Research to investigate the impact of supported employment on people with learning disabilities
Her research will focus on four Tuck by Truck services based in East and Mid Kent and the London boroughs of Bexley and Bromley.
Tuck by Truck is a project that involves people with learning disabilities preparing and delivering snacks to offices and small factories in the surrounding area. Profits from sales ensure that the delivery assistants are paid the national minimum wage for each delivery shift.
The aim of Dr Forrester-Jones’ research is to measure the success of Tuck by Truck from the viewpoint of the employees rather than by profit making margins. The following questions are at the heart of the research: has Tuck by Truck provided individuals with technical and social skills commensurate with those needed in mainstream employment; has Tuck by Truck enabled trainees to develop their social networks; have individuals experienced vocational changes (for example, have individuals’ aspirations for employment changed or developed for the better and has their actual or potential income increased significantly, whether through Tuck by Truck or access to open employment opportunities); have individuals been equipped with knowledge concerning employment rights to protect them in the workplace; have individuals who are employed experienced changes in their self-esteem and quality of life; does this type of service provide a pathway to real employment for people with learning disabilities?
The objective of the research is to provide pointers to good practice in relation to social inclusivity via supported employment.
Dr Forrester-Jones said: ‘The benefits of supported employment for people with learning disabilities have been documented as increased choice, empowerment and independence. At the centre of these benefits are social relationships based on both formal transactions within work, and on informal interactions not required for performance of the job but which, apart from helping to complete tasks, facilitate feelings of unity and empowerment.
‘However, there are concerns that these benefits are not experienced by a large number of people with learning disabilities. Social isolation remains a problem for many people with learning disabilities. While we know that probably less than 10% of people with learning disabilities have jobs we know little about the experiences of those in jobs from their own perspective. That is what my research aims to learn.’
Dr Forrester-Jones aims to publish her findings in September.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://kent.ac.uk/news/All latest news from the category: Social Sciences
This area deals with the latest developments in the field of empirical and theoretical research as it relates to the structure and function of institutes and systems, their social interdependence and how such systems interact with individual behavior processes.
innovations-report offers informative reports and articles related to the social sciences field including demographic developments, family and career issues, geriatric research, conflict research, generational studies and criminology research.
Newest articles
Microscopic basis of a new form of quantum magnetism
Not all magnets are the same. When we think of magnetism, we often think of magnets that stick to a refrigerator’s door. For these types of magnets, the electronic interactions…
An epigenome editing toolkit to dissect the mechanisms of gene regulation
A study from the Hackett group at EMBL Rome led to the development of a powerful epigenetic editing technology, which unlocks the ability to precisely program chromatin modifications. Understanding how…
NASA selects UF mission to better track the Earth’s water and ice
NASA has selected a team of University of Florida aerospace engineers to pursue a groundbreaking $12 million mission aimed at improving the way we track changes in Earth’s structures, such…
