Transcript Folie 1 - Jugend am Werk

A European Project on Occupational Services
for Persons with Disabilities
General Information
 The Interest Group on Occupational Services (IGOS) is
attached to the Standing Committee on Employment of the
European Association of Service Providers for Persons with
Disabilities (EASPD).
 The IGOS Partnership Project- "Quality Work Settings for All"
is a European Mobility Project under the Leonardo Da Vinci
Life Long Learning Program (LLP).
 Within the IGOS Partnership a broad number of European
countries share and exchange both expertise and examples of
best practise in the field of Occupational Services for persons
with disabilities.
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Partner Organisations
 Coordinator: BAG:WfbM (Germany)
 Partners:
 EASPD (Belgium/Flanders)
 ICR (Greece)
 Jugend am Werk (Austria)
 Scuola Viva (Italy)
 Unapei (France)
 Vários (Portugal)
 Advisor: COPE Foundation (Ireland)
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Project Partnership
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General Information
Aim:
 The development of shared common frameworks and
tools to enhance the future of persons with disabilities
(PWD).
Why?
 To improve competitiveness and skills of PWD, and to
increase their knowledge and competencies for transition
and entry to the labour market.
Purpose:
 The project outcomes form part of a general report and
set of recommendations.
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Project Structure
 Section 1:
Collection of Data, Statistics and Definitions on Subject Matter from
all Partner Countries
 Section 2:
Contrast and Compare the Different Models of Practice in Each
Partner Country
 Section 3:
List, Contrast and Compare Different Forms of Transition/Integration
to Work Programmes for Persons with Disabilities
 Section 4:
Strategies for Dissemination/Lobbying Activities
 Section 5:
Results & Recommendations
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.1. Historical Overview of Services
 Earlier systems of services for persons with disabilities (PWD) were
delivered in institutions based on care and welfare and run on a
charitable voluntary basis
 Formally developed systems were developed post World War 2
based on health and occupational activities with funding from
governments
 Formal governmental responsibility for services was instrumental in
introducing vocational education training (VET), sheltered workshop
activities and rehabilitation practices
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.1. Historical Overview of Services
 Rights and equality legislation were fundamental in promoting the full
integration of PWD as equal citizens with equal rights to access work
and employment.
 Whilst there are many differences between systems and services in
all partner countries, the evolution of the EU is an influencing factor
in promoting best practice throughout membership countries.
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.2. National Definition of Sheltered Occupational Services
Common Aspects:
 Organisation of working opportunities for PWD currently not able to work
under the conditions of ordinary employment settings
 Legislation to secure state co-financed rehabilitation structures
Different Aspects:
 Societal behaviour, culture, tradition and history in the project partner
countries
 State level responsibility for legislation (national, regional, local)
 Employee status versus rehabilitation status
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.3. National Definitions of Disability
 Similarities among project partner countries:
focus on impairments, complexity in defining the term “disability”
(general definition: disturbance in person´s
lifetime), medical
definition (average/typical )
 Differences among project partner countries:
“duration” of the impairment, degree of participation restrictions
 Definitions of disability are broad and leave room for interpretation
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.4. National Classification of Disability
 Persons with disabilities (physical, mental, sensory, intellectual) are
differently defined in the partner countries.
 “Sheltered workshop” does not have the same meaning in the
partner countries. Other definitions are “occupational services” or
“cooperatives”.
 It is difficult to classify numbers of PWD.
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.5. Describe/Outline the Legal Framework Under Which These
Services Operate
 Complicated legal framework
 Lack of transparency
 Basic legal framework concerning support for persons with a
disability on national level in all partner countries except
Belgium/Flanders (only on a regional level).
 Some countries do have a specific disability concept at national
level
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.5. Describe/Outline the Legal Framework Under Which These
Services Operate
 Certain Laws, Decrees or Acts in each partner country lay down the
conditions for accrediting services (Ireland – the “Service-Plan” is
also an annual agreement between the Minister for Health &
Children and the Health Service Executive)
 Different Laws, Decrees or Acts in all partner countries are linked to
services for persons with disabilities (e.g. social security, antidiscrimination, etc)
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.6. Describe/Outline the Financing System/s, Which Allows/Supports
These Services to Operate
Public Funding:
 = Key component of financing systems
→ occupational services are an essential component to social
welfare models
 Source: central budget or local / regional authorities
 Annual figures for public funding are not available in all partner
countries
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Results of Work Plan 1
1.6. Describe/Outline the Financing System/s, Which Allows/Supports
These Services to Operate
Other Sources of Funding:
 funds originating from the legal obligation for companies to respect a
quota of workers with disabilities in some partner countries
 commercial revenue resulting from the activities of adapted work
setting in some partner countries
 Others: European Social Funds (ESF), lotteries, pension funds, etc
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.1. Status of Service Providers
 Service Provision in Partner countries is delivered either by private or
public sectors or a combination of both
 The status of these organisations is generally ‘not for profit’. ‘For
profit’ based organisations also provide services but to a much lesser
degree
 Service
providers can generally be categorised as being
local/regional authorities, specialist companies, parent associations,
societies and/or voluntary organisations
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.1. Status of Service Providers
 Sheltered Workshops are a common feature of service provision in
all partner countries
 Specialist, private, not for profit type organisations are predominant
in the provision of ‘sheltered workshops’
 Sheltered Workshops are differently termed in partner countries
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.2. Status of Service Provision
 Nearly all the services delivered in workshops and/or institutions
comparable to workshops are person-centred;
 One exception is Greece were services are mostly described to be
program-centred;
 In Ireland the current status of service provision is a combination of
both service - led and user centred models;
 The person centred approaches are generally intended to develop,
enhance or recover the skills, abilities and earning capacity of
persons with a disability.
