Help finding a job
Many young people visit a Job Centre when looking for a job or search websites for job vacancies.
This is the address of Job Centre Plus in Bromley:
If your disability or health condition makes it difficult for you to attend Job Centre appointments, you can contact them first to ask what reasonable adjustments they can make to support you.
You can contact Jobcentre Plus and ask to speak to a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA).
They can advise you about job seeking, discuss how you can gain new skills and tell you about disability friendly employers in your area. They can also refer you to a specialist work psychologist, if appropriate, or carry out an ‘employment assessment’, asking you about your skills and experience and what kind of roles you’re interested in. Conditions to accessing this service apply.
More information can be found at: Looking for work if you're disabled: Looking for a job - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
You may also be eligible to support from a job coach. A job coach is someone who is employed to help people with disabilities to access work. They can help you in various ways, for example by helping you to learn the work duties, to liaise with the employer to ensure you have what you need to do the job and helping you to build your skills for the job role.
When you are looking through job adverts and completing application forms, look for the ‘disability confident’ symbol which means the employer is committed to employing disabled people.
Employers committing to the Disability Confident scheme promise to:
- actively look to attract and recruit disabled people
- provide a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process
- offer an interview to all disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for
You can find out more about this scheme on the GOV.UK website
The following organisations can also provide you with information about careers:
- The National Careers Service provides confidential and impartial advice to help you to make decisions about your learning, training and work opportunities work and how to find work. The service offers you confidential and impartial advice and is supported by qualified careers advisers.
- Career Pilot is a free online platform offering impartial information about routes to higher-level study in the South of England. It can help you identify your GCSE, post-16 and post-18 options with sections dedicated to a variety of qualifications. They also have details about apprenticeships, job sectors, CV building and how to go about finding the right job for you.
- Youth Employment also provides information for you if you are aged 14 to 24, from early careers advice, choosing study subjects, money matters to your mental health.
- Bromley Youth Support can help young people by offering support in finding a job, college course or training at the drop-in sessions. There are four different hubs located across Bromley.
- Bromley Well offers a wide range of services for people with autism aged 16+ and people with learning difficulties aged 18+ who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities or a long term health condition. They offer support with volunteering, skills training and help to develop employability skills and paid employment.
- Work Choice can help you get and keep a job if you’re disabled and find it hard to work. The type of support you get depends on the help you need, which is different for everyone but can include training and developing your skills, building your confidence and interview coaching.
Supported employment
Supported employment is an option if you are a young person who has left education and are ready to work.
Supported Employment is designed to help people with learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities or mental health conditions or people who might have very little or no experience of work, to access and stay in a job.
Supported employment can include:
- Support to identify your aspirations, learning needs, skills, experiences and job preferences (with carers and support workers involvement)
- Support with practical job finding and job carving to ensure it suits your needs.
- An induction in the workplace and ongoing training as well as out of work support if needed
- A development plan to record your goals
- Support with career development beyond the programme
Bromley Mencap partners Bromley Council to deliver supported employment services including Job Coaching. Bromley Mencap’s Education and Employment Service offers a range of pathways where you can gain employability skills and provides training and support for disabled people to secure paid employment opportunities.
For more information about the full range of Supported Employment options offered visit Bromley Mencap.
Job Coaching
A Job Coach provides a valuable link between an employer and the employee, ensuring any concerns from either party are addressed quickly.
Bromley Mencap’s Job Coaching agency provides trained job coaches who will support you with any employment matters such as support at interviews, inductions, travel training, performance at work and training.
Job Coaching support can be funded by the Department of Work and Pension’s Access to Work Scheme. This easy read guide also gives more information about the Access to Work Scheme.
Learn more about Job coaches for young people with SEND.