Project Search

Find out how Project Search helps people with learning disabilities secure jobs

What is Project Search?

The Project Search model helps disabled people secure and keep paid permanent jobs. It is particularly suited to people with moderate and severe learning disabilities or autism, and others who can benefit from partnership working.

How does it work?

A college tutor or school teacher and job coach run a year-long programme of work training for 12 people via a series of work placements in a host employer organisation. The cross-government Valuing Employment Now team, based in the Department of Health, has developed a range of resources to support local and regional delivery of Project Search.

Project Search sites

The Project Search sites are:

Bath and North East Somerset Council
Bolton Council
City of Manchester
Department for Work and Pensions (Pensions, Disability and Carers Service, Newcastle)
Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
James Paget Hospital, Great Yarmouth
Kent County Council
Leicester City Council and University Hospitals, Leicester
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
NORSE Commercial Services, Norwich
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn
Royal United Hospital, Bath
Sandwell Borough Council
The Southwark Partnership.

Four of these sites (Leicester City Council, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, NORSE Commercial Services, and Royal United Hospital, Bath) have been delivering Project Search for over a year, and all have been successful in supporting people into work of 16 hours or more a week. The remaining ten sites have started to deliver the model during the 2010-11 academic year.

All 14 sites are contributing to an evaluation led by the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) and are receiving advice and guidance from the Valuing Employment Now team. Sites interested in running the Project Search model should contact the UK representative for Project Search, Anne O’Bryan.

Project Search sites have identified their own funding from a range of sources.

Project Search: achievements so far

The existing four sites have supported over 25 people with learning disabilities and autism into work. Without Project Search, these sites say it is unlikely that any of these people would have had the opportunity to work and contribute to the economy.

Employer benefits of Project Search

NORSE reports that delivering the model has saved it £5,500 per year in recruitment costs and £16,000 per year in overtime payments
NORSE has won a national Business in the Community “big tick” award for their work on Project Search and employing other disadvantaged groups
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are saving £6,000 per year in recruitment costs.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital won the Community Impact award in the Eastern Daily Press Business Awards 2010. The judges described Project Search as a ground-breaking and innovative programme.

All but three of the 14 evaluation sites started working with their new interns during September 2010. The remaining sites have deferred implementing Project Search until January 2011 to ensure that their infrastructure is fully in place and able to provide effective support to interns.

More information

For more information on Project Search and ODI’s role in the Valuing Employment Now strategy, contact ODI.

Resources

Project Search case study: Norwich and Norfolk (PDF, 2 pages, 20 KB)

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Page last reviewed: 15 December 2010