Supported Employment originated in America in the early 1970’s as an alternative model to traditional vocational training and employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities.

Supported Employment facilitates people with significant disabilities to access real jobs, in a real work environment with appropriate ongoing support. Although, originally developed for people with learning disabilities, successfully it has been adopted across all areas of disability (physical, mental health, sensory and hidden disabilities).

Supported Employment was introduced in N. Ireland in the 1980’s when there was already a natural shift towards employment opportunities for people with disabilities in their own communities. Since then Supported Employment model has developed throughout N. Ireland and is now recognised as the main method by which people with significant disabilities can access employment opportunities, becoming economically and socially active.

The key elements of Supported Employment are:-

• Real work – not artificially created but work which has an outcome i.e. numeration.
• Integrated setting – in a work environment where non-disabled and disabled people worked together.
• Ongoing support - Supported Employment provided job support which was specific to meet individual needs to enable them to achieve his/her independence in the work place. Support should not be time bound but be provided as long as an individual requires.

Furthermore the Supported Employment model was based on principles and values which were very different to traditional vocational training and employment.