Employment Support Programmes – Help to Prepare for, Find and Stay in Work

What this resource is for

Finding work, returning to employment or trying to stay in a job while managing a disability or health condition can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Employment support programmes can provide practical guidance at different stages of that journey. They are not only for people who are unemployed or looking for their first job. Support may also be useful if you are returning after time away, thinking about changing direction, struggling in your current role or trying to remain in employment.

The important thing is finding support that fits where you are now and where you would like to go next.

What kind of support might be available?

Different programmes provide different types of help. Depending on the service and your circumstances, support could include:

Job searching • Identifying suitable roles • CVs and applications • Interview preparation • Confidence building • Skills development • Training • Work experience • Understanding workplace needs • Starting a new job • In-work support

Some services may also help you understand why employment has been difficult, identify barriers and explore what could make work more manageable.

For example, somebody may have the skills to do a particular job but struggle with the recruitment process, travelling independently, communication, organisation, fatigue, sensory demands or particular aspects of the working environment.

The support needed will therefore be different for everyone.

Where can employment support come from?

There isn't one single programme that is right for everybody.

Support may be available through government employment services, Jobcentre Plus, local organisations, charities, specialist disability employment services, careers services or programmes designed around particular needs or health conditions.

What is available can vary depending on where you live, your individual circumstances, whether you are currently working and the type of support you require.

It is worth exploring different options rather than assuming that the first service you find is the only one available.

You don't need to know exactly what job you want

One of the biggest misconceptions about employment support is that you need to arrive knowing exactly what career you want.

You don't.

Sometimes the first part of the process is simply understanding yourself better.

You might explore:

What am I good at?

What do I enjoy?

What type of working environment suits me?

What hours could I realistically manage?

What tends to overwhelm or exhaust me?

What creates barriers for me at work?

What adjustments or support might I need?

Would training, volunteering or work experience help me explore something new?

For someone who is disabled, neurodivergent or managing a health condition, finding suitable employment can involve thinking about much more than a job title.

It can be about finding the right environment, expectations, hours, support and way of working.

A Personal Perspective from Maggie

Through my work at Space to Breathe Therapy, I have supported people at very different points in their employment journeys, and one thing I have learned is that there isn't one pathway into work that suits everybody.

Sometimes people come to me believing they have failed because a particular job, course or employment programme hasn't worked for them.

But when we begin looking more closely, the question often changes.

Instead of:

“Why can't I manage this?”

we start asking:

“What is making this difficult for me?”

That can completely change the conversation.

Someone may be incredibly capable but struggling in an environment that doesn't work for them. Another person may need additional support with organisation, communication or confidence. Someone else might need to start with a few hours, volunteering or training before paid employment feels manageable.

I also think we can put enormous pressure on people to know exactly what they want to do.

Sometimes you don't know yet.

Exploring is still progress.

Trying something and discovering it isn't right for you is information, not failure.

In my work, I like to look at the whole person — their strengths, interests, needs, barriers and what they realistically have capacity for — rather than trying to squeeze somebody into the first available job.

The goal shouldn't simply be getting someone into work.

For me, it is about helping someone find a way of working that they have a realistic chance of maintaining, developing and hopefully enjoying.

— Maggie, Space to Breathe Therapy

If you're already working

Employment support isn't necessarily only about getting a job.

Sometimes the challenge is staying in one.

A change in health, disability, responsibilities, workplace environment or job role can mean something that was previously manageable becomes difficult.

Some programmes and services may help people remain in employment by exploring workplace barriers, developing strategies, considering appropriate support or signposting to other services.

This is also where other forms of workplace support may become relevant.

How this connects with the other resources

The different resources within Work • Support • Access can work alongside one another rather than being seen as completely separate options.

Careers advice can help you explore what type of work might suit you.

Employment support programmes can help you prepare for, find and move into employment.

Disability Confident can help you identify employers participating in the government disability-employment scheme.

Access to Work may provide practical support to help eligible people overcome disability or health-related barriers at work.

Job coaches and support workers may provide human support.

Assistive technology, specialist equipment and communication support may help remove particular workplace barriers.

And the Health Adjustment Passport can help you begin putting your individual workplace needs into words.

You may use more than one type of support during your employment journey.

A useful place to start

Instead of beginning only with:

“What employment programme am I eligible for?”

try asking:

“Where am I in my employment journey, what is getting in the way, and what would make the next step feel achievable?”

That next step doesn't always have to be a full-time job.

It might be researching careers, updating a CV, completing some training, volunteering, practising an interview, exploring adjustments or simply understanding what kind of working environment suits you.

Small steps still move you forward.

Remember

Needing support to find, return to or maintain employment does not mean you lack skills or ability.

Sometimes the difference is having the right opportunity, the right environment, the right adjustments and the right people around you.

Employment support should not simply be about finding a job.

It should help you move towards work that works for you.

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