The Disability Employment Service is funded by Derbyshire County Council. If you're unemployed and disabled, we can help you.
We currently work with young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) from the ages of 16 to 18 years. We offer advice and information ahead of entering the world of work, and help prepare them for their transition to adult employment. For people aged 18 years and over, we can help secure employment and support them through this process.
We work with a wide range of employers and provide social contact, structure, friendships and can improve wellbeing and self-esteem. We can make employment a realistic option for many disabled people, and help younger people with SEND better prepare for adulthood.
You can find more information about the Disability Employment Service on the Derbyshire County Council website, as well as a useful leaflet about employment support for students.
For more information on how Derbyshire County Council helps young people with SEND access support moving into adulthood, please visit our Preparing for Adulthood page.
Getting into work
Most young people want to be able to get a paid job. Young people with special educational needs and disabilities often face extra challenges in finding work, but there is a range of support available. For example, government financial help (Access to Work) is available to pay for adjustments in the workplace which includes help to pay for equipment, taxis and other types of support.
Helpful steps you can take:
- Talk with family, friends and the people who support you at school or college, about the sort of job you'd like to do,
- If you have person-centred review meetings, use these meetings to think about what will help you to get the job you want
- Get in touch with a Careers Adviser or Personal Adviser through school or college, and the Disability Employment Adviser at Jobcentre Plus. These people can help you find out about different jobs, any qualifications you might need and the support available
- Do some work experience. School or college may be able to help organise this
- Consider volunteering. This can be a good way to gain useful skills, meet new friends and increase your confidence
- Talk to our Welfare Rights service to ensure you are getting benefits
If you're aged 16 or over, Derbyshire County Council's Disability Employment service may be able to help you find paid work, work experience or voluntary work. The service can help you find out about vacancies in your area as well as helping you prepare for interviews.
The careers adviser or disability employment adviser at Job Centre Plus will have details of companies in the local area looking to employ young people, and can also provide you with details of help available to people with learning difficulties or disabilities.