series of work placements in a host employer organisation.

Project Search in England

As set out in the launch of Valuing Employment Now, government invited proposals from local partnerships interested in running the Project Search model in England, and evaluating its success.

The selection process was completed at the end of October. The following sites have been invited to implement Project Search from September 2010 and take part in the Government evaluation of the model:

Bath and North East Somerset Council
Bolton Council
City of Manchester
Department for Work and Pensions (Pensions, Disability and Carers Service, Newcastle)
Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
Great Yarmouth Further Education College
Kent Adult Social Services
Leicester City Council
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
NORSE Commercial Services, Norwich
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn
Royal United Hospital, Bath
Sandwell Borough Council
The Southwark Partnership

These sites will receive advice and guidance on preparing for implementation from the Valuing Employment Now delivery team, which is based within the Department of Health. This team works closely with other governement departments including ODI, who will be leading the evaluation of the demonstration sites.

Preparing for September 2010

We have held several capacity-building events for the 14 sites. These events are delivered by Project Search consultants from the USA and cover a range of subjects including:

the principles of Project Search
roles and responsibilities of Project Search partners
internships
student selection
funding
business proposal

Sites have raised a number of issues and questions, around how to fund Project Search and the key partners needed to deliver it. We have been working with individual sites to help them address these issues. To help we have developed a Project Search Frequently Asked Questions page. We will continue to update this page regularly.

Case Study

Project Search case study: Norwich and Norfolk (PDF, 2 pages, 20 KB)

More information about Project Search Norwich is available at www.projectsearchnorwich.org.

If you would like further information about Project Search please email project.search@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

Evaluation aims

Project Search evaluation (PDF, 2 pages, 64 KB)

Valuing Employment Now: real jobs for people with learning disabilities

The Valuing Employment Now cross-government delivery team has developed a range of resources to support local and regional delivery available from the Valuing Employment Now website.

A new film, 'Real lives, real talent, real jobs', featuring the stories of eight people with moderate and severe learning disabilities in real jobs. The film also features family carers, support staff and employers.
The draft definition of supported employment and job coaching.
Tools to ensure all people with learning disabilities get good support.
Case studies featuring people with moderate and severe learning disabilities in full time jobs.

The Valuing Employment Now strategy was launched in June 2009, with a delivery plan and a literature review of the evidence base for supported employment.

The strategy is a collaboration between ODI; Department for Work and Pensions; Department of Health; Department for Children, Schools and Families; Business, Innovation and Skill; Cabinet Office; and Department for Transport.

Valuing Employment Now: real jobs for people with learning disabilities (PDF, 108 pages, 1.5 MB)
Valuing Employment Now (Easy Read version) (Easy Read PDF, 52 pages, 1.7 MB)
Valuing Employment Now Delivery Plan (PDF, 45 pages, 512 KB)
Valuing Employment Now Impact Assessment (PDF, 38 pages, 2.18 MB)

Download Documents

You can download documents marked with a Adobe Acrobat PDF Logo using Adobe Reader - available free of charge.

You can download documents marked with a Microsoft Word Logo using Microsoft Word viewer – available free of charge.