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.2. Status of Service Provision
 Individual progress is registered on a regular basis in the person –
centred help plan;
 The quality of the services delivered is monitored
 The character of the services is mostly laid down on a national,
regional and/or local basis.
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.3. Service Delivery Descriptor
 Similarities among project partners:
 Centred or community based
 Supported employment schemes
 Outsourcing systems in regular companies:
 France: secondment
 Flanders: enclaves: team placement -> within framework of
workshop
 Germany: outsourcing and traineeship
 Austria: team placement, traineeship and secondment
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.4. Status of Service User
 Sheltered work may have different legal status from country to
country.
 The status of those at work may range from “service user/client” to
actual “employee” with full worker rights and entitlements.
 Sheltered work is commonly focused on on-going supports in terms
of personal, social and work/professional competence skills.
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.5. Program Descriptor: (Range of Programs Offered/Available)
 Great similarities exist among the programmes in the partner
countries (technical, interpersonal, social and cultural, vocational
training, work and employment, paramedical and therapeutic)
 Additional programmes are offered specializing in services for elderly
people, people with high-dependency needs or self-advocacy
 Twelve clearly defined personal support services offered in Ireland,
(e.g. “Health and Wellbeing”, “Influencing Service Policy and
Practice”, “Inclusion in One’s Local Community” or “”Making Choices
and Plans”)
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.6. Remuneration/Benefit Descriptor
Sheltered Work
 Main situation: payment + disability allowance
- exception: minimum wage obligation applies in Flanders
Open Labour Market Work
 Application of labour law rules = payment of a wage
→ remuneration set in the employment contract.
→ in most partner countries, there is an obligation to respect a
minimum wage (legal obligation / collective agreement.
 + disability allowance under certain conditions.
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Results of Work Plan 2
2.7. Formal Licensing of Service Provision
 In all partner countries there are certain standards that have to be
achieved by service providers for persons with disabilities
 The agencies responsible are at national, regional and/or local level
 There are different monitoring systems
 Quality standards and assurance – obligatory or optional
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Results of Work Plan 3
3.1. Range of Transition to Work/Employment Programs Available
Main features:
 Policies and programmes in all partner countries
→ vocational training + support services
→ in some partner countries, financial incentives for employers are
provided
 Broad range of vocational training and qualification (mainstream or
specialised, vocational education, apprenticeship, ...)
 Supported employment services
→ integrated support services ranging from needs assessment to
follow-up in employment
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Results of Work Plan 3
3.1. Range of Transition to Work/Employment Programs Available
Transition From Sheltered Occupational Service Settings to the
General Labour Market :
 Sheltered Occupational Work programmes are available in all partner
countries
…but these programmes are not compulsory in all partner countries
 These programmes contain vocational training, qualification and
support services
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Results of Work Plan 3
3.2. Describe the Agencies Responsible
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Austria: Austrian Federal Welfare Office (Bundessozialamt), Federal
Employment Office (Arbeitsmarktservice), Federal states (Länder)
Belgium: Regional Employment Services (VDAB)
France: National agency, AGEFIPH, Central government and
regional health agencies
Germany: Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit), Integration
Office, Regional Ministries for Social Affairs (Länder)
Greece: Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and Social
Affairs, Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity
Ireland: National Training and Employment Authority (FAS), Health
Service Executive (HSE)
Italy: National Interdepartmental Observatory
Portugal: Training and Employment Institute
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Results of Work Plan 3
3.3. Describe the Workplace Support Conditions/Criteria
 Austria – Reasonable accommodation / Accessible workplaces /
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Special tools / Job Coaching / Personal assistance.
Belgium – Subsidy to employers / One-off reimbursement of
expenses made to adapt the work station/environment / Extra
vocational training
France – Reasonable accommodation requirement. Beyond, no
other support conditions or criteria
Germany – Specialist Integration Services: Aid and Assists the
transition to working life / Advises and assists employers
Ireland – National Training and Employment Authority: Specialist
equipment and adapted programme / Coaching in the work place /
Vocational training for unemployed.
Italy – There aren’t such support conditions
Portugal – There aren’t such support conditions
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Results of Work Plan 3
3.4. Transition to Work – Employment Outcomes
and 3.5. Evaluation of National Services/Annual Statistics
 Statistics/data are not available in all partner countries.
 In all partner countries data is not reliable and in some partner
countries data is outdated.
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Recommendations
Currently the project partnership is working on a
list of recommendations.
These recommendations will be published at the
end of the project partnership
(July 31, 2011).
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Contact
For more information please visit
www.igosproject.eu
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