Requirements & guidance for careers services (DfEE 1998)
Notes from Skill (National Bureau for Students with Disabilities) Introduction
The document expresses careers services' duties under the Trade Union Reform & Employment Rights Act (TURER) 1993. It is part of the contract between careers services & the government. All staff in careers services should see or receive a copy of the "Requirements and Guidance". It details what careers services are required to do for people with "special needs". This group includes disabled people, defined in the same way as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Disabled people not covered by the DDA 1995 & people with emotional or behavioural difficulties are included in the wider term "special needs".
Disabled people
- unlike other clients, have no age or time limit & therefore remain part of the careers service client group & entitled to free careers services until they have settled in their career intention;
- are entitled to the same outcomes as any other client & may need additional support to achieve them;
- are entitled to the full range of services when attending residential establishments outside the local area, such as specialist colleges for disabled people.
prepared & updated from notes supplied by Skill, 18.8.00
Careers services are required to:
- offer all clients full access to all their careers services;
- provide information & guidance in accessible ways & in accessible formats;
- ensure that personal help is available to those clients who need it to interpret & use the available careers information;
- employ enough appropriately trained & qualified staff, including specialists, to provide a full service to disabled people including those with learning difficulties;
- not discount suitable jobs, education & training for clients on grounds of impairment alone;
- not ask disabled people to pay any additional charges;
- focus on working together with parents & other agencies to ensure that clients' "special needs" are met;
- act as advocates for disabled people in obtaining suitable placements;
- be involved in 14+ transition planning;
- be involved in applying to the Learning & Skills Council (previously Further Education Funding Council) for a placement to be funded;
- work with employers by giving them information on the current employment scene, which may include advising them of how they can employ disabled people, their legal duty not to discriminate & what support is available to enable this;
- publish clear policy statements, review them regularly & include clients, parents & organisations concerned with disabled people in consultation on the policy & direction of the service;
- promote equality of opportunity, raise aspirations & challenge stereotypes.
Other useful information
- Fast-Track - development programme for disabled graduates or those of graduate ability, offers 2 six month placements with large companies & organisations in the private & public sectors. The programme also includes personal development training modules & a peer support network.
- RNIB - has online factsheets & more by post, information about further education & training, also a student website & a section on careers information & advice
- TechDis - providing large range of information & resources to support the further & higher education community in all aspects of technology & inclusive approaches for disabled people, including news, resources, tools & exercises to help design accessible materials, database of resources & organisations
- Working Without Hearing - employment tips, personal stories, useful organisations
Please let us know of any other sites that we could include in this section.
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