This article arises from the authors' experience of undertaking research on behalf of the Scottish Executive, following the deliberations of a national working group focusing on employment (Scottish Executive, 2003) set up to progress the recommendations of the Same as You? review (Scottish Executive, 2000), Scotland's equivalent of Valuing People (DoH, 2001). The detailed findings of the research study and its methodology can be found elsewhere (Ridley et al, 2005); only a brief summary is given here. The main purpose of this article is to contribute to a debate about the achievements and under-achievements of supported employment in the contemporary Scottish context. The research findings are used to discuss where we are now, some of the main problems, and how policy and practice need to move forward and develop. We suggest that the time is ripe to initiate strategic change in policy and professional practice. Supported employment must be firmly embedded in the wider employment landscape and the practice agenda of professionals, in order to ensure that real, paid jobs in integrated settings become a routine option for people with learning disabilities who express these aspirations.

Employment is not a new idea in the field of learning disability. Paid work remains the most culturally valued day activity and, given a choice, many people with learning disabilities aspire to employment as a major life goal (Beyer et al, 2004; Riddell et al, 1999). Traditionally, day centres have had a limited role in providing real jobs. At best they have provided part-time work opportunities, work preparation, volunteering or work experience opportunities (Beyer et al, 2004). The emergence of supported employment, with its emphasis on social inclusion and the support model, together with the technology of training in systematic instruction (TSI) (Gold, 1980), is both more recent and more challenging.

In policy terms, the importance of employment for people with learning disabilities is now firmly established (Scottish Executive, 2000, 2003). Further, the concept of 'employability', together with the policy drive towards bringing into employment people who are deemed to be 'furthest from the labour market', has become a feature of the wider policy landscape. This can be seen in initiatives such as New Deal for Disabled People and New Deal for Welfare (DWP, 2006).

What is new is that, for the first time, there is potential for synergy between broad government strategy on 'employability', the aspirations of people with learning disabilities themselves to have jobs, the availability of the technology (TSI) and the confidence of specialist employment initiatives to deliver successful outcomes. Arguably, these factors offer the possibility of a national focus on supported employment and how to take it forward so that employment can become more commonplace for people with learning disabilities. As part of realising this agenda, research was commissioned in 2003/04 by the Scottish Executive to map current support and to highlight best practice examples (Ridley et al, 2005).

STUDY METHOD

As commissioned, the study undertook a literature review of best practice in 'supported employment' over the last five years and a postal survey of more than 200 providers of 'employment support' in Scotland, explored the experiences of 15 individuals in supported employment, their families and employers, and gathered opinions about barriers, key issues and best practice from strategic stakeholders. A detailed account of the methods used can be found in our research report (Ridley et al, 2005) and associated account (Ridley & Hunter, 2006).

People with learning disabilities were not involved in the design of the research specification, which was issued by the Scottish Executive. This study attempted to address this gap by engaging research associates with learning disabilities who were specifically recruited, trained and paid as part of the research team through Infusion Cooperative. The research associates contributed to the questionnaire design and analysis for the supported employees, their families and the employers, as well as contributing one member to the two-person team which conducted each of these interviews. The research associates made a presentation based on this study at a conference hosted by the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability in February 2006.

FINDINGS

The number of agencies offering employment opportunities and, therefore, the number of people in employment have been growing steadily in the UK as a result of the development of the supported employment model (Beyer et al, 1996). Supported employment developed originally to facilitate paid work for people with disabilities with ordinary employers in integrated settings. Traditionally, employment has not been available for this group who, because of the nature and severity of their disability, need ongoing support to keep their jobs. It is a highly structured approach to placing people in jobs, providing individual training on the job and systems for maintaining them in jobs, which, importantly, focuses on a 'place and train' approach rather than on getting ready for work or 'train and place' (Vocational Rehabilitation Act Amendments, 1986, USA). It has now become an established and important means of promoting employment for people with learning disabilities in the UK (Beyer et al, 1996; O'Bryan et al, 2000).