Getting into employment when you have a health or social care need

Newham Employment Strategy

BSL Support

Working with a health and social care need

Employment is seen as a priority and is beneficial for people with health and social care needs.

Work helps:

  • Define aspects of people’s personal status
  • Increase self-esteem and their sense of belonging.

Paid work:

  • Creates opportunities for health and social care users to gain independence
  • Leads to psychological and social benefits
  • Has clear economic benefits to both the individual and the community as a whole.

For people with health and or social care needs, finding and keeping employment can often be more difficult than for other members of society.

We want people with health and social care needs to have a range of opportunities available to support them.

The key aim in Newham is to maximise the number of people with health and social care needs who secure and retain paid or self-employment.

Newham Employment Strategy for people with health and social care needs

The strategy explains how Newham aims to:

  • Increase the number of people with health and social care needs gaining real jobs
  • Provide more oppurtunities to earn equitable wages and other employment related benefits.

The strategy:

  • Explores issues, needs and barriers experienced by people with health and social care needs, in accessing meaningful employment.
  • Identifies future actions, which are focused on removing or overcoming barriers to support more people in gaining and retaining paid or self employment
  • Was co-produced with the Newham Employment Task Group and is a collaborative effort by:
    • Partner agencies working in Newham
    • User-led organisations
    • People with support requirements, their families and carers.