This month ELBA is pleased to profile The Tower Project, a community based voluntary sector organisation for children and adults with a learning disability, sensory disability, autism, physical disability or health related issue. They successfully deliver a wide range of services throughout London, and continue to develop new projects and innovative services for individuals. The key aims of The Tower Project are to enable and empower people with disabilities to develop opportunities, become independent, participate fully in education, employment and have a voice in the community.

Graham Smithers, Head of Services, told us more about The Tower Project’s amazing work, particularly the award-winning employment support they provide.

What does The Tower Project do?
We are an award-winning provider of supported employment and training services for young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism. We are based in London’s only learning disability employment and training hub in Mile End Park. Our Job Enterprise and Training Service (JET) is East London’s leading provider of specialist supported employment services for people with Learning Disabilities and Autism and works with over 220 people a year. JET aims to increase the number of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions that are in sustainable employment by providing a straightforward programme of support solutions, which will equip clients with the required tools to overcome any barriers stopping rapid progression into employment.

We are contracted with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to provide supported employment services in the borough and also deliver commissioned work for the London Borough of Hackney. Our progression rates into employment have been benchmarked by the GLA as some of the highest in London and currently we progress more than half of the people that we work with into paid employment.

What challenges do your service users face?
Over the past five years, employment levels for people with learning disabilities have been declining, whilst general employment levels in the UK have risen. In inner London, the employment rate for people with learning disabilities is 5.9%. Low employment levels have led to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to label people with learning disabilities as the UK’s most disadvantaged group and this has a knock-on effect on other areas of life from health and wellbeing to community participation and housing.

Being furthest from the job market, young people with learning disabilities are the students most in need of employment training and work experience placements but they are the least likely to receive them. At JET, we have worked with specialist SEN schools in the borough and mainstream schools with SEN provision to enhance their employment training and work placement offer as well as develop an environment where paid work is a realistic option for these young people when they leave education.

As part of this work, the Tower Project JET Service organises LETS WORK, London’s largest Job Fair for young people with learning disabilities that takes place at the Mile End Ecology Pavilion every March. This year over 290 young people with learning disabilities attended the event, which attracted 40 employers including ANZ Bank, Petersham Nurseries, Genesis Cinema, The Town Hall Hotel, Theatre Royal Stratford, AEG and Framestore. The event is growing each year and it is likely that we will have to find a bigger venue for 2020 to fit the number of new employers that would like to attend.

Do you have any stories you would like to share?
In Year 10 Kiera accessed JET’s Schools Programme as part of cohort of students from Langdon Park with special educational needs. A specialist Disability Employment Advisor supported Keira to undertake a Vocational Profile, which highlighted Kiera’s passion for baking and interest in working in hospitality.

Kiera joined JET’s Discovery Programme to gain the skills, experience and qualifications required to progress onto a Supported Internship. Through the programme, Keira gained hospitality qualifications and experience with a range of employers in the hospitality and catering sector:

• At Costa Coffee, Kiera learnt key customer service skills and won a prize for customer feedback
• At Pizza Express, an experienced Pizzailo taught Kiera how to make pizza from scratch
• At Sky Garden, Kiera shadowed restaurant staff and honed her hospitality skills

At the end of the programme, Kiera progressed onto JET’s Supported Internship programme, delivered in partnership with LBTH and Hackney Learning Trust. She embarked on a work placement at JET’s Haggerston Perk Café, utilising the new state of the art baking equipment to bake cakes and pastries. Supported by a JET coach, Kiera’s skills developed and she introduced three new cake options to the café.

Towards the end of the Supported Internship Kiera attended JET’s Job Information Day, the largest Job Fair in London for young people with learning disabilities. Kiera met the HR Director of Petersham Nurseries who agreed to visit Kiera at Haggerston Perk Café along with the Executive Chef of La Goccia, Petersham’s Michelin Star restaurant in Covent Garden. The Chef was so impressed with Kiera’s passion for baking that she offered her a work placement as a Pastry Chef at La Goccia.

Kiera’s JET Job Coach initially supported her during the placement, but the chefs took her under their wing and mentored her. Kiera finished her placement with a recommendation from La Goccia’s Head Pastry Chef, and was supported by JET to progress into a her first paid job as a Pastry Chef Assistant role at Paul Rhodes, an artisan baker for top London hotels and restaurants. As Discovery Programme Alumni, Kiera will continue to receive advice, guidance and support as she develops her career.

What challenges is your organisation currently facing?
JET has been going through a period of rapid growth over the past 18 months, having doubled its turnover and staffing levels.  However, demand for its services still exceeds capacity and we aim to continue to grow our service to ensure that people with learning disabilities in East London have equal access to employment opportunities and the benefits that employment brings to everyday life.

If you are keen to support Tower Project or would like to attend November’s Job Fair with your company, please get in touch with antonia.williams@elba-1.org.uk to find out how you can help.