More than 200 people with disabilities have been helped into education, employment, training, or given one-to-one support through a project led by Learn Devon.

Over the past year, Devon County Council’s adult education provider, Learn Devon, has worked in partnership with the Council’s Reaching for Independence teams and Employer Hub, to run the innovative “Ability not Disability” (AnD) programme.

This initiative has been providing support and advice to help people with disabilities into employment. It was one of 13 projects in the county to receive a share of UK Community Renewal Funding.

The scheme has been helping disabled people to develop their skills and gain experience in a variety of businesses. As part of the programme, Learn Devon partnered with the Reaching for Independence team to offer a “Job Guarantee” scheme, helping match a number of disabled people with potential employers to provide them with three months paid work and training.

Crucial to the success of this scheme was the direct support provided to individuals to apply for and gain employment while working with employers to understand their needs. Businesses were supported, via the County Council's Employer Hub, as they took on their new employees and made their workplaces more accessible. They were also assisted in applying for the Disability Confident Award to demonstrate their commitment to inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

Over the course of the project, more than 25 people from across Devon have benefitted from a supported work placement, with many of them being offered full-time positions afterwards.

Among them was Luke Souster, who has been supported to find work as an administrative officer at The Northam Care Trust in Bideford, and Elaine Bamford who worked at Dolphin Preschool and Nursery in Exmouth and has now gone on to continue her maths and English studies at college.

Luke said: “As it’s the first time I’ve been able to receive a paycheck it’s given me more independence outside of work. It’s a good way to get your foot in the door and it’s giving me a purpose in life.”

Fiona White, HR Manager at The Northam Care Trust, said: "We are extremely proud of Luke, who has become a great addition to our team. His presence is always uplifting, and he is a perfect showcase for our organisation and for the Ability Not Disability project."

Elaine Bamford worked as an Early Years Assistant at Dolphin Preschool and Nursery in Exmouth.

She said: “I always wanted to work with children. Reaching for Independence and Learn Devon supported me and they’ve helped me a lot. Don’t give up on what you want to do. Keep going even if it might seem hard or draining sometimes, but just keep ploughing along because you’ll get there in the end.”

Peter Curnow-Yates, Ops Manager at Dolphin Nursery, said: "Our experience of working with the Ability not Disability Project was a positive experience in which Dolphin, its team members and particularly Elaine have greatly benefitted. Elaine’s experience of Makaton fitted well with our most recent initiative to further aid and support communication and language which is essential to all areas of learning and development for children. Elaine is now empowered to further her career in Early Years.”

Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, said: “The project has been a genuine lifeline for disabled people seeking to become more self-sufficient and financially independent. It has given people with additional needs the opportunity to gain more control over their lives, and the feedback that Learn Devon has received has been extremely positive. Some fantastic matches were made with local businesses who were really open to finding talented people that may otherwise be overlooked. Those who have taken part in the project say it’s given them a greater sense of purpose and belonging that can be difficult to attain without the support of a job.”

While the Ability not Disability project has come to an end, both Learn Devon and Devon County Council are continuing to offer support to disabled people who are seeking work or looking to develop their skills. To find out more please visit https://www.learndevon.co.uk/ email learndevon@devon.gov.uk or call 0345 155 1014.