AQW 24939/22-27
Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim
Tabled Date: 24/03/2025
Answered On Date: 25/04/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities whether he has undertaken any review of existing employment support schemes to assess their effectiveness in improving job opportunities for disabled people.
Answer:
My department delivers a number of existing employment support provisions delivering interventions to support people with disabilities and health conditions to attain and sustain employment. The JobStart Scheme provides job opportunities offering 25 hours of paid employment per week at the appropriate National Minimum Wage. Outcomes are reviewed regularly for all participants including those with a declared disability. This data indicates that the JobStart Scheme is effective in improving job opportunities for all including those with a disability. Between April 2021 and March 2025, 675 young people with a disability completed their JobStart Phase Two opportunity, of which 498 (74%) retained employment. Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) has recently been independently reviewed which concluded that LMP is filling gaps within labour market support. Furthermore an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for the 2023-24 DfC budget published in October 2023 concluded that “LMPs not only help those seeking work, but they are also a critical intervention to help people with a disability or health condition to remain in work”. One of the four priority themes for Labour Market Partnerships is disability which involves working with employers and participants to improve job opportunities. Between April 2022 to March 2024, LMPs delivered provision for 283 participants under the disability theme, 108 secured employment and 186 gained a qualification. Wider LMP provision also engages with people who have a disability outside of the specific disability theme. The Condition Management Programme (CMP) is a voluntary short-term wrap-around, multi-disciplinary healthcare provision that exists in Northern Ireland which provides the support to enable people with health conditions and disabilities progress towards, move into and remain in employment. Employability Indicators are used to measure the effectiveness of CMP which are assessed at the start and when a participant has completed the programme. The target is 95% to have increased their Employability Indicators as a result of participation on the programme. This target was met in 2023/24 and is on track to be met in 2024/25.
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