DEFINITIONS USED IN THE RESEARCH
The following key terms were defined with the Research Advisory Group at the outset.
'People with learning disabilities and/or ASD'
The definition of learning disability from The same as you? was adopted in the research , which defined it as a significant, lifelong condition that started before adulthood, affects people's development, and means that they need help to understand information, learn skills and cope independently.
Autism was defined in The same as you? as a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. Autism can happen in people with different degrees of learning disability as well as in people of average or above average intelligence, for example, people with Aspergers Syndrome. This wide range is commonly referred to as autistic spectrum disorders or ASD. People with ASD may or may not have learning disabilities but everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world. Employment support providers and several writers make a distinction between ASD, autism and Aspergers Syndrome. Where it was felt relevant to do so, we have made these distinctions within the report.
'Employment support'
'Employment support' covered a wide range of diverse provision. This included a range of work opportunities such as open employment, work placements, work preparation, voluntary work, Training for Work, 'permitted work', unpaid jobs, sheltered or non-open employment, 'supported employment', co-operatives, and social firms. The support provided included providing job opportunities, sustaining and maintaining people in employment and supporting career development. Given this broad definition, a distinction was made between 'supported employment' (defined below) and other types of employment support.
'Supported Employment'
The following definition of 'supported employment' endorsed by the Research Advisory Group was used in the research:
Supported employment is real work that is for 16 hours or more in an integrated setting with ongoing support
- 'Real work' was defined as paid work and would normally be done by a typical member of the workforce, although this could include a job created by 'job carving'.
- Jobs in 'integrated settings' were jobs with ordinary, mainstream or competitive employers where there are no more people with disabilities present in the workforce than would be expected to be present in the general population (approximately 6%).
- 'Ongoing support' was defined as support that was flexible, individualised and tailored to each person, and, importantly, was not time limited.